Fredegund

  General Notes:

Born: Cir 545
Marriage: Chilperic I, King of Soissons
Died: 597 at age 52
General Notes:
The mistress of King Chilperic I of Neustria, she became his wife after inducing him to murder his wife Galswintha (567). Fredegunde and Brunhilda, Galswintha's sister and wife of King Sigebert I of Austrasia, were among the leading figures in the long war (561–613) between the Frankish kingdoms of Neustria and Austrasia. Fredegunde procured the deaths of Sigebert I and of her own stepchildren. After Chilperic's murder (584) she acted as regent for her son Clotaire II.From The History of the Franks By Gregory of Tours:In these days King Chilperic [ruler of the Frankish kingdom of Neustria in northern France] fell ill. When he recovered, his younger son, who had not yet been baptized in the name of the Holy Ghost, was attacked in his turn. They saw that he was dying and so they baptized him. He made a momentary recovery, but then Chlodobert, his older brother, caught the disease. When their mother Fredegund realized that he, too, was at death's door, she repented of her sins, rather late in the day, it is true, and said to the King: "God in his mercy has endured our evil goings-on long enough. Time and time again He has sent us warnings through high fevers and other indispositions, but we have never mended our ways. Now we are going to lose our children. It is the tears of paupers which are the cause of their death, the sighs of orphans, the widows' lament. Yet we still keep on amassing wealth, with no possible end in view. We still lay up treasures, we who have no one to whom we can leave them. Our riches live on after us, the fruits of rapine, hated and accursed, with no one left to possess them once we are gone. Were our cellars not already over-flowing with wine? Were our granaries not stuffed to the roof with corn? Were our treasure-houses not already full enough with gold, silver, precious stones, necklaces and every regal adornment one could dream of? Now we are losing the most beautiful of our possessions! Come, then, I beg you! Let us set light to all these iniquitous tax-demands! What sufficed for King Lothar [also known as Clotaire, or Chlotar I, ruler of the Franks from 558 to 561], your father, should be plenty enough for our exchequer, too." As she said this, the Queen beat her breast with her fists. She ordered to be placed before her the tax-demands which had been brought back by Mark from her own cities, and she put them on the fire. She spoke to the King a second time. "What are you waiting for?" she asked. "Do what you see me doing! We may still lose our children, but we shall at least escape eternal damnation." King Chilperic was deeply moved. He tossed all the files of tax-demands into the fire. As soon as they were burnt, he sent messengers to ensure that no such assessments should ever be made again. Meanwhile their youngest son wasted away before the onslaught of the disease and finally died. With broken hearts they carried him to Paris from their estate at Berny, and buried him in the church of Saint Denis. As for Chlodobert, they placed him on a stretcher and carried him to the church of Saint Medard in Soissons. They set him down before the Saint's tomb and made vows for his recovery. He died in the middle of the night, worn to a shadow and hardly drawing breath. They buried him in the church of the holy martyrs Crispin and Crispinian. The whole populace bewailed his death: they walked behind his funeral cortège, the men weeping and the women wearing widows' weeds as if they were escorting their own husbands to the grave. From this time onwards King Chilperic was lavish in giving alms to cathedrals and churches, and to the poor, too. 1926 <../Sources.htm>
Noted events in her life were:
• She was employed. Frankish queen.
Fredegund married Chilperic I, King of Soissons, son of Chlotar I, King of the Franks and Aregund. (Chilperic I, King of Soissons was born circa 539 and died in Oct 584 in Chelles, France.)

Fredegund married Chilperic I, King of the Soissons, son of King Chlotar I of the Franks and Queen Aregund. (Chilperic I, King of the Soissons was born about 539 and died in Oct 584 in Chelles, France.)