Women's Biography: Brunhild, queen of Austrasia and Burgundy
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There are letters written to and by Brunhild, queen of Austrasia and Burgundy.
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A Visigothic princess, daughter of Athanagild of Spain, who maintained relations with Spain through most of her life, Brunhild was married to Sigebert of Metz (son of Chlothar I).(!1) Unlike some contemporary queens who converted their husbands to orthodox belief, Brunhild was an Arian who was converted by her marriage and later established good working relations with pope Gregory I. After Sigebert’s death (575), Brunhild married Merovech, the son of Sigebert’s halfbrother, Chilperic, but Merovech took refuge in or was confined to a monastery and played no real part in Brunhild’s life. Brunhild ruled Austrasia and Burgundy for and then with her son, Childebert II, until his death in 596 at age 26; then she ruled for her young grandsons, Theodebert II, heir to Austrasia, and Theoderic II, heir to Burgundy. Theoderic remained on good terms with his grandmother all his life; a letter from Gregory to him dated 602 praises him for being so eager to support his grandmother (ep.13.9). He did not marry, having all his sons by concubines, which left Brunhild more say in the succession, and thus more support from potential heirs. Liaisons with concubines were normal being more likely to ensure male heirs than marriage with one legitimate wife, and male heirs were important to Brunhild’s remaining in power.
Brunhild’s successful political manoeuvring and long rule inevitably brought her enemies, among them Theodebert’s wife Bilichild, Brunhild’s former slave, who expelled Brunhild from their court.(!2) The queen took refuge with Theoderic in Burgundy but Theoderic died at 27 in 613, leaving an eleven-year old heir, Sigibert. Brunhild tried to rule for him, but she was captured and horribly executed at the order of her nephew, Clothar II. Clothar was the son of Sigebert’s half-brother Chilperic and Fredegund, the woman Brunhild held responsible for her own sister’s death — Chilperic had had his former wife, Galswinth, Brunhild’s sister, murdered. The death of Brunhild was the last act in a long feud between the two.
Brunhild had, however, ruled as regent for the better part of thirty-eight years and had developed relations with both Spain and Byzantium as well as the papacy. She is certainly a model for the figure of Brunhild, a powerful queen in her own right in Germanic and Norse legend, lover of Siegfried, and wife of a Burgundian king. Traces of that tradition are found in the Nibelungenlied.