Emnechilde of the Burgundians

Berswinde d'Austrasie is no longer accepted by scholars as a daughter of Sigebert III, King of Austrasia and Emnechilde of the Burgundians.

Biography

Chimnechild of Burgundy (7th-century – fl. 662) (lat. Chimnechildis), Himnechichilde, Emnechilde, Imnechilde, Himnilde or Himnehilde was a Frankish queen consort of Australasia of the 8th century, by her marriage to King Sigebert III.

She was the mother of

1. Bilichild and possibly of
2. Dagobert II.[2]

When Childebert the Adopted died, she opposed the succession of Theuderic III and arranged a marriage between her daughter and Childeric II, whose succession she supported.

Family origin

Contemporary documents do not mention its family origin1.

The chronicle of Ebersheim, written in the 12th century, specifies that the wife of Duke Adalric Ethic of Alsace, Berswinde d'Austrasie was a niece by her mother of Saint Léger, bishop of Autun and sister of a queen of the Franks. The marriage between Adalric and Bereswinde having taken place at the end of the first half of the 8th century, the Queen of the Franks in question can only be Chimnechilde or < Bathilde >. The latter cannot correspond, because it is originally served, it follows that Chimnechilde is Bereswinde's sister and Saint Léger's niece. However, this chronicle is very late compared to the facts related and is not always taken into account by historians1,2.

Onomastic encounters between the Etichonides, from Adalric Ethil and Bereswinde, and the Hugobertides, from the seneschal Hugobert, make Christian Settipani think of a fraternity between Bereswinde and Hugobert. Their father would then be the son of a mayor of the Palace of Australasia named Hugh and quoted in 6163. But, he later returns to this fraternity, considering that Hugobert could have other parents. Nevertheless, a cousinage remains possible and that the mayor of Palais Hugues could be an ancestor of Chimnechilde4.

Genealogy

https://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/MEROVINGIANS.htm#SigebertIdied575B

King Dagobert I had one illegitimate child by Mistress (1):

1. SIGEBERT ([9 Oct 630/19 Jan 631]-1 Feb 656, bur Metz, basilique de Saint-Martin). Fredegar records the marriage of King Dagobert in the eighth year of his reign to "puella nomen Ragnetrudæ" and the birth of "filium…Sigybertum" in the same year[403].… He was canonised by the Catholic church in 1170.

m CHIMNECHILDIS [Himnilde/Emnehilde], daughter of --- (-676 or after). The Passio Præiecti records the influence of "Imnichilde regine"[407]. The Gesta Episcopi Tullensis names "regem Dagobertum…genitricis ipsius Chimechildis reginæ" when recording a donation by the former[408]. "Childericus rex Francorum et Chinechildis regina…Bertuino comiti et Bertelando vicario" donated property "villam…Barisiacum…in pago Laudunensi" to "Amando episcopo" by charter dated to [1 Aug 661][409]. "Childericus rex Francorum, Bonifacio duci" donated property on the advice of "Emhilde regine" to the monastery of St Gregory in Vosges by charter dated to [660/62][410]. "Childericus rex Francorum" donated property on the request of "Amelrico, Bonefacio ducibus" and the advice of "Emnehildæ reginæ" by charter dated to [664/66][411]. "Childericus rex Francorum, Emnehildis et Bilihildis…reginæ…" confirmed the property of the monastery of Stablo and Malmedy by charter dated 6 Sep 667[412].

King Sigebert III & his wife had [two] children:

• a) DAGOBERT ([652/56]-murdered Woëvre forest 23 Dec 679, bur Stenay, basilique Saint-Rémi). … After a brief period of conflict, it was agreed that King Theoderich should retain Neustria and Burgundy while Dagobert succeeded as DAGOBERT II King of the Franks in Austrasia. "Dagobertus rex Francorum" names "genitor noster Sigibertus rex" in his charter dated 1 Aug 677[415]. He was murdered on the orders of maior domus Ebroin.
• b) [BILICHILDIS (-murdered forest of Lognes, near Chelles [18 Oct/10 Nov] 675, bur Paris, Saint-Germain-des-Prés). The Vita Lantberti records the murder of "rex Hildericus…cum coniuge sua…Bilhilde filioque…Dagoberto"[419]. m ([666/8 Sep 667]) CHILDERICH II King of the Franks, son of CLOVIS II King of the Franks & his wife Bathildis --- (-murdered forest of Lognes, near Chelles [18 Oct/10 Nov] 675, bur Paris, Saint-Germain-des-Prés).]

References

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chimnechild_of_Burgundy cites
   1. Christian Bouyer, Dictionnaire des Reines de France, Librairie Académique Perrin, 1992 (ISBN 2-262-00789-6)
   2. Wood, Ian (2012). Królestwa Merowingów 450 – 751. Władza – społeczeństwo – kultura (in Polish). Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN. pp. 245–246, 373. ISBN 978-83-01-16943-5.
2. https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chimnechilde Notes and references
   1. Settipani 1993, p. 106.
   2. Settipani 1989, p. 56.
   3. Settipani 1989, pp. 55-56 and 76.
   4. Settipani 2014, p. 137-139.
   5. Bouyer 1992, p. 66.
   6. Settipani 1993, pp. 106 and 131
3. https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chimnechilde Bibliography
   1. Christian Settipani, The Ancestors of Charlemagne, Paris, 1989, 170 p. (ISBN 2-906483-28-1).
      1. The Ancestors of Charlemagne, Oxford, P & G, Prosopographia and Genealogica, coll. "Casual Publications / 16", 2014, 2nd ed. (1st ed. 1989), 347 p. (ISBN 978-1-900934-15-2).
   2. Christian Settipani, The Prehistory of the Capetians (New genealogical history of the august house of France, vol. 1), Villeneuve-d'Ascq, ed. Patrick van Kerrebrouck, 1993, 545 p. (ISBN 978-2-95015-093-6).
   3. Christian Bouyer, Dictionnaire des Reines de France, Paris, Librairie Académique Perrin, 1992 (reprint 2000), 348 p. (ISBN 2-262-01730-1).
4. https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chimnechilde Related articles
   1. “Place of women in Merovingian France.” < link >
   2. “Genealogy of the Merovingians” (chart). < link >
      1. Genealogical hypotheses. Many attempts to attach various large families to the Merovingian family tree have been proposed throughout the last centuries.
         1. Detailed article: Genealogical hypotheses about Merovingians. < link >
      2. These rapprochements have sometimes been obtained by the addition of non-Merovingian characters or even thanks to fictional characters.
         1. Detailed article: False Merovingians. < link >
      3. Bibliography
         1. Grégoire de Tours, History of the Franks [detail of the editions].
         2. Stéphane Lebecq, New History of Medieval France, vol. 1: The Frankish origins, 5th - 9th century, Paris, Éditions du Seuil, coll. "Points. History" (No. 201), 1990, 317 p. (ISBN 2-02-011552-2).
      4. Related articles
         1. Genealogy of the kings of France