treesinthewoods.com

Click on any image below, to enlarge  

Einhard - The Scribe

Cover Plate of Einhard's “Vita Karoli Magni”

Family connections and a change of power and name
In my previous featured story, “The Merovingian Dynasty”, I provided a glimpse of how the fate of central Europe in the early 5th century A.D. had grown from the ashes of the falling Roman Empire and was resurrected by the newly organized rulers of the Frankish Kingdom - by men such as King Merovech and his descendants. For over three centuries the Merovingian Family ruled "with an even hand and a steady course" until 751 A.D. when King Childeric III, believed to be Merovech’s 8th great-grandson, was deemed as "unfit" by the Mayors of the Palace, Carloman and Pepin The Short - brothers, whom had inherited their powerful positions from their father, Charles Martel (1). In 751 A.D., Childeric III was “dethroned and tonsured” (deposit et detonsit), on the orders of Pope Zachary's successor, Pope Stephen II, "because he was not useful" (quia non erat utilis), according to Einhard. His full length hair had long been the symbol of his family’s dynasty and thus his royal rights (some say magical powers), and by cutting it, they divested him of all his royal prerogatives.

In a twist of family connections, Pepin The Short had been married to Berthe (Bertrade), Countess Of Laon, since 740 A.D., she was the 9th great-granddaughter of King Merovech and therefore King Childeric III's second cousin. In 751 A.D., when Pepin The Short (aka, Pepin the Younger, or Pepin III), over threw his wife's 2nd cousin, King Childeric III - thus becoming the new King of the Franks, Austrasia and Neustria, he became the first King of the Carolingian Dynasty - so named after his father, Charles Martel. During his seventeen year rule as King of the Franks [751-768], Pepin The Short is often regarded as “not as great as either his father or his sons” by Einhard. Yet, he was historically important and of great benefit to the Franks as a people and it can certainly be argued that Pepin's assumption of the crown, and the title of Patrician of Rome, were harbingers of his son's imperial coronation which is usually seen as the founding of the Holy Roman Empire. He certainly made the Carolingian Family name ‘de jure’, as his father had made them ‘de facto’ - as the ruling dynasty of the Franks and the foremost power of Europe. While he was not known as a great military general, he was undefeated during his lifetime. With all this said however, Pepin The Short is perhaps best known as being the father of the man who became one of the greatest rulers of all of Europe... Charlemagne.

Charles Martel buried at St. Denis Basilica, Paris

751 - Merovingian King Childeric III is removed from the throne by Pepin the Short

Pepin The Short, father of Charlemagne

Charlemagne the man
Named after his grandfather, Charles was the son of Pepin The Short and Berthe of Laon and is traditionally believed to have been born on April 2, 742 A.D. (2), in Herstal (where his father was born), a city close to Liège, in Belgium - the region from where both the Merovingian and Carolingian families originate. Two of Charlemagne's family trees are pictured to the right, the first from the 9th century and the second from the 11th century, depicting his ancestry and descent, yet little is known of Charlemagne's early years. As Einhard wrote it, "It would be folly, I think, to write concerning Charles' birth and infancy, or even his boyhood, for nothing has ever been written on the subject, and there is no one alive now who can give information on it. Accordingly, I determined to pass that by as unknown, and to proceed at once to treat of his character, his deeds, and such other facts of his life as are worth telling and setting forth..."

Most historians believe that Charlemagne's native tongue was of the Germanic language of the Franks of his day, that means he either spoke Old Low Franconian or an Old High German dialect, probably with a strong Frankish influence. Apart from his native language he also spoke Latin "as fluently as his own tongue" and understood a bit of Greek (Grecam vero melius intellegere quam pronuntiare poterat), "He understood Greek better than he could pronounce it."

"Charles was large and strong, and of lofty stature, though not disproportionately tall (his height is well known to have been seven times the length of his foot) [1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)]; the upper part of his head was round, his eyes very large and animated, nose a little long, hair fair, and face laughing and merry. Thus his appearance was always stately and dignified, whether he was standing or sitting; although his neck was thick and somewhat short, and his belly rather prominent; but the symmetry of the rest of his body concealed these defects. His gait was firm, his whole carriage manly, and his voice clear, but not so strong as his size led one to expect. His health was excellent."

