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Who is Brunnhilde in fairy tales? A proper name in Russian poetry of the 20th century: a dictionary of personal names, what is Brunnhilde, what does it mean and how to spell it correctly. Heroine of Scandinavian myths

Who is Brunnhilde in fairy tales? A proper name in Russian poetry of the 20th century: a dictionary of personal names, what is Brunnhilde, what does it mean and how to spell it correctly. Heroine of Scandinavian myths

Brunnhilde(c. 543, Kingdom of the Visigoths - 613, Renev, Burgundy) - wife of Sigibert I (from 566), king of Austrasia (from 561), daughter of the Visigothic king Atanagild and Gosvinta (Gosvinda). The name Brünnhilde is translated from Old High German as “Armored Warrior.”

Biography

In her power-hungry aspirations to weaken the power of the Austrasian nobles, she revealed great courage and intelligence, along with cruelty.

Out of revenge for the murder of her sister Galesvinta, the second wife of Sigibert's brother, King Chilperic I of Neustria, by his next wife Fredegonda, Brünnhilde persuaded her husband to start a war against Chilperic; the war ended unsuccessfully: Sigibert was killed in 575, and Brünnhilde was taken prisoner, but Chilperic soon released her.

Returning to Austrasia, she ruled for her young son Childebert. Guntram, King of Burgundy, after the murder of his brother Chilperic in 584, helped his nephew and Fredegonda, who, after the death of Childebert, victoriously fought against Brunnhilde in 596, but soon died. In 597, Brunnhilde, expelled by the Austrasian nobles, sought refuge with her youngest grandson Theodoric II, who received Burgundy during the division of the inheritance, and persuaded him to war against his brother Theodebert of Austrasia; the latter was defeated and killed along with his son in 612. Theodoric then declared war on Clothar II, king of Neustria, son of Chilperic, but died soon after.

In the fall of 613, Brunnhilde, who was already 70 years old, wanted to rule the state again - due to the minority of the eldest of Theodoric's four sons, but the Austrasians, tired of internecine wars, proclaimed Chlothar king of all Frankish state, seized Brünnhilde and, accusing her of murdering ten members of the royal house, after three days of torture, in full view of the entire army, they tied her to the tail of a wild horse, which dragged her to death.

Brunnhilde

Brunnhilde of Austrasia is sometimes seen as a prototype of Brunhild, the wife of Gunther, King of Burgundy, mentioned in the German heroic sagas, as well as her rival Kriemhild, wife of the hero Siegfried. In northern myths, Brünnhilde is the Valkyrie Brynnhilde.

Husband and children

Since 566 - Sigibert I. Children from this marriage:
- Ingunda(567/568 - 585/586) - in 579 she was married to the eldest son of the Visigothic king Leovigild Hermenegild
- Childebert II(570 - March 596) - king of Austrasia from 575
- Chlodosvinta(575/576 - after 594) - since 594 married to the Visigoth king Reccared I.

Medieval chroniclers also considered Balderic, Bova and Anchises to be the children of King Sigibert and Brünnhilde (they are mentioned in Richer’s “History of the Church of Reims”), but modern historians do not support such an identification. However, in a number modern books, especially with church themes, they continue to be called the royal children.

