#Galswintha

[isadomna]

The Death of Galswintha

Brunhild’s elder sister, Galswintha, arrived in Frankish lands as Chilperic I of Neustria’s betrothed in July of 568, trailed by even more treasure and finery than her sister had been. At Rouen, Chilperic tripped over himself to provide an even more spectacular reception than his brother had given Brunhild. He marched his army more than one hundred miles west, so they might meet his new bride ‘near the curved bed’ of the river Seine as she disembarked from her ship. Rather than being greeted by a palace hall full of nobles, Galswintha was welcomed by Chilperic’s entire army on bended knee, swearing an oath of allegiance to their new queen. Chilperic never did anything in half measure. And Galswintha was married not in the great hall of a converted basilica, but in the cathedral at Rouen.

Less than six months later, though, a third wedding would take place. No cathedral this time, just a handful of nobles quickly assembled in the great room of a royal villa. A week before this third wedding, King Chilperic and Queen Galswintha had been fighting. As she stormed and raged, messengers were seen riding out from the palace at all hours, delivering missives and pleas to her sister and her mother. Galswintha had caught Chilperic in bed, again, with the slave girl Fredegund. The queen was furious that ‘he showed no respect to her at all’; she was distraught over ‘the insults which she had to endure’. She wanted to return home. Was it truly so unendurable? Yes, to be made a fool of like that. And Chilperic had such a temper! She would return home, even if it meant leaving her enormous dowry behind. One morning, soon thereafter, the palace woke to a horrible scene. Galswintha had been found dead in her bed, strangled in her sleep.

Chilperic did not once address his subjects on the matter of Galswintha’s untimely demise. There were no searches for her assailants or rewards offered for their capture. No one was ever questioned or punished, not even the guards who had been posted at the door of the royal bedchamber that night. It was Fortunatus’s friend Gregory who stated plainly what the whole of France was thinking: ‘Chilperic ordered Galswintha to be strangled… and found her dead on the bed.’

Just months after Galswintha’s wedding, Brunhild had received word that her father had dropped dead, presumably of a heart attack. When the next message arrived, this one from Galswintha’s terrified nursemaid, it was reported that Brunhild went into shock. In less than eighteen months, Brunhild had lost her homeland, her father and now her only sibling. At the news of Galswintha’s death, Spain falls into even greater lamentations, and her grieving mother ‘collapses in distress, her knees giving way’ and faints. The enraged mother of the murdered princess was still a major player in international politics; after the death of King Athanagild, she had married his successor.

The few tears Chilperic reportedly shed shortly after Galswintha’s murder may have even been genuine: he was sad that things had come to this. It was nothing personal; Galswintha was simply no longer useful to him. But Fredegund was. Chilperic was obviously incredibly attracted to her. And his attraction also solved several problems. A low-born woman came without the complications of a powerful family; she would be happy with whatever meagre morgengabe he gave her. Three days later, arrayed in the brightly dyed linens and jewels of her predecessor, Fredegund stood at the altar, smiling up at Chilperic.

Galswintha’s murder has been portrayed in art numerous times throughout the centuries since, and the blame always rests on Chilperic, so much so that illuminated manuscripts and paintings portray the king of Neustria himself, wearing his crown and grinning rakishly, wrapping a cloth around the neck of his sleeping wife. In some versions, Fredegund looks on. Whether Fredegund really urged him on or not, she knew people would always assume that she had, cleverly disposing of yet another rival for the king’s affections.

Source:

Shelley Puhak, The Dark Queens: A gripping tale of power, ambition and murderous rivalry in early medieval

[venicepearl]

Galswintha (540–568) was a queen consort of Neustria. She was the daughter of Athanagild, Visigothic king of Hispania (the Iberian Peninsula, comprising modern Spain and Portugal), and Goiswintha. Galswintha was the sister of Brunhilda, Queen of Austrasia; and the wife of Chilperic I, the Merovingian king of Neustria. Galswintha was likely murdered at the urging of Chilperic's former concubine Fredegund (and then later wife), instigating a 40-year civil war within the Merovingian kingdom.

