#House of Merovech

[gouachevalier]

Saint Guntram the Good, King of Burgundy

Commemorated on 28 March

Saint Guntram (c. AD 532 – 28 March AD 592) was King of Burgundy from AD 561 to AD 592. He was the second eldest surviving son of Chlothar I, King of the Franks, and his wife, Ingunda. Upon Clothar’s death in 561, Francia was divided among his four sons, with Guntram receiving the former Kingdom of Burgundy as well as the eastern part of the former Kingdom of Orléans.

Francia after the death of Clothar I, King of the Franks, AD 561

The preeminent chronicler of the period, St. Gregory of Tours, often called him “good king Gontrand”, as noted in the quotation below from the former’s Decem Libri Historiarum, in which St. Gregory discussed the fate of Guntram’s three marriages:

“The good king Gontrand first took a concubine Veneranda, a slave belonging to one of his people, by whom he had a son Gundobad. Later he married Marcatrude, daughter of Magnar, and sent his son Gundobad to Orléans. But after she had a son Marcatrude was jealous, and proceeded to bring about Gundobad’s death. She sent poison, they say, and poisoned his drink. And upon his death, by God’s judgment she lost the son she had and incurred the hate of the king, was dismissed by him, and died not long after. After her he took Austerchild, also named Bobilla. He had by her two sons, of whom the older was called Clothar and the younger Chlodomer.”

Guntram was eventually overcome with remorse for the sins of his past life, and spent his remaining years repenting of them, both for himself and for his nation. In atonement, he fasted, prayed, wept, and offered himself to God. Throughout the balance of his prosperous reign he attempted to govern by Christian principles. According to St. Gregory of Tours, he was the protector of the oppressed, caregiver to the sick, and the tender parent to his subjects. He was generous with his wealth, especially in times of plague and famine. He strictly and justly enforced the law without respect to person, yet was ever ready to forgive offences against himself, including two attempted assassinations. Guntram munificently built and endowed many churches and monasteries. St. Gregory related that the king performed many miracles both before and after his death, some of which St. Gregory claimed to have witnessed himself.

Saint Guntram, King of Burgundy

In 567, Guntram’s elder brother Charibert I, King of Paris, died, and his lands were divided between the surviving brothers: Guntram of Burgundy, Sigebert I of Austrasia, and Chilperic I of Neustria. They shared his realm, agreeing at first to hold Paris in common. Well endowed with the political skills of prudence and duplicity, Guntram strove to prevent either of his two remaining brothers, Chilperic I and Sigebert I, from gaining too great a power, allying with the one and then the other as circumstances demanded.

After the death of Sigebert I in 575 he protected the interests of the young Childebert II, Sigebert’s son, against the aggressive Chilperic, and recognized Childebert as his heir after his own sons died in 577. When Childebert nevertheless allied with Chilperic against him, he bought off the young king by the cession of territory in 583 and confirmed him as his adopted son—an act all the more necessary as he was also faced with a Byzantine-sponsored usurper, Gundoald, whom he was then able successfully to overcome.

Meeting between St. Guntram and Childebert II of Austrasia

The death of Chilperic I of Neustria in 584 left Guntram master of the scene; he protected the young Chlotar II, Chilperic’s heir, and Fredegund, Chlotar’s mother, but also settled remaining differences with Childebert II of Austrasia by the Treaty of Andelot (587). He then turned his attention to the south in his later years but was twice unsuccessful against the Visigoths.

Francia after the Treaty of Andelot, AD 587

He died at Chalon-sur-Saône in 592, and his nephew Childebert II succeeded him. He was buried in the Church of Saint Marcellus, which he had founded in Chalon. Almost immediately, his subjects proclaimed Guntram a saint. The Huguenots, who scattered his ashes in the 16th century, left only his skull untouched in their fury. It is now kept there in a silver case.

