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“old Northern” (poem): *
Brynhildr was once Hildr, the helmed & lived with the Valkyries. Then a monarch, Agnarr, captured her & her 7 sisters. She was forced to marry the young king. Against Odin’s will she made the aged Hjalmgunnar (king of the Goths) die & gave victory to Agnarr. Odin, angry now, imprisoned her in Skatalund, cursed her to sleep until a man without fear would set her free. He created a circle of fire around her resting place. Sigurd arrived on Grani bringing Fafnir's gold. He shares her bed for 8 nights without touching her. Yet , Gudrun would reproach her for having slept in Sigurd's arms, then admitting that they tricked her out of her relationship with Sigurd, making her take Gunnar instead. In the final lines of the poem Brynhildr states that men and women live in this world to suffer, but that she and Sigurd would never part again:
Ever with grief and all too long
Are men and women born in the world;
But yet we shall live our lives together,
Sigurth and I.
Sink down, Giantess!
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Merovingian age:
The dynasty emerges with Merovech, semi-legendary leader of the Salian Franks. His son Childeric I (457- 81) defeated the Visigoths, Saxons & Alemanni & established the basis of Merovingian lands. His son Clovis I (481-511) united Gaul north of the Loire when he defeated Syagrius, the Roman ruler (486 AD). In 496 he defeated the Alemanni at the Battle of Tolbiac & at this time converted to Christianity (his wife was Christian). After his death the kingdom was partitioned among his 4 sons, a tradition which continued into the 6th & 7th centuries & led to conflict between the brothers. Despite this fragmentation the kingdom was still seen as a single entity ruled collectively. The frequent wars weakened royal power, the aristocracy making great gains wringing concessions from the kings in return for their support. Minority kingships further weakened Merovingian power. The last powerful Merovingian was Dagobert I (died 639). Political power shifted to the Mayors of the Palace & the triumph of Pepin the Middle (635-714) in 687 made him the de facto political ruler. He left this position to his sons who divided the realm among each other under the rule of a single king. After Pepin's long rule, his son Charles Martel assumed power. Martel’s son, Pepin the Short, orchestrated the deposition of the last Merovingian king, Childeric III.