Princess Brunchildis VISIGOTHS

   Other names for Brunchildis were VISIGOTHS Princess, Brunehaut and Brunhilda.

   Ancestral File Number: 9GBN-4Q.

   General Notes:

Princess of VISIGOTHS.

BOOKS
The Story of Civilization, Will Durant, Vol IV, The Age of Faith, Ch IV, Europe Takes Form, Bk III Prelude to France, Sec 3 The Merovingians 511-614, p92:
"From the day of Clovis' marriage the history of France has been bisexual, mingling love and war. Sigebert sent costly presents to Athanagild, Visigothic king of Spain, and asked for his daughter Brunhilda; Athanagild, fearing the Franks even when they bore gifts, consented; and Brunhilda came to grace the halls of Metz and Reims (566). Chilperic was envious; all that he had was a simple wife, Audovera, and a rough concubine, Fredegunda. He asked Athanagild for Brunhilda's sister; Galswintha came to Soissons, and Chilperic loved her, for she had brought great treasures. But she was older than her sister. Chilperic returned to the arms of Fredegunda; Galswintha proposed to go back to Spain; Chilperic had her strangled (567). Sigebert declared war uponChilperic, and defeated him; but two slaves sent by Fredegunda assassinated Sigebert...
"Chilperic was stabbed to death in 584, possibly by an agent of Brunhilda. He left an infant son, Chlotar II, in whose stead Fredegunda ruled Neustria with as much skill, perfidy, and cruelty as any man of the time. She sent a young cleric to kill Brunhilda; when he returned unsuccessful she had his hands and feet cut off; but these items too are from Gregory..."

EMAIL
E Jimenez 15 Aug 2001
Saw your fine genealogy site. Just wanted to provide some information on Brunchildis/Brunehaut/Brunhilde the Visigoth, Queen of Austrasia. You have her listed as dying in 597 at her capital in Metz. However, my understanding is that it was her rival Fedegonde of Neustria (capital in Paris), who died in that year. The 40-year rivalry and feud between the two women (Fredegonde ascended to the throne by having her lover King Chilperic murder his wife Galaswinthe, sister of Brunechildis-and then murdering Chilperic) was the historical basis for Wagner's Brunhilde/Krimhilde feud in the Ring Cycle.
My understanding is that Brunchildis died in 613, at 60. She had backed her great grandson Siegbert II (12 yeas old) in his claim to the throne of Austrasia. But they were betrayed by their nobles who sided with Fredegonde's son, Chlothar II, King of Neustria.
One of the traitors was the Austrasian Mayor of the Palace, Pippin, whose descendants would wipe out the Merovingian dynasty (experienced traitors, I guess), leading to one famous descendant, Charlemagne.
Brunchildis' grandsons and great grandson were killed, and the "old queen" was herself "tortured for 3 days," then "paraded tied naked on top of a camel before the entire army," and finally according to the sources, either torn apart by 4 horses, or tied by her hair, a foot, and a hand to a wild stallion, and dragged until she died. The exact date fixed as when her death took place is February 28, 613 AD. This happenned at or near Dijon, France.
After her death (and the unification of the Austrasian and Neustrian crowns under Chlothar), the attempt at character assassination was widespread, accussing her of inmoralities and the murder of "at least ten kings." I suspect that Fredegonde's wrongdoings were blamed on Brunchildis, who was a pious woman who built numerous churches and monasteries (Her ashes are interred at the monastery of St. Martin de Autun) and assisted the missionary efforts of Augustin of canterbury, earning her the praise of then Pope Gregory.
If Chlothar thought he's finish her bloodline he was wrong, as her daughter Ingunde went back to Visigothic Spain (another daughther married the Lombard king) and married national hero Saint Hermenegild. Her bloodline continued to Ruy Diaz de Vivar (El Cid), Queen Isabel I (Columbus' sponsor) and through the Austrias into present times.

ANCESTRAL FILE
Ancestral File Ver 4.11 9GBN-4Q Brunehaut VISIGOTHS Princess Born/?Died Abt 534/539, and 8HS9-NG Brunchildis.

   Marriage Information:

Brunchildis married King Sigebert I AUSTRASIA, son of King Chlotar FRANKS, I and Queen Ingonde FRANKS, about 552-568 in Metz, Moselle, Austrasia, France. (King Sigebert I AUSTRASIA was born about 521-535 in Metz, Moselle, Austrasia, France and died about 575-579 in Metz, Moselle, Austrasia, France.)