Fredegunda was the queen consort of Chilperic I, who was the king of the Soissons. Fredugunda had previously been a servant of Chilperic I’s first wife Audovera. Fredugunda convinced Chilperic to divorce Audovera anf put her in a convent. Soon Chilperic dumped Fredugunda and married Galsuenda. She was upset that the king still loved Fredugunda and felt that her marriage to Chilperic was dishonorable. So she asked to return to her home (4.28). Chilperic persuaded her to stay, her then had Galsuenda strangled in her bed (4.28). Fredugunda became queen and Galsuenda’s sister Brunhilda began a feud with Fredugunda that would last for decades. Brunhilda was also the wife of Chilperic’s brother Sigibert, who was the ruler of Rheims.
Fredugunda seemed to be motivated by a number of factors (1) Ambition- Fredugunda was a slave girl, who was able to manipulate her way into becoming the Queen. She did this by having Chilperic’s first wife sent to a nunnery and having his second wife murdered (2) Faith- In 5.34 Fredugunda proves that she believed that God sent things such as death in order to punish people. After her sons got sick, she had her husband Chilperic destroy the tax books as a way of repentance so that their sons might live. This did not work and they died. (3) Revenge/justice- (A) She had Leudast excommunicated for slander (5.34). Then when he returned and Gregory de Tours asked if Leudast could return to communion (6.32). Fredugunda was not in a forgiving mood so she had her servants find him in the city and put him in prison. The Queen then had him killed before he could die of his injuries (6.32). (B) After the death of her son Theodoric, Fredugunda was told that Mummolus, who was a prefect had used the dark arts to pass the disease from himself to Theodoric (6.35). Fredugunda then told Chilperic of what she had learned and he had Mummolus tortured. Before he could die Fredugunda stepped in and preserved his life allowing him to return home. He died before he could make it to his home and Fredugunda had everything he owned burnt (6.35). Soon after, Chilperic was assassinated and Fredugunda fled.
While Fredugunda seemed to be motivated by ambition, faith, revenge/justice. I think that the true motivating factor in her actions was her status. From the very beginning of the passages that we read, she is aiming to raise her status. The when Leudast shames her (attacking her status) she plays a part in his death. Later when she takes everything of Mummolus and has it burnt after he dies from the tortures inflicted on him. She does this because she believes that Mummolus caused the death of her son Theodoric. This is once again an attack of her status because it was basically the responsibility of the Queen to provide heirs and to “raise” them until they could take power, so by “killing” Theodoric. Mummolus was undermining her status as Queen and mother.
Work Cited
Tours, Gregory De. "History of the Franks." Internet History Sourcebooks. Trans. Earnest Brehaut. Ed. Paul Halsall. Fordham University. Web. 25 Mar. 2016.
