Don't Be "Gaul"led about French History Quiz

Answer: Poseidon

Merovech was born around AD 411 and was the King of the Salian Franks and settled in old Roman Gaul. It is rumored that he fought Attila the Hun in a battle to win the land. He went on to have an almost mythical status. It is said that his mother was cooling off in the waters of the North Sea when she was attacked by Poseidon and became pregnant. Merovech was the outcome and he would start the Merovingian dynasty.

Answer: Clovis I

Clovis I was born in AD 446. His father was King Childeric I, son of Merovech, and his mother was Basina, Queen of Thuringia. Clovis took over the throne after his father died in AD 481. He wanted land and power and eliminated anyone who got in his way.

His name even means "famous warrior". Before him, Frankish tribes were independently ruled by chieftains. He united them under his authority by a series of battles over the years. His empire eventually consisted of what is now the southern Netherlands through the north of France.

He made his capital in Paris where he was buried in AD 511 after he died following a brief illness.

Answer: Roman

Aegidius was a former lieutenant of a Roman commander, Flavius Aetius. Aegidius established a Roman state in northern Gaul and ruled it for years until he died of the plague in AD 465. His son Syagrius then took control and held it for 20 years. In AD 486 Clovis I assembled a large group of Franks and confronted the Romans. Clovis I won, had Syragrius executed, and ended the Roman rule of the area.

Answer: Uncut hair

The Merovingian rulers were known as the "long-haired kings". They felt that their authority came from their uncut hair. If a man's hair was cut, he could not rule his area. As rival Merovingians fought each other, the loser of a battle would often have his hair shaved, as an act of shame, and sent to a monastery. On a more practical note, the long hair also separated them visually from the other Franks who kept their hair much shorter.

Answer: Catholicism

Clotilde was a princess from Burgundy when she married Clovis. She was brought up Catholic and was eager for her new husband to convert. He adamantly refused to do so and even forbade their first child to be baptized. However, at the Battle of Tolbiac, Clovis saw his troops losing and prayed to the God of his wife.

When his enemy turned and ran, Clovis converted to Catholicism. This helped spread Christianity to the Gaul area and the western world. Clotilde was later made a saint for her actions.

Answer: Divided equally between his sons

When Clovis died, his lands were divided equally among his four sons. The boys' names were Theuderic I, Chlodomer, Childebert I, and Chlothar I. This began a long reign of territorial fighting, wars, and murders. The kings of this era were collectively known as the "do-nothing kings".

Answer: Married five women who held land

Unlike his father, Chlothar did not believe in monogamy and practiced polygamy. He was married five times (once to his brother's widow) during his long reign in the early 500s. Each time was to claim territory and land as part of the dowry. Chlothar, like the rest of his family, practiced deception and intrigue.

He even went so far as to murder his own nephews to avoid them getting a share of the kingdom. He died in AD 561 of pneumonia. Ironically, his four sons divided up the very land he had married so many times to create.

Answer: Brunhilde

Brunhilde was born a Visogath around AD 545 and was married to King Sigebert when she was 22. When her sister was killed by Sigebert's brother, Brunhilde instigated war. As the years progressed, Brunhilde was married several times, reigned in place of her sons or grandsons, and contributed to many clandestine attacks and plans.

When she was almost 80, she tried a revolt against a king in Burgundy. She was captured, tortured, and finally dragged to death by a wild horse. The legend of Brunhild, a valkyrie who helps bring about the death of Siegfried, is modeled upon Brunhilde of Merovingian fame.

Answer: Goldsmiths

Dagobert ruled much of the land along with his brother, but upon his sibling's death he became sole ruler of most of the Frankish territories south of the Loire River. He set up a court in Paris and worked at restoring stolen lands. He was still considered a "barbarian king" but worked relations with other countries much more peaceably than his ancestors.

He was a patron of the arts and extolled the virtues of his treasurer and counsellor Eloi who would later become St. Eligius, the patron saint of goldsmiths, metalworkers, coin collectors, and veterinarians. Dagobert founded the abbey of Saint-Denis, where he was buried.

Answer: Charlemagne

The Merovingian kings had become kings in name only. For a brief period of time, even the throne was empty. Pippin (also spelled Pepin) was mayor of the area and then took over the rule. In AD 771, a descendant named Charles began a conquest of Gaul, Germany, Italy, and other areas of eastern Europe.

He took the name Charlemagne. By AD 800 he had been crowned emperor of the Roman Empire.