Clovis, Catholicism and the Unification of the Franks.

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Clovis, Catholicism and the Unification of the Franks

In the history of Europe, the 4th

and 5th

centuries AD signify a tumultuous period of political and

theological instability. The Eastern Roman empire, centralised around Constantinople, flourished,

while their classical Western counterpart in Italy struggled under the weight of internal instability

and the ever-present threat of destruction by barbarian tribes at their borders. Roman historians

such as Peter Heather and Bryce-Ward Perkins tell the tales of the fierce Visigoths sacking Rome in

410 and the savage Huns, led by Atilla, threatening Rome’s very position as a European super-power.

Often forgotten, however, are the Franks. First appearing in history in the 3rd

Century AD, this

Germanic tribe of pagans perhaps had a lesser impact on the downfall of Rome but their impact on

history is just as great as Atilla or Theodoric. The Salian Franks, led by Clovis I, consolidated the

various Frankish tribes in addition to those of Gaul. Clovis’ unification of these fragmented tribes

forms the basis for what is modern day France and it was his conversion to Christianity that led to

the widespread adoption of Catholicism throughout Europe. Whether political or personal, to a great

extent, his espousal of this religion bought him powerful allies in Constantinople and was integral tohis success as a ruler. Furthermore, his military prowess, evident from a young age, allowed Clovis to

expand the Frankish empire. However, the Frankish people’s either inability or unwillingness to fully

embrace Christianity led to their own downfall, as can be seen by the splintering of the Frankish

kingdoms after Clovis’ death.

No matter which version of history you believe, the appearance of barbarian tribes on the Western

European scene had a dramatic impact on the Roman republic. But where did these supposedly

unsophisticated and primitive peoples come from? Volkerwanderungzeit is a term used by medieval

historian and Oxford alumnus Roger J. H. Collins in his book Early Medieval Europe, 300-1000. It

translates into English as ‘Age of Migration of the People’ and refers to the movement, en masse, of

Scandinavian tribes through the Germanic region and into classical Europe (Figure 1). Migration of

historically significant tribes include the Visigoths to Iberia, the Ostrogoths to Italy, the Vandals to

African Maghreb and the, of course, the Franks to France. The Franks most likely descended from

Scandinavia to settle in the modern day German Rhineland, sometime between the 2nd

and 3rd

Centuries AD, and were divided into three groups: the Salians, the Ripuarians and the Chatti (or

Hessians) (Encyclopaedia Britannica Inc. n.d.). The Salian Franks launched an offensive against the

Roman presence in Belgium in around the mid-4th

Century and, as a result, the Romans were forced

to abandon the area between the Meuse and Scheldt rivers (Addams 2011). The Franks established

themselves firmly in the region and the Rome was obliged to make them her faithful allies. The

Franks constructed such a relationship with the Western Roman Empire that records describe one

Frankish ruler as having fought against Attila the Hun at the Battle of the Catalaunian Plainsalongside Roman generals (Kurth 1909). Frankish kingdoms were established within the Empire and

they integrated successfully into Roman civilisation, speaking Latin and adopting Roman

administrative systems. They were not, however, Roman in a sociological nature. Collins makes

reference the Franks again in his book, comparing them to Theodoric the Great and the Ostrogoths.

He describes one Frankish king as a “'barbarous' war lord, far removed from the Roman - imitating

ruler of Ravenna” (Collins 1991). Furthermore, the Franks were a pagan peoples and shared many of

their traditions with other Germanic pagans, such as placing alters in forests or beside rivers,

worshipping gods of nature and burying their dead with articles of wealth or mythological

importance. Evidence of this was found in May, 1653, when reconstruction workers at the church of

Saint-Brice in Tournai uncovered the tomb of Frankish ruler, Childeric I (Figure 2). Contained withinthe tomb were found a leather purse, a ring bearing the name of the ruler and a collection of 300



golden bees. To bury the deceased with a collection of such insects shows an intimacy with and

respect for nature that epitomises pagan tradition. Indeed, the Merovingian line of kings upon

whom the unification of the Frankish tribes is built assumed the bee as their royal emblem as a

symbol of wisdom. They considered the hexagonal shape of honeycomb as a representation of

divine harmony in nature (Gardner 2001). The Merovingian line of Kings is often recognised by their

infatuation with long hair. Dr. Bonnie Effros states that their hair was a “physical symbol of what

they believed was sacral power; a status that marked them as having special or even magical powers”

(Effros 2013). Dr Effros is a Professor of History at the University of Florida and the Director of the

Centre for the Humanities and the Public Sphere at the same institution. She earned her Ph.D in

History at UCLA in 1994 and specialises in the Middle Ages. The evidence of insects in tombs, the

belief that certain shapes held divine properties and the notion that one’s hair was a symbol of

magical power is evidence that Frankish culture was heavily pagan. Change, however, was imminent.

