Guntram

This article is about the Frankish king. For the Strauss opera, seeGuntram (opera).For the German noble, seeGuntram the Rich.

SaintGontrand(c. 532 inSoissons– 28 March 592 inChalon-sur-Saône), also calledGontran,Gontram,Guntram,Gunthram,Gunthchramn,andGuntramnus,was the king of the Kingdom of Orléans from AD 561 to AD 592.He was the third-eldest and second-eldest-surviving son ofChlothar IandIngunda.On his father's death in 561, he became king of a fourth of theKingdom of the Franks,and made his capital atOrléans.The name "Gontrand" denotes "War Raven".

St. Gontrand
Atremissisbearing Guntram's effigy and minted at Chalon-sur-Saône
King of Orléans
Reign	561–592
Predecessor	Chlothar I
Successor	Childebert II
Born	532 Soissons
Died	28 March 592 (aged 59–60) Chalon-sur-Saône
Spouses	Veneranda Marcatrude Austregilde
Issue	Gundobad Clothar Chlodomer
House	Merovingian
Father	Chlothar I
Mother	Ingund

Personal life

King Gontrand had something of that fraternal love which his brothers lacked; the preeminent chronicler of the period,St. Gregory of Tours,often called him "good king Gontrand", as noted in the quotation below from the former'sDecem Libri Historiarum,in which St. Gregory discussed the fate of Gontrand's three marriages:

The good king Gontrand first took a concubine Veneranda, a slave belonging to one of his people, by whom he had a son Gundobad. Later he married Marcatrude, daughter of Magnar, and sent his son Gundobad toOrléans.But after she had a son Marcatrude was jealous, and proceeded to bring about Gundobad's death. She sent poison, they say, and poisoned his drink. And upon his death, by God's judgment she lost the son she had and incurred the hate of the king, was dismissed by him, and died not long after. After her he tookAustregilde,also named Bobilla. He had by her two sons, of whom the older was called Clothar and the younger Chlodomer.

Gontrand had a period of intemperance. He was eventually overcome with remorse for the sins of his past life, and spent his remaining years repenting of them, both for himself and for his nation. In atonement, he fasted, prayed, wept, and offered himself to God. Throughout the balance of his prosperous reign he attempted to govern by Christian principles. According to St.Gregory of Tours,he was the protector of the oppressed, caregiver to the sick, and the tender parent to his subjects. He was generous with his wealth, especially in times of plague and famine. He strictly and justly enforced the law without respect to person, yet was ever ready to forgive offences against himself, including two attempted assassinations. Gontrand munificently built and endowed many churches and monasteries. St. Gregory related that the king performed many miracles both before and after his death, some of which St. Gregory claimed to have witnessed himself.

Politics

Later statue depicting Gontrand

The Frankish Realm in 561, after the death of Clothar I

In 567, his elder brotherCharibert Idied and his lands of theKingdom of Pariswere divided between the surviving brothers: Gontrand,Sigebert I,andChilperic I.They shared his realm, agreeing at first to holdParisin common. Charibert's widow, Theudechild, proposed a marriage with Gontrand, the eldest remaining brother, though a council convened atParisas late as 557 had forbidden such tradition as incestuous. Gontrand decided to house her more safely, though unwillingly, in a monastery inArles.

In 573, Gontrand was caught in acivil warwith his brother Sigebert I ofAustrasia,and in 575 summoned the aid of their brother Chilperic I ofSoissons.He reversed his allegiance later, due to the character of Chilperic, if we may give him the benefit of the doubt in light ofSt. Gregory's commendation, and Chilperic retreated. He thereafter remained an ally of Sigebert, his wife, and his sons until his death. When Sigebert was assassinated later in 575, Chilperic invaded the kingdom, but Gontrand sent his generalMummolus,who was always Gontrand's greatest weapon, for he was the greatest general inGaulat the time, to remove him. Mummolus defeated Chilperic's generalDesideriusand the Neustrian's forces retreated from Austrasia.