[stigmatam4rtyr]

The Death of Galswintha (1846) | Eugène Philastre

[teddog]

OCtober 2024 Day 14: Who or What Inspired Your OC

I promised my friends an interesting context to an important myth in the Fate fandom, so here we are.

Curtis is based a little bit on a historical figure named Galen. Not Aelius Galenus, but an obscure figure connected to figures that would later inspire parts of Nibelungenlied.

Content Warning: there is an event within this series of events that can be read as an incestuous marriage between non-blood related relatives. There’s also a lot of violence, murder, and an event that can be seen as self harm. These are historical events, please be thoughtful with how you engage with them.

A lot of what survives from this situation comes from Gregory of Tours. Look, I read a decent amount of Decem Libri Historiarum for this, which I wouldn’t recommend for researching OCs.

In the 500s, the Franks were in a civil war after Chlothar I died and split his kingdom between his four sons. Two of them, Chilperic I and Sigebert I, immediately went to war with each other. In the middle of this civil war, Sigebert marries Brunhilda of Austrasia.

This causes much drama amongst the brothers given Brunhilda’s status as an educated woman, which is atypical for the brothers’ spouses. Chilperic claims to want to marry Brunhilda’s sister, Galswintha, possibly out of jealousy. This relationship is short lived, however, as Galswintha is murdered by Chilperic and his favourite mistress, Fredegund.

You should start to notice some familiar names. Features of Fredegund and Brunhilda are both considered inspirations for Brunhild and Kriemhild. Sigebert probably inspired Sigurd. But where does Galen fit in? Let me get to that.

Sigebert tries to avenge Galswintha, but gets murdered by assassins from Fredegund. Brunhilda is still alive, which will become important later.

Meanwhile, Chilperic naturally has some kids across his various marriages. One of the kids from his first wife, Audovera, had a son named Merovech. What happened to Audovera? Don’t worry, Fredegund had her murdered too.

Merovech has enough sense to realize this situation is terrible for everyone involved. This is where Galen shows up as well. Galen is mentioned as Merovech’s servant, but you can kinda read him as Merovech’s accomplice in what’s about to go down. There’s also a bit of a “Historians think they were roommates” energy.

For example, there’s one incident Gregory of Tours talks about where Chilperic realizes that Merovech poses an actual threat, so he has the prince shipped off to a monastery. Galen breaks in and smuggles him out.

Merovech realizes the only way he will amass enough power to overthrow his dad is to marry into it, so he contacts the woman who hates his father the most— Brunhilda. This marriage is incredibly scandalous and done in secret by the bishop Prætextatus. Due to his involvement with this marriage, Prætextatus was exiled briefly and later assassinated allegedly under Fredegund’s orders.

In the aftermath we have the “shipped to a monastery” event, which was an attempt to nullify the marriage. Merovech gets out with Galen’s help and the two live on the run for several years while trying to overthrow Chilperic. They’re eventually sieged in a town and, realizing there was no escape, Merovech asked Galen to kill him. Galen was captured in the aftermath and was tortured to death by Fredegund.

To tie up the loose ends, Chilperic was eventually eventually assassinated on a hunting trip, Fredegund shockingly dies of natural causes, and Brunhilda was executed by Fredegund’s son, Chlothar II.

This is a very streamlined retelling of these events and if you’re curious about this clusterfuck, I encouraged you to do some deeper reading. Gregory of Tours is a sarcastic, bitter menace about this situation. Just look at this piece of art at the end of this post, reflecting the relationship between him and Chilperic!

As a final note, Gregory felt that Prince Merovech was morally correct to attempt a rebellion against Chilperic, but his youth and inexperience in an already fraught situation meant there was no way Merovech could have succeeded.