BRUNHILD
1. Frankish queen
(Brunhilda)
(d. 613), Frankish queen. Brunnhilde, daughter of the Visigoth king Atanagild, married Sigbert I, king of Austrasia, in 567. Brunhilda's sister Halsvintha became the wife of King Chilperic I of Neustria from the same Merovingian dynasty. When Chilperic killed Galsvinta to please his mistress Fredegunda, a blood feud arose between him and Sigbert and Sigbert was killed. After her husband's death, Brünnhilde continued her struggle. She survived Chilperic, who was killed while hunting in 584. Seeking to become the ruler of Austrasia and Burgundy, she incurred the hatred of the local nobility and, at a very old age, was given to Clothar II of Neustria, son of Fredegund. In 613 she was tied by her hair to a horse's tail, and the horse dragged her along until Brünnhilde died.
2. heroine of German-Scandinavian mythology
(Brynhild, Brunnhilde),
heroine of German-Scandinavian mythology and epic; found primarily in several songs of the Elder Edda. This is a mortal warrior maiden; she is also one of the Valkyries, the daughter of King Budli, endowed with supernatural powers; the hero awakens the maiden, whom Odin, as punishment for some offense, plunged into a magical sleep and imprisoned in a palace surrounded by a fiery rampart; Sigurd gets Brynhild for Gunnar by trickery; out of jealousy and revenge, she seeks the murder of Sigurd. These elements are most successfully combined in the Icelandic Saga of the Välsungs. The hero Sigurd, the slayer of the dragon, breaks through the fiery shaft and awakens the Valkyrie, immersed in a magical sleep. They swear to each other. Then Sigurd marries Gudrun, for the magic spell makes him forget Brynhild, and, taking the form of Gunnar, conquers Brynhild for him. Brynhild subsequently plots Sigurd's murder and eventually throws herself into his funeral pyre to join him in death. In the later Nibelungenlied, much of this storyline lost: as in the Elder Edda, the Amazonian hero Brynhild intends to marry the one who defeats her in athletic competitions (if the applicant loses, death awaits), but in the Song of the Nibelungs she is the ruler of Iceland and lives in Isenstein Castle. The plot centers on intrigues related to the acquisition of Brynhildr as a wife to Gunther, i.e. Gunnar. The initial meeting between Brunhild and Siegfried, i.e. Sigurd, it seems, was not in this story; Brynhild is not to blame for his death and does not die with him. The passion and power of the earlier version is clearly lacking here, and Brynhildr as a character fades quite a bit. The image of Brünnhilde in Richard Wagner's interpretation, as well as the entire plot of his opera tetralogy The Ring of the Nibelung, go back to the Saga of the Welsungs. The Valkyrie should not be confused with the Frankish queen Brünnhilde.

Collier's Encyclopedia. - Open Society. 2000 .

Synonyms:

See what "BRUNHILD" is in other dictionaries:

Brunnhilde is an ancient French-German name. Famous characters of epic and history: Brynhild, Brynhild is the wife of the Nibelung Gunther, King of Burgundy, the heroine of German Scandinavian mythology and epic. Brünnhilde (c. 533 613) wife... ... Wikipedia

Valkyrie Dictionary of Russian synonyms. Brunnhilde noun, number of synonyms: 1 Valkyrie (5) ASIS Dictionary of Synonyms. V.N. Trishin... Synonym dictionary

- (Brynhild), 1) in the mythology of the Germans and Scandinavians, a hero, one of the Valkyries. 2) Frankish queen (about 534,613) ... Modern encyclopedia

- (Brynhildr) in Scandinavian mythology, one of the Valkyries; in the German Song of the Nibelungs, the queen of Iceland, who became the wife of Gunther, king of the Burgundians; responsible for Siegfried's death... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

1. According to the oldest (Scandinavian) version of the “Song of the Nibelungs”, a Valkyrie was punished by the god Odin for disobedience. She was deprived of divinity and plunged into a long sleep. The fair-haired Sigurd awakened her from this dream. Last… … Literary encyclopedia

I (Brynhildr), in Scandinavian mythology one of the Valkyries; in the German “Song of the Nibelungs” the queen of Iceland, who became the wife of Gunther, king of the Burgundians; responsible for Siegfried's death. II (Brunhilde) (about 534 613), Frankish queen, from 575... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

Brunnhilde- (Brunhilda) (c. 534 613), queen of the Franks, ruled Austrasia (Merovingians). After the murder of her husband, she tried to rule on behalf of her son Childebert II, but faced internal conflicts. unrest and opposition to the King of Neustria. She fled to Burgundy. Already in… … The World History

Brunnhilde- (Brynhild), 1) in the mythology of the Germans and Scandinavians, a hero, one of the Valkyries. 2) Frankish queen (about 534,613). ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

I Brunhild (Scandinavian Brunhild), one of the main heroines of the ancient Germanic heroic epic. 1) In the Scandinavian version (Edda, Volsunga saga), a Valkyrie (See Valkyries), for disobedience, was immersed by Odin in a magical ... ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia

BRUNHILD- (in “The Song of the Nibelungs” - the Queen of Iceland) It is not destined that the strong with the strong would unite in this world. So Siegfried and Brünnhilde missed each other, having decided the marriage matter with the sword. Tsv924 (II,236) ... Proper name in Russian poetry of the 20th century: dictionary of personal names

Books

Queen Brunnhilde, Dumézil B.. In the spring of 581, two Frankish armies were preparing for a clash on the Champagne Plain. Six years ago, chance would have it that the throne of the most powerful of the Frankish kingdoms -...