In 577, Chlothar and Clodomir, his two surviving children, died ofdysenteryand he adopted as his son and heirChildebert II,his nephew, Sigebert's son, whose kingdom he had saved two years prior. However, Childebert did not always prove faithful to his uncle. In 581, Chilperic took many of Gontrand's cities and in 583, he allied with Childebert and attacked Gontrand. This time Gontrand made peace with Chilperic and Childebert retreated. In 584, he returned Childebert's infidelity by invading his land and capturingToursandPoitiers,but he had to leave to attend thebaptismofChlothar II,his other nephew, who now ruled in Neustria. Supposed to take place on 4 July, the feast of St.Martin of Tours,inOrléans,it did not and Gontrand turned to invadeSeptimania.Peace was soon made.

King St. Gontrand and Childebert II, from theGrandes Chroniques de France

In 584 or 585, oneGundowaldclaimed to be an illegitimate son ofChlothar Iand proclaimed himself king, taking some major cities in southernGaul,includingPoitiersandToulouse,which belonged to Gontrand. Gontrand marched against him, calling him nothing more than a miller's son named Ballomer. Gundowald fled toCommingesand Gontrand's army proceeded to besiege the citadel. He could not capture it, but did not need to. Gundowald's followers gave him over and he was executed.

In 587,Fredegundattempted to assassinate him but failed. On 28 November he went toTrierto conclude a treaty with Childebert;Brunhilda,his sister-in-law, Sigebert's wife, whose ally he had always been; Chlodosind, Childebert's sister;Faileuba,Childebert's queen;Magneric,Bishop of Trier;and Ageric,Bishop of Verdun.This was called theTreaty of Andelotand it endured until Gontrand died.

Also in 587, Gontrand compelled obedience fromWaroch II,theBretonruler of theVannetais.He forced the renewal of the oath of 578 in writing and demanded 1,000solidiin compensation for raiding theNantais.In 588, the compensation was not yet paid, as Waroch promised it to both Gontrand andChlothar II,who probably hadsuzeraintyover Vannes.

In 589 or 590, Gontrand sent an expedition against Waroch under Beppolem and Ebrachain, mutual enemies. Ebrachain was also enemy of Fredegund, who sent theSaxonsofBayeuxto aid Waroch.Beppolem fought alone for three days before dying, at which point Waroch tried to flee to theChannel Islands,but Ebrachain destroyed his ships and forced him to accept a peace,the renewal of the oath, and the surrender of a nephew as a hostage. This was all to no effect. The Bretons maintained their independent mindedness.

In 589, Gontrand made a final advance onSeptimania,to no avail. He fought against the barbarians who menaced the kingdom and quelled a rebellion of his nieceBasinaat the Holy Cross abbey of Poitiers with the aid of many of his bishops in 590.

Death and veneration

He died atChalon-sur-Saônein 592, and his nephew Childebert II succeeded him.He was buried in theChurch of Saint Marcellus,which he had founded inChalon.Almost immediately, his subjects proclaimed Gontrand a saint and theCatholic Churchcelebrates his feast day on 28 March. TheHuguenots,who scattered his ashes in the 16th century, left only his skull untouched in their fury. It is now kept there in a silver case.

Further reading

• Henry H. Howorth. "The Ethnology of Germany. Part 3: The Migration of the Saxons."The Journal of the Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland,Vol. 7. 1878. pp. 293–320.
• Dahmus, Joseph Henry.Seven Medieval Queens.1972.
• St. Gregory of Tours.The History of the Franks, Volume II: Text.Trans. byOrmonde Maddock Dalton.Clarendon Press: 1967.
• Decem Libri Historiarum:Books 1-10.Translated by Ernest Brehaut. Available atMedieval Sourcebook.

External links

• Translation of Grimm's Saga No. 433, "The Sleeping King" Gontrand