For the Irish missionary in Belgium, see Fredigand of Deurne.
Queen consort of Neustria (Soissons)
Fredegund
Queen consort of Neustria (Soissons)
Fredegund as depicted in her funerary effigy at the Basilica of Saint-Denis
Born
Unknown
Died
597 Paris, France
Burial
Saint Denis Basilica, Paris
Spouse
Chilperic I
Issue
Chlodobert Rigunth Samson Dagobert Theuderic Chlothar II
Fredegund or Fredegunda (Latin: Fredegundis; French: Frédégonde; died 8 December 597) was the queen consort of Chilperic I, the Merovingian Frankish king of Soissons.[1] Fredegund served as regent during the minority of her son Chlothar II from 584 until 597.
Fredegund has traditionally been given a rather poor reputation, foremost by the accounts of Gregory of Tours, who depicts her as ruthlessly murderous and sadistically cruel, and she is known for the many stories of her cruelty, particularly for her long feud with her sister-in-law queen Brunhilda of Austrasia.
^Denton, C.S. (2011). Absolute Power: The Real Lives of Europe's Most Infamous Rulers. London: Arcturus Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84858-474-7.
Fredegund or Fredegunda (Latin: Fredegundis; French: Frédégonde; died 8 December 597) was the queen consort of Chilperic I, the Merovingian Frankish king...
(613–629) and Austrasia (613–623). The son of Chilperic I and his third wife, Fredegund, he started his reign as an infant under the regency of his mother, who...
and had taken as his concubine a serving-woman called Fredegund. He accordingly dismissed Fredegund, and married Brunhilda's sister, Galswintha. But he...
until Fredegund's death in 597. Fredegund had Brunhilda's husband murdered and Brunhilda imprisoned for a period. This feud was continued by Fredegund's son...
least five Frankish queens during that period were former slaves: Ingund, Fredegund, Bilichild, Nanthild, and Balthild. Slavery continued under the Carolingian...
king Sigebert I, and Fredegund, who was married to Sigebert's brother Chilperic I. Frankish historian Gregory of Tours blames Fredegund for Sigebert's murder...
godparents. Fredegund arranged the events of the baptism such that Audovera unknowingly broke this taboo. On Chilperic's return, Fredegund informed him...
fortress city of Tomis (modern Romania) on the Black Sea coast. Queen Fredegund defeats her old rival Brunhilda of Austrasia, who supports the claims...
soon tired of her and had her murdered in order to marry his mistress Fredegund. Probably spurred by his wife Brunhilda's anger at her sister's murder...
dominant king. Gregory of Tours blames Fredegund, the wife of King Chilperic, for this assassination. Fredegund has long held a grudge against King Sigibert...
between the two Merovingian queens, Brunhilda of Austrasia and Fredegund. In the battle, Fredegund deploys her inferior forces against Brunhilda using Roman...
Clotaire II, king of Neustria, and Fredegund, Clotaire's mother, took Paris, which was supposed to be held in common. Fredegund, then her son's regent, sent...
Galswintha was likely murdered at the urging of Chilperic's former concubine Fredegund (and then later wife), instigating a 40-year civil war within the Merovingian...
and Chilperic, instigated by their wives, Brunehaut and the infamous Fredegund, went to war. Chilperic was defeated, and Paris fell into Sigebert's hands...
Jean of Arles (died c. 550) Brunhilda, queen of Austrasia (died 613) Fredegund, queen of Neustria (died 597) Glodesind, abbess in Metz (died c. 600)...
Merovingian King Chilperic I and Fredegund. Rigunth was the eldest child and only recorded daughter of Chilperic I and Queen Fredegund. About 583, she was betrothed...
Patrician of Burgundy. In the late 6th century, during the wars instigated by Fredegund and Brunhilda, the Merovingian monarchs introduced a new element into...
his reign from 558 to 562. The struggle for power continued with Queen Fredegund of Neustria, the widow of King Chilperic I (reigned 566–584) and the mother...
These struggles reached their climax in the wars between Brunhilda and Fredegund, queens respectively of Austrasia and Neustria. Finally, in 613, a rebellion...
region near Bayeux wore their hair in the Breton fashion at the orders of Fredegund and fought with them as allies against Guntram. Beginning in 626, the...
Galswintha, the wife of Chilperic, allegedly by his mistress (and second wife) Fredegund. Galswintha's sister, the wife of Sigebert, Brunhilda, incited her husband...
When his father was assassinated in 575 by two slaves of Queen-consort Fredegund of Soissons, Childebert was taken from Paris by Gundobald (according to...
Queen Fredegund addressing her troops holding her baby. Miniature from a 1475 Dutch translation of The Book of the City of Ladies. Published under the...
and two queens of the Merovingian dynasty, Brunhilda of Austrasia and Fredegund. In both the Continental (German) and Scandinavian traditions, Gudrun/Kriemhild...
eldest son of Chlothar II and Haldetrude (575–604) and the grandson of Fredegund. Chlothar had reigned alone over all the Franks since 613. In 622, Chlothar...
eventually founded two of the nation's most illustrious imperial dynasties. Fredegund, a palace servant who rose to become the regent queen of Neustria, in...
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