Valkyrie Dictionary of Russian synonyms. Brunnhilde noun, number of synonyms: 1 Valkyrie (5) ASIS Dictionary of Synonyms. V.N. Trishin... Synonym dictionary

BRUNHILD- (Brynhild), 1) in the mythology of the Germans and Scandinavians, a hero, one of the Valkyries. 2) Frankish queen (about 534,613) ... Modern encyclopedia

BRUNHILD- (Brynhildr) in Scandinavian mythology, one of the Valkyries; in the German Song of the Nibelungs, the queen of Iceland, who became the wife of Gunther, king of the Burgundians; responsible for Siegfried's death... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

Brunnhilde- 1. According to the oldest (Scandinavian) version of the “Song of the Nibelungs”, a Valkyrie was punished by the god Odin for disobedience. She was deprived of divinity and plunged into a long sleep. The fair-haired Sigurd awakened her from this dream. Last… … Literary encyclopedia

Brunnhilde- I (Brynhild), in Scandinavian mythology one of the Valkyries; in the German “Song of the Nibelungs” the queen of Iceland, who became the wife of Gunther, king of the Burgundians; responsible for Siegfried's death. II (Brunhilde) (about 534 613), Frankish queen, from 575... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

Brunnhilde- (Brynhild), 1) in the mythology of the Germans and Scandinavians, a hero, one of the Valkyries. 2) Frankish queen (about 534,613). ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

BRUNHILD- 1. Frankish queen (Brunhilda) (d. 613), Frankish queen. Brunnhilde, daughter of the Visigoth king Atanagild, married Sigbert I, king of Austrasia, in 567. Brunhilda's sister Galswintha became the wife of King Chilperic I of Neustria from the same... ... Collier's Encyclopedia

Brunnhilde- I Brunhild (Scandinavian Brunhild), one of the main heroines of the ancient Germanic heroic epic. 1) In the Scandinavian version (Edda, Volsunga saga), a Valkyrie (See Valkyries), for disobedience, was immersed by Odin in a magical ... ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia

Books

Queen Brunnhilde, Dumézil B.. In the spring of 581, two Frankish armies were preparing for a clash on the Champagne Plain. Six years ago, chance would have it that the throne of the most powerful of the Frankish kingdoms -... Buy for 847 rubles
Queen Brunnhilde, Dumézil Bruno. In the spring of 581, two Frankish armies were preparing for a clash on the Champagne Plain. Six years ago, chance would have it that the throne of the most powerful of the Frankish kingdoms -...

So, let's try to restore the fate of this clearly extraordinary woman, using the talented book by Bruno Dumezil with the simple title "Queen Brunnhilde." To understand the fate of this woman, our first task is to give her a name. In fact, contemporary sources called her very differently: Brunehilda, Brunechilda, Brunichildis, Brunigildis, Brunigilga, Brunehaut, even Bruna... This spelling uncertainty is explained by the desire to transcribe in Latin - the only language in which writing existed - the name from the Germanic dialects spoken by the barbarian peoples who settled Western Europe. And our uncertainty in choosing just one of these forms is generated precisely by the difficulties we experience in studying the very early Middle Ages. After all, when the queen was born, around 550, the disappearance of the Roman Empire in the West was not yet an undoubted fact. And when she died, in 613, medieval Christianity was only taking its first steps. In this period, wavering between the wolf and the dog, we dare to draw a line between antiquity and the Middle Ages by choosing the name of the queen.