"He used to wear the national [clothing], that is to say, the Frankish dress of the day - next to his skin a linen shirt and linen breeches, and above these a tunic fringed with silk; while hose fastened by bands covered his lower limbs, and shoes his feet, and he protected his shoulders and chest in winter by a close-fitting coat of otter or marten skins. Over all he flung a blue cloak, and he always had a sword girt about him, usually one with a gold or silver hilt and belt; he sometimes carried a jeweled sword, but only on great feast-days or at the reception of ambassadors from foreign nations. He despised foreign costumes, however handsome, and never allowed himself to be robed in them, except twice in Rome, when he donned the Roman tunic, chlamys, and shoes; the first time at the request of Pope Hadrian, the second to gratify Leo, Hadrian's successor. On great feast-days he made use of embroidered clothes, and shoes bedecked with precious stones; his cloak was fastened by a golden buckle, and he appeared crowned with a diadem of gold and gems: but on other days his dress varied little from the common dress of the people."

"Charles was temperate in eating, and particularly so in drinking, for he abominated drunkenness in anybody, much more in himself and those of his household. He very rarely gave entertainments, only on great feast-days. His meals ordinarily consisted of four courses, not counting the roast, which his huntsmen used to bring in on the spit; he was more fond of this than of any other dish. While at table, he listened to reading or music. He was so moderate in the use of wine and all sorts of drink that he rarely allowed himself more than three cups in the course of a meal."

Many biographers highlight Charlemagne's military successes, including Einhard, who wrote, "Such are the wars, most skillfully planned and successfully fought, which this most powerful king waged during the forty-seven years of his reign. He so largely increased the Frank kingdom, which was already great and strong when he received it at his father's hands, that more than double its former territory was added to it". While many of these Border Wars were indeed bloody and horrific events, many were actually peaceful surrenders by his neighboring kingdoms - "so that they as well may partake in the enlightened reforms of Charles' fair-handed rule". (3)

"This King, who showed himself so great in extending his empire and subduing foreign nations, undertook very many works calculated to adorn and benefit his kingdom." He funded and built basilicas, schools, roadways and bridges, restored old churches and created naval shipyards to help protect his people from foreign invasion - whether from the North Sea, the Mediterranean Sea or the Atlantic Coast. After being crowned Emperor and Augustus of the Holy Roman Empire, on Dec. 25, 800 A.D., by Pope Leo III, Charlemagne then revised the Frankish Law System, instigated economic, monetary, political, educational and writing reforms, had all the ancient songs written down for future preservation and historical purpose, he created a style of script - still used today, named the twelve months, named the points of the compass and heaped a vast wealth of gold, silver, and precious stones upon the Church of St. Peter the Apostle at Rome. "He liked foreigners, and was at great pains to take them under his protection. There were often so many of them, both in the palace and the kingdom, but he, with his broad humanity, was very little disturbed by such, because he felt himself compensated for these great inconveniences by the praises of his generosity and the reward of high renown."

"He was very forward in succoring the poor, with gratuitous generosity, so much so that he not only made a point of giving in his own country and his own kingdom, but when he discovered that there were Christians living in poverty in Syria, Egypt, and Africa, at Jerusalem, Alexandria, and Carthage, he had compassion on their wants, and used to send money over the seas to them."

9th Century Family Tree

11th Century Family Tree
See Footnote: (5)

King Charlemagne

Emperor Charlemagne

Charlemagne's Throne

Charlemagne's Empire - 814

Charlemagne's Coinage

Charlemagne's writing reforms - as displayed in this 8th century bible of the Lorsch Gospels

Charlemagne's Autograph

Charlemagne with some of his children and their Scholars

A 9th century tapestry shows Charlemagne crowning his son, Louis The Pious, as Emperor just prior to his death

Charlemagne's sarcophagus at Aachen Cathedral

Charlemagne's Statue in front of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris