queenfredegund: MEROVINGIAN REGINAE | Bathildis Regina († 680) Chief wife of Chlodovech II Re
queenfredegund:MEROVINGIAN REGINAE | Bathildis Regina († 680) Chief wife of Chlodovech II Rex, to whom she bore at least three sons, Chlothacar III Rex, Childerich II Rex and Theodorich III Rex. According to Fredegar, she was an anglo-saxon or a saxon slave, bought and trained by the Maior Palatii Erchinoald, who then offered her to Chlodovech II Rex. “Quam de partibus transmarinis divina providentia advocans, et vili pretio venundata, huc advenit ipsa pretiosa et optima Dei margarita. Recepta est a principe Francorum viroque inlustri Erchinoaldo quondam, in cuius ministerio ipsa adolescens honestissime conversata est […]. Et cum esset ex genere Saxonum, forma corporis grata ac subtilissima et aspectu decora […]. Et cum talis esset, fuit omnino grata principi et invenit gratiam in oculis eius. Qui eam instituit, ut sibi in cubiculo pocula porrigeret et ut pincerna honestissima sepius presens adstaret in ministerio eius.Divine providence called her from lands across the sea and this precious and best pearl of God arrived here, having been sold at a low price. She was acquired by the late Erchinoald, the leader of the Franks and a man of illustrious standing […]. And although she was from the race of the Saxons, the form of her body was pleasing, very slender, and beautiful to see. […] And, since she was thus, she was exceedingly pleasing to the prince and she found favour in his eyes. He engaged her to serve him the goblets in his chamber, and as a most honourable cupbearer she stood quite often present in his service.”Vita Bath., A, c. 2.Very little is known on the next fifteen years of her life. As Chlodovech II’s wife, she may have lived between the cities of Sexonas (Soissons), Parisius (Paris) or Clippiacum (Clichy). And as his ancient slave, she maintained good relationships with Erchinoald, who favoured her in return. It is unknown if she was the only sexual partner of Chlodovech, but she seems to have been the only one to gave birth to sons able to succeed him.Igitur Chlodoueus filius Dagoberti, de genere alienigenarum reginam accipiens nomine Baldethilde prudentem atque eligantem, genuitque ex ea filios tres Chlothario, Childerico et Theuderico.Then Clovis, son of Dagobert, took for queen a woman of foreign birth, named Balthild, wise and distinguished woman, of which he had three sons, Clotaire, Childéric and Thierry.”Chron, Cont, 1.After the suddent death of Chlodovech II in 657, she became Regent of Neustria for her son Chlothacar III Rex only, who was still a minor by then, without crowning any of her other sons. According to Fredegar, she was supported in her choice by Erchinoald, who wanted to avoid a dismembering of the regnum, and thus, the appointment of an other Maior Palatii to challenge him. “In extremis uero uitae annis amens effectus uitam caruit regnauitque annis XVIII. Franci quoque Chlotharium filium eius maiorem in regno statuunt cum prefata regina matre.In the last years of his life, however, he lost his mind and passed away after he had reigned eighteen years. The Franks then place on the throne his eldest son, Clotaire, next to his mother, the queen mentioned above.”Chron, Cont, 1.She also formed around her a circle of importants and powerful councellors, like Bishop Chrodobert of Parisius, Bishop Audoenus of Rotomagus, or Bishop Eligius of Noviomagus. Yet, a year later, she had to face the death of her old protector, who was replaced by the decision of the nobiles by a certain Ebroinus. As a ruler, she was known for her religious foundations and her abolition of the slave trading of Christian people in the whole Gauls. “Et illus commemorandum est, quia ad mercedis eius cumulum pertinet, quod pativos homines christianos ire prohibuit, datasque praeceptiones per singulas regiones, ut nullus in regno Francorum captivum hominem christianum penitus transmitteret. Sed magis et ipsa, dato prestio, captivos plurimos redimere precepit et liberos relaxavit et alios ex ipsis in monasteria intromisit et precipue de gente sua viros et puellas quam plures denutritas suas. Quantas enim adtrahere potuit, eas per sancta coenibia commendavit et, ut pro ea exorarent, eis precepit. Etiam ad Romam usque ad beati Petri et Pauli basilicas vel ad Romensis pauperes plura ac larga sepius direxit munera. And this must be called to mind, because it pertains to the increase of her reward, that she forbade Christian men to become captives, and she issued precepts throughout each region [ordering] that absolutely no one ought to transfer a captive Christian in the kingdom of the Neustrians. And in addition