As for how this inspired Curtis, my partner’s OC is inspired in part on King Merovech. Merov is the dragon and Curtis is the dragon slayer, you see. But I kept bumping into Prince Merovech while doing research and his grim fate with Galen felt like a tragic past lifetime where the dragon and the dragon slayer teamed up to try to save the world and failed against impossible odds.

[eigwayne]

Tagged by @lunanoc to write out my URL with song titles.

Oh man, there are so many vowels... Let's see how this goes!

Everlasting Song- FictionJunction ASUKA (Elemental Gelade OST)

Ignited- TMRevolution (Gundam SEED Destiny OST)

Galswintha- Leave's Eyes

Where the Wild Roses Grow- Kamelot

aLIEz - SawanoHiroyuku[nZk] (Aldnoah Zero OST)

Yesterday's Opponents Are Today's Ingredients- Atelier Ayesha OST

Never Going Back Again- Fleetwood Mac

Earth Day- Kogeinu (Vocaloid cover)

I have to admit to peeking at my playlists for inspiration, but this was an older computer so it's like, my driving playlists from 2017-2020 so very otaku and lyric metal. I listened to so much Gundam OST in the 2010s, lol.

Tagging @amethysttribble, @jacko-shadow, @mitochondriaandbunnies, @fujitsubos, @asingularshieldmaiden

[elkordyadel32]

Queen Galswintha: The Murdered Queen of the Franks #Queen Galswintha #Me...

Queen Galswintha was a Visigothic princess who married King Chilperic I of the Franks in the 6th century. Her tragic death, allegedly at the hands of her husband’s mistress, ignited a series of violent political events known as the Frankish civil wars.

[barbiegirldream]

Brunhilde was a visigothic princess of untold wealth and good blood from what is now Spain. She was sent north to the barbaric Franks to marry Sigfurd of Austrasia. Your marriage is going actually really well.

But then your insufferable brother in law Chilperic King of Neustria sends for another of your sisters, Galswintha. Literally no one wants this marriage to happen.

Least of all Chilperic's long time mistress Fregegund. Your sister is about to run back to your father with her dowry but uh oh she was strangled to death in her bed. It was so obviously Fregegund and Chilperic. As they get married three days after your sister's murder.

So you plot for your whole life to take this bitch and her husband down. You husband is pretty cool about these whole plots he wants his brother's portion of Francia anyway.

Literally nothing you could do to Fregegund could be unjustified she tried to kill her own daughter by slamming her head in a chest repeatedly.

Unfortunately, Fregegund's son does get the last laugh as he has you drug behind a horse through the city, and all your body parts fall off before promptly uniting all the lands his father and uncles couldn't... oh well

How in the world is Brunhilde and Fregegund rivalry not made into a comedy show of The Real Housewives of Francia

[nanshe-of-nina]

(Anonymous, Strangling of Galswintha by Chilperic, c. 1375/1380)

(Eugène Philastre, Murder of Queen Galswintha, 1846)

(Jean-Paul Laurens, The Death of Galswintha)

(Louis-Charles-Auguste Couder, Chilperic I and strangled Galswintha)

Galswintha, the elder of the two daughters of Athanagild, King of the Visigoths, married Chilperic I of Neustria sometime between 566 and 567. Chilperic was initially delighted with her — perhaps because of her large dowry —  but eventually tired of her and began to sleep again with this concubine, Fredegund.

Galswintha was found strangled in her bed in 568 and it was suspected that either Chilperic or Fredegund had ordered it. Galswintha’s sister, Brunhilda, who was married to Chilperic’s half-brother, Sigebert I of Austrasia, was enraged at her sister's murder and had her husband declare war on Chilperic. The feud between Neustria and Austrasia would eventually claim the lives of both Sigebert and Chilperic.

[softkyluxkinks]

According to disney.wikia: “Ren is amazingly intelligent and wise. As a Field Commander of the First Order, Ren is a highly skilled tactician and a very capable leader” So what about competent leader Ren winning Hux’s heart and​ respect with his efficiency?

cute!

[lionfloss]

Eugène Philastre, The Death of Galswintha, 1846

[queenfredegund]

What is the novel in which Galswintha is raped while being murdered? I'd like to avoid it, it seems like too much! Like, this woman was killed in her bed, probably by her husband's order (others said it was her "rival" Fredegonde, who knows), so it is already a horrible situation, why make it even worse?

I’m sorry, anon, I haven’t found it, though I would say I’m not that sorry about it cause, you know... it was... yikes... That it to say, while searching for it, I check in several novels and don’t found it in the most known of them, so I guess you would not fall on it, if I can reassure you... But I’m not really surprised, poor Galswintha has been a sexual object since the 19th century at least, if you considere this painting, Le Meurtre de la reine Galswinthe, from Eugène Philastre. 

It’s not because it is actually seen as “art” that there is not a problem with its subject, i.e. a naked woman being molested...

The only purpose for rape scenes is always drama only... And even if it’s painful to say it, the Merovingian dynasty is a huge possibility for shitty or creepy writers who have a kink with rape... Just with the few novels I have checked, three at least had a Fredegund who have been raped during childhood or pre-teen years, and then became a lewd woman who use her sexuality as a weapon... This is disgusting...

[isadomna]

Warned of Chilperic’s playboy reputation, Athanagild had not immediately accepted Chilperic’s offer of marriage. Brunhild had converted from Arianism to Catholicism for Sigibert. Galswintha would also convert to her new husband’s preferred religion, but only on the condition that Chilperic be her faithful Christian husband. The Visigoths were much more prudish in this respect; their code prohibited the keeping of concubines and mistresses. And so Athanagild demanded Chilperic swear a solemn oath, a sacramentum, to repudiate all other women. Everyone would have understood who, exactly, Athanagild was referring to. This was the precondition to the marriage that Chilperic so eagerly sought: a king must swear to stay away from a slave. The fact that Chilperic was forced to make this particular promise hints that Fredegund’s hold over the king had already raised some eyebrows. There seems to have been no concern that his exiled first wife might return from her cloister – even though her three legitimate sons were being groomed to be warriors in their father’s armies – nor that any other of Chilperic’s former mistresses would dare disrespect this new powerful queen. But Fredegund, specifically, was perceived to be a potential problem. Chilperic agreed to this demand. He wanted this illustrious alliance more than he wanted any slave girl. He readily agreed that Fredegund would be sent away. But she would not be cast aside so easily. She kept her own counsel – and made her own plans.

Shelley Puhak, The Dark Queens: A gripping tale of power, ambition and murderous rivalry in early medieval

[venicepearl]

Brunhilda (c. 543 – 613) was queen consort of Austrasia, part of Francia, by marriage to the Merovingian king Sigebert I of Austrasia, and regent for her son, grandson and great-grandson.

In her long and complicated career she ruled the eastern Frankish kingdoms of Austrasia and Burgundy for three periods as regent for her son Childebert II from 575 until 583; her grandsons Theudebert II and Theuderic II from 595 until 599; and her great-grandson Sigebert II in 613. The period was marked by tension between the royal house and the powerful nobles vying for power.

Brunhilda was apparently an efficient ruler, but this and her forceful personality brought her into conflict with her nobles, the church and the other Merovingians. Her bitter feud with Fredegund, mistress of Chilperic I of Neustria, who murdered Brunhilda's sister, Queen Galswintha (c. 568), in order to replace her as queen, lasted until Fredegund's death in 597. Fredegund had Brunhilda's husband murdered and Brunhilda imprisoned for a period. This feud was continued by Fredegund's son, Chlothar II, who in 613 defeated Brunhilda in battle and had her executed by being pulled apart by four horses.

[roehenstart]

Fredegund and Chilperic. By Auguste Couder.

Galswintha (540–568) was a queen consort of Neustria. She was the daughter of Athanagild, Visigothic king of Hispania, and Goiswintha. 

Galswintha was the sister of Brunhilda, Queen of Austrasia; and the wife of Chilperic I, the Merovingian king of Neustria. Galswintha was likely murdered at the urging of Chilperic's former concubine Fredegund (and then later wife), instigating a 40-year civil war within the Merovingian kingdom.

[lawrence-alma-tadema]

The Tragedy of an Honest Wife: Galswintha on Her Death Bed, Lawrence Alma-Tadema, 1875, Harvard Art Museums: Drawings

Harvard Art Museums/Fogg Museum, Gift of Samuel D. Warren Size: 65.5 x 47.7 cm (25 13/16 x 18 3/4 in.) Medium: Watercolor on off-white wove paper (laid down to rectangular sheet)

https://www.harvardartmuseums.org/collections/object/296910

[thetudorslovers]

Brunhild, also spelled Brunhilda, Brunhilde, or Brunechildis, French Brunehaut, (born c. 534—died 613, Renève, Burgundy [now in France]), queen of the Frankish kingdom of Austrasia, daughter of the Visigothicking Athanagild, and one of the most forceful figures of the Merovingian age

In 567 Brunhild married Sigebert I, king of Austrasia, changing her religion from Arianism to Roman Catholicism. In the same year, her sister Galswintha married Sigebert’s half brother Chilperic I, king of the western part of the Frankish territory, but in 567 or 568, at the instigation of his concubine Fredegund, Chilperic had Galswintha murdered. Prompted by Brunhild, Sigebert then exacted Galswintha’s marriage settlement (Bordeaux, Limoges, Quercy, Béarn, and Bigorre) as retribution from Chilperic. When Chilperic tried to recover this territory, war broke out between him and Sigebert (573). At first it ran in Sigebert’s favour, but in 575 he was assassinated and Brunhild was imprisoned at Rouen. There, however, Merovech, one of Chilperic’s sons, went through a form of marriage with her (576). Chilperic soon had this union dissolved, but Brunhild was allowed to go to Metz in Austrasia, where her young son Childebert II had been proclaimed king. There she was to assert herself against the Austrasian magnates for the next 30 years. She encouraged the Byzantine-backed pretender Gundoald against Guntram, king of Burgundy, but Guntram made Childebert his heir, placating Brunhild and securing his own position against Gundoald.

After Childebert’s death (595), Brunhild failed to set herself up as guardian over Childebert’s elder son, Theodebert II of Austrasia, and thus stirred up against him his brother Theodoric II, who had succeeded to Burgundy. Theodebert was overthrown in 612, but Theodoric died soon afterward (613), whereupon Brunhild tried to make the latter’s eldest son, the 12-year-old Sigebert II, king of Austrasia. The Austrasian magnates appealed to Chlotar II of Neustria against her. Brunhild tried in vain to enlist the help of the tribes east of the Rhine and then fled to Burgundy. Garnier, the mayor of the palace in Burgundy, was in league with Chlotar, however, and Brunhild’s army refused to fight when it met Chlotar’s on the Aisne River. Brunhild was handed over to Chlotar at Renève (northeast of Dijon). The nearly 80-year-old queen was tortured for three days, bound to a camel and exposed to the mockery of the army, and finally dragged to death at a horse’s tail (autumn 613).

Brunhild’s ashes were interred in a mausoleum erected near the abbey of St. Martin at Autun, which she had founded. Her memory was highly venerated there, but historians throughout the ages have had conflicting opinions about her. Gregory of Tours applauds her for her personal morality and for her political wisdom, whereas Fredegarius treats her with undisguised vitriol. The Franks over whom she sought to rule resented her Gothic origin, and the tragic course of her life has made her a figure of legend.