Balthild of Francia: Anglo-Saxon Slave, Merovingian Queen, and Abolitionist Saint
By Isabel Moreira
Oxford University Press
ISBN: 9780197792612
In the seventh century, Balthild rose from servitude to become queen of Neustria and Burgundy through her marriage to Clovis II. Following his death, she served as queen regent for their son, Chlothar III, and earned a reputation as a capable and reform-minded ruler—particularly noted for her efforts to end the practice of slavery. This book explores her remarkable life and legacy.
Excerpt:
Balthild’s story as told by her hagiographer has attracted many iterations over the centuries. But what was it like to be a Merovingian woman? What was her physical and cultural environment like? How did she live? What was her cultural milieu? Six years immersed in a broad scope of the history and archaeology of the Merovingian world editing the OHMW convinced me that it was worth a try to see a Merovingian person in the round by means of a cultural biography. The final two and a half centuries of the ancient world are still obscure to the general reader of history in large part because there is not a strong sense, in Anglophone literature at least, of the individuals who inhabited this world. How many people can name a Merovingian?
This may change as more translations of the Latin texts that told their lives are made available and bring some of these individuals into better view. Fortunately, there are good English translations of Balthild’s Merovingian and her Carolingian Life that are readily accessible; I have used them alongside the Latin text. Balthild is someone whose life and name is worth better knowing.
Who is this book for?
This book offers much for those studying the early Middle Ages, in particular, Merovingian politics, the role of women, hagiography, and issues dealing with slavery. Those who have read Radegund: The Trials and Triumphs of a Merovingian Queen will find this to be a good sequel.
The Author
Isabel Moreira is a Distinguished Professor at the University of Utah, where she specializes in Merovingian history.
Balthild of Francia: Anglo-Saxon Slave, Merovingian Queen, and Abolitionist Saint
By Isabel Moreira
Oxford University Press
ISBN: 9780197792612
In the seventh century, Balthild rose from servitude to become queen of Neustria and Burgundy through her marriage to Clovis II. Following his death, she served as queen regent for their son, Chlothar III, and earned a reputation as a capable and reform-minded ruler—particularly noted for her efforts to end the practice of slavery. This book explores her remarkable life and legacy.
Excerpt:
Balthild’s story as told by her hagiographer has attracted many iterations over the centuries. But what was it like to be a Merovingian woman? What was her physical and cultural environment like? How did she live? What was her cultural milieu? Six years immersed in a broad scope of the history and archaeology of the Merovingian world editing the OHMW convinced me that it was worth a try to see a Merovingian person in the round by means of a cultural biography. The final two and a half centuries of the ancient world are still obscure to the general reader of history in large part because there is not a strong sense, in Anglophone literature at least, of the individuals who inhabited this world. How many people can name a Merovingian?
This may change as more translations of the Latin texts that told their lives are made available and bring some of these individuals into better view. Fortunately, there are good English translations of Balthild’s Merovingian and her Carolingian Life that are readily accessible; I have used them alongside the Latin text. Balthild is someone whose life and name is worth better knowing.
Who is this book for?
This book offers much for those studying the early Middle Ages, in particular, Merovingian politics, the role of women, hagiography, and issues dealing with slavery. Those who have read Radegund: The Trials and Triumphs of a Merovingian Queen will find this to be a good sequel.
The Author
Isabel Moreira is a Distinguished Professor at the University of Utah, where she specializes in Merovingian history.
You can learn more about this book from the publisher’s website.
You can buy this book on Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk
Subscribe to Medievalverse
Related Posts