Should we call her Brunechilda? Or even Bruna, which could well be her nickname?7 This would mean paying tribute to the ancient texts from which we gleaned almost all the information. Moreover, this lady wrote in polished Latin, and such forms, undoubtedly acceptable in the language of Virgil, could not have repulsed her. However, the queen, whose name is Bruna, might seem to us like some kind of Roman empress who accidentally wandered into the 6th century. But even if barbarian Gaul was in many ways the heir of Rome, the Merovingian era had a unique culture. For example, such a personality as this queen of the Franks would never have been allowed to emerge by the Roman Empire.

Should we, on the principle that names of Germanic origin are systematically Latinized, leave our character with the name Brunehilde? Undoubtedly, many subjects in the north of the kingdom called her that way. But this form was never used by her main correspondents and interlocutors - for the pope, for Byzantine Emperor, for the bishops of Gaul and for the highest dignitaries of the palace, the name Brunehilde sounded like barbarism in every sense of the word: in a learned city the word barbaric and used by barbarians had no rights. And just as it would be dangerous to see the world of the 6th century. too Roman, it would be wrong to consider it too Germanic. Let us add that for a European of the 21st century. the name brunehilde is inevitably associated with Wagner's portly heroine wearing a horned helmet. But this image is very far from the appearance of the Queen of the Franks.

It would be tempting, after playing with onomastics, to give a translation of both Germanic elements that form the compound name Brune/hilde. Then our heroine could be called “Shell-War” or, if you prefer, “Shell of War”. This would mean that we see in barbarian names primarily a totemic meaning. At one time, such a hypothesis was a great success, and still some perceive the Merovingian world as an era dominated by forces that arose from primitive Germany. Alas, none of the sources convinces us to give this anthroponymic magic too much of great importance. So let the reader forgive us if, when the queen meets her brother-in-law Guntramn (Gunt/chramn), we do not write: “The Shell of War saw the Raven of Battles.”

When choosing any transcription, some assumptions are inevitable. The one we prefer here, Brunehaut, does not exclude them either. Of all the possible forms, this is probably the least justified, since this clumsily Frenchized version, although proposed in the 13th century, did not have much success until the 19th century. Its only advantage is that it does not make us prisoners of just one system of interpretation. The queen, whom we will call Brunehaut, is not an empress or a Valkyrie, she can retain all her originality. Perhaps it will be objected that this spelling is a little too “medieval” and that Brunehaut could be the name of the Queen of France. This is truly a trap to beware of. In the VI century. France certainly did not exist and national consciousness had a long time to mature. Consequently, Brunehaut becomes queen of France only long after her own death.

What can we know about a woman who was born around 550 and died in 613? Of all the texts authored by Brünnhilde herself, only five letters remain. This may seem like an extremely small amount. However, no other Merovingian king was lucky enough to have his correspondence preserved in such volume. Moreover, although these five letters are quite consistent with late antique epistolary norms, their style is loose enough to suggest that the queen wrote them herself, or at any rate supervised their writing. The manuscript containing Brünnhilde's letters also contains a significant number of messages written in her office or addressed to her. If we add two surviving fragments of her will and direct or indirect evidence of half a dozen of her letters, Brünnhilde appears as one of the barbarian monarchs about whose life the most information has been preserved in direct documents.

However, the main information about her reign comes from an outside observer - George Florence Gregory, better known as Gregory of Tours. A descendant of a senatorial family that already included many bishops, he was born in Clermont around 539. In his early youth, he entered the clergy at Brioude, the most prestigious sanctuary of the Auvergne, and then, in 563, settled in Tours. In the same city, in 573, he received the rank of bishop. A prolific author, he tried all genres of Christian literature - from the lives of saints to exegesis and from astronomical church calendar before the liturgy. However, for posterity his name was preserved primarily thanks to a survey historical work - “Ten Books of History”. The date of their writing is still the subject of much debate, but is thought to have been between 576 and 592.

In the preface to this atypical work, Gregory of Tours claims that he tried to compile a universal chronicle from the creation of the world. But it is only in the first book, which ends with the death of Saint Martin in 397, that he, with considerable difficulty, tries to complete this task. The geographical area in question is henceforth limited to the territory of Gaul, although with brief remarks concerning the rest of the world. And from the end of the second book, the reader understands that Gregory’s real interests are focused on the Frankish kingdom, that is, on the territory controlled by Clovis and his successors. Some medieval scribes used this as an excuse to call the work "History of the Franks."