During the period of migration and paganism, as mentioned above, a number of war-lords were

competing for power over the region of Gaul. It was the birth of Clovis in c. 481, and his conversionto Catholicism that would bring a halt to this and initiate and era of peace and unity between the

Franks and the Gallo-Romans. The son of the aforementioned Childeric I, Clovis ascended to the

throne at the pale age of 15 and adopted the title of chieftain, rather than king, as was the culture of

the Franks (Wallace-Hadrill 1996). Clovis was a powerful warrior figure and adept military general

whose ambition caused him to turn on the previously allied Romans and expand the Frankish empire.

Professor John Michael Wallace-Hadrill was one of the foremost historians of the Merovingian

period. He held the position of Professor of Medieval History at University of Manchester between

1955 and 1961 before going on to become a Senior Research Fellow of Merton College in the

University of Oxford. His interpretation of Clovis’ actions is likely to be the most accurate available.

In his book, The Barbarian West 400 -1000, he describes Clovis’ military campaigns and defeat of thelast remaining Roman general, Syagrius, in Gaul.

Within 5 years he had led a force south into the Soissonais to defeat Syagrius, the last independent

Roman ruler in Gaul. The Frank was after booty, naturally, and more lands with which to reward his

retainers. He got what he wanted and, in addition, soon found himself the acknowledged successor

of Syagrius in Northern Gaul. (J.M. Wallace-Hadrill, The Barbarian West 400 – 1000).

This quote supports the perception that Clovis was a highly proficient general, even from a young

age, and is evidence that the expansion of the Frankish empire was a direct result of his actions. It

describes Clovis’ militaristic invasion of the Western Roman Empire and the subsequent acquisition

of ‘booty’ and land.It was not

, however, Clovis’ military prowess that would inscribe his in name inthe history books. Bishop Gregory of Tours, the most popular primary source for the period, describe

Clovis’ conversion to Catholicism in detail in his book Historia Francorum (History of the Franks) and

looks at the political impact of the change. Care must be taken when reading Gregory’s texts as his

tendency to exaggerate and fictionalise real events threatens his integrity as an author. As a Catholic

bishop, he viewed Clovis as a heroic ‘model figure’ and portrays him as what a ‘preconceived image

of a Catholic Warrior King’ should be portrayed as (Collins 1991). Nevertheless, his biography of

Clovis stands as an important historiographical text. In Book II, Gregory recounts the events leading

up to the conversion. He places the reasoning behind Clovis’ conversion to do with pressure of his

wife, the Burgundian Catholic Clotilda, and a significant victory in battle. Clovis initially refused to

convert and after his first son died while being baptised he was “violently angry, and reproached the

queen harshly”. His ‘enlightenment’ came during battle with the Alamanni, a confederation of

Germanic tribes. Gregory of Tours narrates the event:



“ It came about that as the two armies were fighting fiercely, there was much slaughter, and Clovis's army

began to be in danger of destruction. He saw it and raised his eyes to heaven, and with remorse in his heart he

burst into tears and cried: "Jesus Christ, whom Clotilda asserts to be the son of the living God, who art said to

give aid to those in distress, and to bestow victory on those who hope in thee, I beseech the glory of thy aid,

with the vow that if thou wilt grant me victory over these enemies, and I shall know that power which she says

that people dedicated in thy name have had from thee, I will believe in thee and be baptized in thy name. For Ihave invoked my own gods but, as I find, they have withdrawn from aiding me; and therefore I believe that

they possess no power, since they do not help those who obey them. I now call upon thee, I desire to believe

thee only let me be rescued from my adversaries." And when he said thus, the Alamanni turned their backs, and

began to disperse in flight. And when they saw that their king was killed, they submitted to the dominion of

Clovis…”

As it is written in a style that is reminiscent of a narrative, the exact details of this quote are unlikely

to be true. It is probable that Clovis’ conversion did come about during a battle but the sudden

‘divine intervention’ is likely to be a fantastical addition to tale, woven by Gregory due to his own

Catholic background. Nonetheless, Clovis did convert to Catholicism and this would have a significant

impact on the future of Europe.