Abbey of Saint-Marcel-lès-Chalon

[ofsupernovcs]

𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞  𝐮𝐩𝐨𝐧  𝐚  𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞  …  dr.edward jekyll/mr.ezekiel hyde   was  known  as  the  reliable  & intelligent   doctor  with  a  reputation  for  being  a  henry golding  doppelganger  .   but  now  ,  under  the  stress  of  the  war  on  the  horizon  ,  the  natural  born  unaffiliated  cambion  has  become  widely  known  for  being  rather  vengeful  &  volatile  .   let's  see  how  long  the merovech native  will  last  during  this  war  .   after  all  they're  only  thirty /  immortal  years  old  .   +  he/him  &  cis male ,  The strange case of Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde .

Extra Information

For first important note, for the sake of not spreading the neurodivergent stereotype, I hope maybe to say he struggles with his worst urges. Because there's humanity in him. Also for this sake, he will say it's another person but because he's strongly in denial that he could be That Bad (™)

Born to a demon and a human, Edward doesn’t know his mother. He lived in his home, spending time with his books. His father was a recent born again Christian, holding the Bible dear. But Edward never liked the Bible. In one instance it burned to the touch. Still it caused tensions for young Edward from an early age

Rather the books on medicine, science, and apothecary intrigued him.  His father was always against the sciences, sighing it would poison the brain. Nights were spent smuggling the books under his chest in hopes of not getting caught.

Finally he told his father, he wanted to become a doctor. He ignored his father beet red face as he left the house.

Edward worked as an apprentice under a doctor lanyon. He was known as a bright student, always working hard.He was the youngest recipent of the lifetime doctorate.  But one night he found something he shouldn’t have.

It was in a chapter in a book- unlocking your true potential. Edward was fixated on it. He studied the potion almost becoming his matra. Edward was going to become the best doctor.

But potion only brought up hisdemonic side. The side that he didn’t know he had until now. He woke up with blood dried on his mouth. And a dead patient on the bedside. 

The panic and fear spread within himself. There was a sinking feeling that he has killed someone? How could he even explain the truth.

Edward, trying to reconcile, Made up a character, Mr. Ezekiel Hyde. A man he saw kill the patient.

Edward was a convincing man, who wouldn’t believe someone as mart as him. 

Lanyon and the others believed him. It was a moment of relief

But now Edward has to hide the truth from everyone.

He can’t let anyone know he’s the Hyde who terrorized that office

Personality 

Edward is a very smart guy, ideally the best gentlemen.

He's also a pretty chill dude, albeit lately he seems very tense. Most people attribute it to him being a doctor at such a young age. 

Edward really wants to believe he's a good guy, like really really. He wouldn’t be able to sleep at night if he wasn’t

“Ezekiel” on the other hand represents the more selfish and evil parts of Edward

Ezekiel represents everything he has held back, all his desires he wanted to pursue but couldn’t. Basically a repressed hedonist because of his father and upbringing .

Ezekiel basically is the core opposite,  raunchy, curses a frickton, murdery, and of course gets all the gentlefolk 

But regardless Ezekiel is Edward- and Edward knows this but he keeps it under wraps.

Abilties: 

Most of the abilities of daemons but probably diluted- also proably due to lack of practice the powers (like fire control , speed) are probably choatic bursts 

Also more vulnerable to being stabbed/killed

But I also imagine as Ezekiel he probably tries to pull out ll the stops to not get recognized. Because the book was like “he didn’t look that different, he just had bad vibes) 

Wanted Connections (ehehehehe I have a lot tbh but for starters)

Secret Keeper- someone Edward begged to keep the truth of Ezekiel under wraps 

Blackmail- someone who knows Edward ain’t slick and can tell he’s a cmbion 

Patients- people he takes care of and know him as the  good doctor (no pun intended) 

Friends- well of course 

Hookups- can also go into the secret keeper category because Edward/Ezekiel don’t look that different tbqh. I imagine it being mostly dudes (because the related works kinda hint at that)  but hey Im open to most stuff tbqh

Love Interest- Maybe someone whomst likes Edward despite being a nerdy gentleman. Would be angsty or happy depending on chemistry. 

Embrace the Dark Side- someone who is like “look eddie boy you’re part demon, you might as well embrace it.”