If everyone recognizes the amazing talent of a storyteller for Grigory of Tours, many empty words have been said about his lack of scientific rigor and his supposed gullibility. People who said this misunderstood the deep meaning of his work. His “Stories” are historical only in the Christian sense of the word, that is, they are designed to show the constant intervention of the Creator in the eventual fabric of his Creation. They continue in their own way the Old and New Testament and are intended to convince the reader that the death of the apostles did not put an end to the era of miracles. The author decides first of all pedagogical task. So, in each chapter, people act on stage, while behind the scenes God is waiting in the wings to reward the good and punish the evil. Such a design is naturally more suited to a collection of individual stories than to a historical fresco or argument. In addition, the story is mainly about the actions of kings and bishops. Indeed, in the eyes of God, their merits, as well as their misdeeds, carry more weight than the actions of ordinary people. Therefore, intervention from above in the lives of the powerful is more effective and more edifying for the reader.

However, let us not exaggerate the speculative nature of this work. Since 573, Gregory of Tours becomes an important character in his own book insofar as he participates in the political and church life of Gaul. And God strikes his enemies suspiciously often. Behind the apparent naivety of the narrative, apologetic intentions are often hidden - sometimes obvious, sometimes subtly hidden.

Brünnhilde occupies a special place in the Ten Books of History. Appearing in the fourth volume, she acquires more and more significance as the action progresses. Gregory is undoubtedly fascinated by this person, and the portrait he painted of her is basically a ceremonial one. Of course, when the book was completed in 592, the queen was at the height of her power; it would be extremely imprudent to criticize the monarch, under whose imperious patronage Tours found itself. In addition, Gregory was aware that he owed Brünnhilde/everything - the episcopal rank, the main titles and most of the troubles. He admired his empress as much as he feared her.

Despite all his caution, Gregory of Tours is not servile. He knows how, if necessary, to play on disapproving omissions and ambiguous compliments. On the other hand, if he sometimes lacks information, then he presents the information he has with a certain objectivity. Even when you discover that he is manipulating the facts, he remains scrupulous even in lies: he always leaves some unclear details in the story that cast doubt on the interpretation of seemingly unambiguous scenes. Finally, as for Brünnhilde, Gregory is prevented from following the plan of his work by an epistemological problem: in order to talk about the punishment of the wicked and the reward of the good, you need to know their whole life to the end. But in 592 Brunnhilde was still very much alive. Therefore, the queen described by Gregory of Tours, neither holy nor damned, remains a creature with an uncertain fate, whose image is conveyed in all its complexity.

The second important eyewitness to this reign was the poet Venantius Fortunatus. This Italian, who grew up in Ravenna, arrived in the Moselle valley in 565, then undertook a two-year journey through Gaul before settling in Poitiers, where he lived until his death around 600. Although he composed many lives of saints and epitaphs, his fame Fortunatus is obliged to correspond with correspondents scattered throughout Europe. By 576, he had collected more than a hundred of these letters into a collection of Poems (Carmina), dedicated to Gregory of Tours; many other letters were circulated separately and were included in this collection later. This collection is a source of primary importance for information about the ruling circles of Merovingian Gaul, and Brünnhilde is mentioned in it very often. By the way, it is known that, at least during some periods of her life, the Italian was her staff poet.

As the great panegyrist of the Merovingians, Venantius Fortunatus could be considered a biased author. But he was only earning his fee. His elegantly written works are praised without distinction by all those in power who agreed to finance his free lifestyle. Already in the 6th century. this flatterer lived at the expense of those who listened to him, and with impeccable irony Fortunatus describes himself as a “mouse poet”10, waiting at the rich tables for the powerful to drop some tidbit. And in this way he received not only cheese - although he was not one of those who refuse it, especially young cheese, which he adored - but also invitations to dinner, gourmet products and even attractive plots of land. Even if he were too shy to admit it, one could assume that some wallets with coins passed from hand to hand secretly. Thus, for most of his life, Fortunat lived at the expense of the Monastery of the Holy Cross in Poitiers, whose founder, Radegund, doted on him, and Abbess Agnes fed him well. While these ladies were fasting, he was dining. When the weather on the political scene turned bad, namely from 576 to 583, Gregory of Tours took the Italian under the protection. And from time to time, Fortunatus was invited to the court of one or another Frankish king to read an official speech or compose a complex diplomatic letter.

Although the singer of Merovingian Gaul was not particularly scrupulous, he had talent. His style is pretentious, but without those deliberately dark turns of phrase, due to which most of his poems

VI century impossible to read. In addition, behind the prosody, which is more lofty than complex, one discovers an extraordinary observer, capable of conveying the play of light on water, the charm of a rural dwelling, or the tenderness of maternal feelings. Of course, in most of his poems he primarily praises established or potential patrons of the arts. You have to live. But the real virtue of Fortunatus is that he never overdoes his praise. So, often it is enough for him to select one positive feature so that the portrait is transformed. Behind the professional necessity, he undoubtedly discerns some kind of nice philosophy of life. Unlike many authors, Fortunatus preferred to see from his contemporaries best features. As a result, Brünnhilde, an attentive patron and loving mother, becomes one of the most attractive characters in "Poems".

The grumbling bishop and the cheerful parasite are somewhat undermined by the figure of the third important eyewitness of this reign. Indeed, Gregory the Great, pope from 590 to 604, is a man of a completely different scale. A high-ranking Roman official, he retired to a monastery and later took part in great diplomacy in Byzantium before being elected to the See of St. Peter. Italy was then in ruins, ravaged by plague and wars that lasted half a century. Papal authority was being challenged everywhere, and old theological disputes were revived, and in some regions of Europe Christianity was retreating under the onslaught of paganism. Over fourteen years of hard work, despite chronic illnesses that ruined his health, Gregory the Great managed to restore hope to his compatriots, re-Christianize Great Britain and begin church reform. The pope of the year 600 also acted actively as a theologian and exegete of a very high level, becoming one of the four most prominent fathers of the Latin Church.

During his pontificate, Gregory the Great corresponded regularly with Brünnhilde. While all the queen's letters are lost, most of the papal letters survive in the Lateran registers. They indicate that the relationship was permanent. Over the years, the pope managed to assert his spiritual influence, but he was not irritated when his correspondent refused to satisfy the secular demands of Rome. These relationships, composed of indulgences and concessions, provide an original perspective on Frankish politics.

All three - Gregory of Tours, Fortunatus, and Gregory the Great - died before Brunhilda. Their evidence is all the more valuable because their authors cannot be accused of being influenced by the circumstances of the queen’s death. Alas, these three authors covered only the period limited to approximately 565-602. Brünnhilde's youth thus remains almost entirely in the shadows. As for the last part of her life, from 603 to 613, it is documented only by sources of much later origin. The most important of them is the continued revision of the “History” of Gregory of Tours, which, according to ancient custom, is called the “Chronicle of Fredegar”. It was completed about 660 by an author whose Latin is very confused, but about whom nothing suggests that his name was Fredegar. Experts hotly debate whether this Chronicle was written only in the 660s. or is it a compilation of fragments from different eras11. For us this matters little: the author, or authors, hidden behind the title "Chronicle of Fredegar", already knew little about Brünnhilde, except that he fiercely hated the memory of her.

Is it possible, with such limited sources, to reconstruct the life of a queen who lived fourteen centuries ago? Any enterprise of this kind seems doomed to become a new trial in the case of a cursed or praised queen. One can choose whether to join the camp of defenders, taking into account the evidence of Gregory of Tours or Fortunatus, or to support the accusation following Fredegar and his contemporaries.

But the articles of accusation will be the same as those that have invariably appeared in historiography since the 16th century.