Gregory of Tours narrates the subsequent events stating that “[Clovis] met with his followers, but

before he could speak the power of God anticipated him, and all the people cried out together: "O

pious king, we reject our mortal gods, and we are ready to follow the immortal God whom Remi

preaches…And of his army more than 3000 were baptized”. If this is to be believed, its shows that

Clovis’ own conversion resulted in the mass conversion of his subjects. Peter S. Wells reinforces the

concept of a mass conversion in his book Barbarians to Angels, stating that “Clovis’ adoption of

Christianity in year 496…[opened] the way for the majority of Franks to adopt the faith” (Wells 2008).

The extent of the impact of Clovis’ conversion certainly is not restricted to the Frankish people.

Much of the Gallo-Roman population whose land had been invaded by the Franks were Catholics

already and the implementation of a new religion likely consolidated both party’s impression aconfederated peoples. Dr Jim Jones of the University of Delaware believes that “as states [grow]

larger, religion [provides] a sort of "glue" to hold them together, as long as religious and military

leaders supported each other” (Jones 2013). As such, a region-wide religion likely strengthened the

relationship between the Gallo-Romans and Franks. Of perhaps even greater impact was the Roman

Empire’s recognition of the Frankish peoples. The Roman Empire was strongly Catholic and, James

Harvey Robinson states in his book History of Western Europe, "With the conversion of Clovis, there

was at least one barbarian leader with whom the Bishop of Rome could negotiate as with a faithful

son of the Church” (Robinson 1902). As the majority of other tribes had adopted the heretical Arian

version of Christianity, the Roman Empire felt threatened by the lack of Catholicism. When the

Franks adopted Christianity, so great was the reaction from the Byzantine Empire that Clovis was

granted an honorary consulship by Emperor Anastasius (Collins 1991). This recognition by such an

influential external power and the subsequent alliance would likely have strengthened the Franks

position as a political and military powerhouse in the West. However, history tells us that this did not

occur, as the Frankish downfall was looming. Dr Bonnie Effros exp lains that “among the causes of

[The Franks] eroding power base were the repeated (and disputed) divisions of the kingdoms among

royal heirs” (Effros 2013) The Frank’s unwillingness or inability to become devoutly Catholic meant

Pagan beliefs still held a place in their everyday life. One such belief was that divine blood flowed

through the veins of all the king’s sons, each of whom was a rightful king by birth (Kurth 1909). The

division of Clovis’ kingdom between his four sons, Theuderic, Chlodomer, Childebert, and Clotaire,

led to disunity and conflict between the states which lasted until the end of the Merovingian

Dynasty in 751 when the Carolingian Pepin took the throne as King of the Franks.



Although their era ended due to outdated beliefs and incapable rulers, the Merovingians and Clovis

hold a significant place in the history books. Clovis’ skill as a warrior assisted him in conquering much

of Gaul as can be seen in Gregory of Tours account. Furthermore, his rejection of paganism,

adoption of Catholicism and subsequent mass conversion of the Frankish people consolidated his

power in the West. This would lead to the recognition of the Frankish people as a nation by the

Roman Empire and an honorary consulship rewarded by the Byzantine Emperor. The significance of

his conversion is evident throughout history. Even in the 21st

Century, fictional works such as Dan

Brown’s quasi-historical novel The Da Vinci Code, label the Merovingians as the sons of Jesus Christ,

despite their pagan origins. Most significantly, perhaps, is understanding that Clovis’ name forms the

basis for the most popular name for French kings, Louis, which has been held by 18 kings of France.



Figu

re 1

Figure 2

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Collins, Roger. 1991. Early Medieval Europe. London: Macmillan Education Ltd.

Effros, Dr Bonnie, interview by James Blake Wiener. 2013. The Merovingians: The Kings and Queens

of the Franks (June 9).

Encyclopaedia Britannica Inc. n.d. Frank. Accessed August 9, 2013.

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/217113/Frank.

Gardner, Laurence. 2001. Bloodline of the Holy Grail. Ottery St Mary: Fair Winds.

Jones, Jim. 2013. Background to The Life of Clovis by Gregory of Tours. Accessed August 20, 2013.

http://courses.wcupa.edu/jones/his101/web/14clovis.htm.

Kurth, G. 1909. "The Franks." In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.

Robinson, James Harvey. 1902. An Introduction to the History of Western Europe.

Wallace-Hadrill, J.M. 1996. The Barbarian West. Chicago: Wiley-Blackwell.

Wells, Peter S. 2008. Barbarians to Angels. New York: W.W. Norton & Company.

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