People

Half brother, all trouble, second half

by

When we last left Grifo, he had just gained his freedom after being imprisoned by his half-brother Pepin after the death of their father, Charles Martel. Pepin, in charge of the whole kingdom under the nominal rule of the last Merovingian king, Childeric III, had evidently decided to give his half-brother, now years wiser, a second chance. Perhaps Pepin had visited Grifo during his imprisonment, and in their talks together the younger man had convinced the older of his readiness to serve the man and the kingdom.

Pepin assigned Grifo twelve counties in western Neustria, with a capital at Le Mans. This was no mere sinecure, a backwater outpost of no value. Grifo’s lands would act as a bulwark to the Bretons to the west and the Aquitanians to the south. If need arose this duchy could be a springboard to invade either region. All in all a fine collection of lands, of strategic and political import, and the source of a lot of revenue.1.Bachrach, Early Carolingian Warfare, p.43. But as the Royal Frankish Annals note, “Grifo… did not want to be under the thumb of his brother Pepin, although he held an honorable place.”2.RFA, 747.

Read more

Footnotes

Footnotes
↑1 Bachrach, Early Carolingian Warfare, p.43.
↑2 RFA, 747.

Half brother, all trouble, first half

by

Grifo, son of Charles Martel, is one of the more enigmatic figures of the eighth century. Depending on how you read the sources, he was either a world class trouble maker and usurper who deserved a bad end, or a good son criminally hounded out of his lawful inheritance. Let’s take a look at the various versions.

Charles Martel invaded the province of Bavaria in 725, as part of a successful campaign in the east. “When he had subjugated this land he returned home with treasure, and also with a certain [Pilctrude] and her niece [Swanahild].”1.Fredegar Continuations, ch. 12.2.As with all of the names we encounter, there are several spellings floating around. Pilctrude is also spelled Beletrudis and Pilitrude. Swanahild is also spelled Sunnichildis. I have gone with the most common usage. These were not just a couple of women he found along the way. Pilctrude was the wife of the Bavarian duke Grimoald, and the wife of his dead brother. I cannot imagine a more flagrant taunt than to take your enemy’s wife. It is not clear, however, that he took her for his own, so to speak.

Read more

Footnotes

Footnotes
↑1 Fredegar Continuations, ch. 12.
↑2 As with all of the names we encounter, there are several spellings floating around. Pilctrude is also spelled Beletrudis and Pilitrude. Swanahild is also spelled Sunnichildis. I have gone with the most common usage.

The blood court; Judge Carloman, presiding

by

In the year 746 Carloman, duke of the eastern Franks and son of Charles Martel, ordered the leaders of the tribe of the Alamanni to gather at a place called Canstatt. They were probably worried at what to expect of the summons, for Carloman and his brother Pepin had defeated them in 742 and 744, and both times the Alamanni had given oaths of fidelity and hostages. But yet again they had broken their oaths, sacrificed their hostages, and rebelled against the Frankish mayor of the palace. What did the Frankish duke want of them now?

Carloman was not a vicious man. Indeed, he was more pious than his brother, and was probably already thinking of a life beyond that of a duke. But that day he had hard choices to make. No longer could the Alamanni rebel against and defy the Frankish order.

Carloman gave a signal, and the slaughter began. “Most of those who had rebelled were put to the sword.”1.Fredegar, Continuations, c29. Thousands would die before the Blood Court of Canstatt was over.

Read more

Footnotes

Footnotes
↑1 Fredegar, Continuations, c29.

Here comes the hammer

by

Charles Martel was one of the most extraordinary men of the early medieval period. He rose from illegitimacy 1.which, in truth, was not as big of a deal back then as the term implies today to become a man so powerful he ruled without a king. He consolidated the Frankish realms, beat back a Muslim army of incursion, assisted in the Christianization of Germany, and divided the lands between his sons, just like a king. By his death he had laid the foundations for the Charlemagne’s empire, and, ultimately, Europe itself.

Charles was born in 688, in Austrasia, to Pepin of Herstal and his concubine, Alpaida. While Pepin was Mayor of the Palace of Austrasia, and thus a man of considerable power, Charles’ very existence led Pepin’s wife Plectrude, not unnaturally, to do her best to exclude him (and his full brother Childebrand) from considerations of succession. When Pepin died in December 714 Plectrude actually had Charles imprisoned, rather than risk him ruining her grandson Theudoald’s chances of succeeding to the Mayorship.2.Their son Gromoald had already died.

Read more

Footnotes

Footnotes
↑1 which, in truth, was not as big of a deal back then as the term implies today
↑2 Their son Gromoald had already died.