First of all: was Brünnhilde a “barbarian”? This problem essentially relates not to her ethnic identity, but to her political activity. In other words, did the queen prefer strong centralized state Roman model or, on the contrary, encouraged the independence of the aristocracy, which some see as an expression of the “German spirit”. Such disputes have never been impartial. Thus, in 1581, Etienne Pasquier, a supporter of Henry IV in the fight against the League, portrayed the Frankish queen as the distant ancestor of the monarchical tradition13. On the contrary, François Ed de Mézeret, a former frondeur, in his Brief Chronological Essay on the History of France (1668), described the vile “barbarian” queen, whose crimes justified the treason of her magnates. Brünnhilde became the prototype of Anne of Austria. In the 19th century the question of whether the Frankish queen belonged to the Roman or Germanic world acquired new significance: from now on it was argued that Brünnhilde, whether good or bad, was distinguished by the ferocity characteristic of the Teutonic newcomers from beyond the Rhine. In Tales from the Times of the Merovingians (1843), Augustin Thierry had already erected an insurmountable barrier between the civilized Gallo-Romans and the wild Merovingians; Brünnhilde, although some merits were recognized for her, turned out to be on the bad side. But according to Godefroy Court, who wrote a brilliant study about this queen on the eve of the 1914 war, Brünnhilde was distinguished by purely Latin directness; in this she was the opposite of a certain Fredegonde, for whom the Belgian historian does not find words harsh enough to describe her German cunning. Today, the debate is more about the form of government of the “barbarian kingdoms” and whether imperializing influences can be found in them. state institutions or not.

The second article of the charge brought against Brünnhilde relates to the quality of her rule. Was the woman able to lead with dignity? Frankish kingdom? It is not surprising that the most severe accusations appeared under the Old Order, during the regency periods. Such criticisms were revived in the time of Marie Antoinette, when the mention of the Barbarian Queen allowed for hidden analogies. But the creators of the Third Republic also did not express excessive love for a woman who in their time would not even have the right to vote. " General history» Lavissa describes her as

“a sorceress who came from the South and was supposed to inspire passionate devotion and passionate hatred”16. In school textbooks, her life was reduced to a furious brawl with a vixen named Fredegonda. After all, a woman definitely could not rule the state. Godefroy Court, trying to rehabilitate the queen, was forced to assert that she reigned as a man.

The third direction, which was followed later, is connected with Brünnhilde’s behavior specifically as a woman. Recent research on family in early middle ages make us think about specifically female strategies in the use of violence. Namely, spouses and widows, as custodians of the memory of relatives, seemed to show more sensitivity to certain collective emotions, especially feelings of shame and anger. Within a barbarian society, this habitus supposedly motivated them to take vigorous action to regain their honor. Thus, some describe the period from 568 to 613 as a continuation of the never-ending cycle of family revenge, making Brünnhilde one of its most zealous inspirers. However, other historians, namely women, believe that this image was invented by men who wrote history from the 6th century. The Queen of the Franks could be a victim of the misogynists of all times...

But is it necessary to replace the trial of Brünnhilde with a trial of her slanderers? Among her enemies there were certainly men, but many men were also her allies. And is there a need for a court here at all? Sixty-five years of the queen's life form difficult riddle, and such a personality should not be reduced only to its moral, cultural or sexual component.

However, the real problem is not that Brünnhilde’s memory was denigrated, but that it was erased. Opponents deliberately downplay her power: Brünnhilde allegedly reigned with the help of poison and intrigue, in a word, means as feminine as they were reprehensible. By means of such base methods the court may be manipulated, but the kingdom will not be preserved. As for her supporters, they softened the image, depicting Brünnhilde only as the wife, mother or grandmother of kings. Indeed, it was long believed that Salic law denied women all power. It seemed unthinkable then that a lady could wield public power without betraying her sexual identity or transgressing the norms of her age. So it was better to give Brünnhilde the characteristics of Blanche of Castile - a good queen, rather than a good mother.

To correctly assess the personality of the Queen of the Franks, one must turn to contemporary sources and understand their content. They all claim that special circumstances that arose between 566 and 583 allowed a princess named Brünnhilde to concentrate in her hands the trump cards that gave her the opportunity to claim supreme power. Then for thirty years this woman reigned undividedly, but not without difficulties, over a very vast territory. As a talented tactician, she did not lose sight of any of the areas she covered. royalty, from justice to ecclesiastical affairs and from diplomacy to the fiscal system. At the beginning of the 7th century. social and political situation, which previously allowed her to come to power, has changed. Brünnhilde had to face a series of serious crises that threatened the cunning order that she had managed to establish.