she paid the price and ordered many captives to be bought back and she released them as free. Others of them, especially from her own race, men and also many girls, she sent into the monasteries as her own charges. However many she was able to attract, these she entrusted to the holy monasteries, and she ordered them to pray for her. She even often sent many generous gifts to Rome, to the basilicas of blessed Peter and Paul and to the Roman poor.” Vita Bath., A, c. 9.She also intervened in Austrasia, where a coup d’etat had occured a year before in the following of the death of her brother-in-law, Sigebert III Rex: although it remains difficult to understand what truly happened by then, it may have been due to a violent competition between two alleged regents, Himnechildis Regina, mother of Dagobert II, and the Maior Palatii Grimoald, tutor of Childebert III, a competition which led to the victory of the last over the first.However, fearing the threat of the new masters of the austrasian kingdom, Bathildis and Ebroinus sent troops to Mettis (Metz), leading to the death of Grimoald and the overthrowing of the young Childebert III. After that, she installed her second son Childerich II Rex as rex over Austrasia, in 662, under the regency of his aunt, Himnechildis Regina. “[…]et regno quidem Francorum in pace consistenti. Tunc etenim nuper et Austrasii pacifico ordine, ordinante domna Blathilde, per consilium quidem seniorum receperunt Childericum, filium eius, in regem Austri […]. And, indeed, the kingdom of the Franks was maintained in peace. Then indeed, a little while ago, the Austrasians peacefully received her son Childeric as king in Austrasia by the arrangement of Lady Balthild and, indeed, through the advice of the great magnates.” Vita Bath., A, c. 5. C. 664, as her son Chlothacar became a major, she officially retired herself of her rank of regent and also of the public life in the monastery of Cala (Chelles). Even if some scholars claims till this day that she was forced to do it by the villainous Ebroinus, probably because of a factions clash, it is rather the application of a social norm for royal widows as the sources speak of a sort of aristocratic procession, already observed for Fredegund Regina in 584. “Erat enim eius sancta devotio, ut in monasterio, quem prediximus, religiosarum foeminarum, hoc est in Kala, quam ipsa edificavit, conversare deberet. Nam et Franci pro eius amore hoc maxime dilatabant nec fieri permittebant […]. Deductaque ab aliquibus senioribus, venit ad praefatum monasterium suum Kala, ibique ab ipsis sanctis puellis, ut decebat, honorifice et satis amabiliter in sancta congregatione recepta est.It was, however, her holy vow that she ought to dwell in the monastery of religious women which we mentioned above, that is, at Chelles, which she herself built. But the Neustrians, for love of her, delayed in this especially […]. And, having been escorted by certain noblemen, she came to her above-mentioned monastery at Chelles, and there, as is fitting, she was honourably and very lovingly received into the holy congregation by the holy maidens.” Vita Bath., A, c. 10. After that moment, Bathildis apparently did not intervene in politics anymore, even during the turmoil of events which led the end of her regency: the death of Chlothacar c. 666, the aristocratic conspiracy against Ebroinus in 673, or the assassination of Childerich in 675. She died as a saint in 680, shortly after her goddaughter, who had followed her in her retirement, during the reign of her third son, Theodorich III Rex, and was buried in the church Holy-Cross of Cala.“Et erat aliqua quidem tunc infantula, sua filiola, quam voluit, ut secum iret, quae et ipsa subito e corpore exiit et eam ad tumulum pracessit. Tunc consignans se confidenter, et pios oculos ac santcis manibus ad caelum erectis, sancta illa anima a corporis vinculo in pace soluta est […]. There was at that time a certain child, her goddaughter, whom she wished to go with her, and she [the child] suddenly went out from her body and preceded her to the grave. Then, making the sign of the cross in faith, and with her faithful eyes and holy hands raised toward heaven, her holy soul was loosed from the chain of her body in peace. […].” Vita Bath., A, c. 14.Some of her possessions have been kept in the actual Chelles Abbey, such as an ornate chemise and a lock of hair which, if it is really one of her own hair, shows to us that she was actually a strawberry blonde and, above all, a dyed strawberry blonde as it has been demonstrated that they are traces of dye coloration on it. -- source link
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