The paper highlights certain legendary aspects of the figure of Childericus, starting with his descent from Meroveus, who, according to the Chronica of the Pseudo-Fredegarius, was sired by a sea monster, the Quinotaurus. An examination of the various literary testimonies, including the Libri Historiarum of Gregory of Tours, which have handed down the memory of the deeds of the Merovingian rex, allows us to focus on certain episodes, in addition to that of the mythical origin of his father, the story of his flight to Thuringia and his marriage to Basina - which saw him play a leading role in the establishment of the regnum Francorum, a process later consolidated by Clovis, Childeric's son and successor, who, by converting to Catholicism, obscured the role of his pagan predecessors in the Merovingian sources.
Il contributo pone in risalto alcuni aspetti leggendari della figura di Childerico, ad iniziare dalla sua discendenza da Meroveo, che secondo il racconto della Chronica dello pseudo-Fredegario, era stato generato da una bestia marina, il Quinotaurus. Dall’esame delle diverse testimonianze letterarie, tra cui i Libri Historiarum di Gregorio di Tours, che hanno tramandato la memoria delle gesta del rex merovingio, si possono focalizzare alcuni episodi – oltre a quello delle origini mitiche del padre, anche la vicenda della sua fuga in Turingia e del suo matrimonio con Basina – che lo videro protagonista della formazione del regnum Francorum, un processo poi consolidato da Clodoveo, figlio e successore di Childerico, il quale, con la sua conversione al cattolicesimo, oscurò nelle fonti d’età merovingia il ruolo dei suoi predecessori pagani.
Notas de investigación sobre Childerico, rey de los francos, entre historia y leyenda
Emanuele Piazza
2023-01-01
Abstract
The paper highlights certain legendary aspects of the figure of Childericus, starting with his descent from Meroveus, who, according to the Chronica of the Pseudo-Fredegarius, was sired by a sea monster, the Quinotaurus. An examination of the various literary testimonies, including the Libri Historiarum of Gregory of Tours, which have handed down the memory of the deeds of the Merovingian rex, allows us to focus on certain episodes, in addition to that of the mythical origin of his father, the story of his flight to Thuringia and his marriage to Basina - which saw him play a leading role in the establishment of the regnum Francorum, a process later consolidated by Clovis, Childeric's son and successor, who, by converting to Catholicism, obscured the role of his pagan predecessors in the Merovingian sources.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.