Our first “in-betweeny” episode is out! We have a 50-year period between two of our kings (that is, Merovingian Kings of All the Franks), but that doesn’t mean we’re just going to skip over one of the most turbulent periods in Frankish history! Instead, we will see these decades through the eyes of Fredegund, who was berated by Gregory of Tours and depicted by the Victorians as one of the great villainesses of history.
Though it’s not about one of our official kings, this has been one of the most exciting episodes to research and record, so give it a listen right now on Buzzsprout, or wherever you get podcasts!
We have chosen to embrace, reclaim and celebrate Fredegund’s villainy, comparing her to the likes of Cersei Lannister and Snow White’s evil stepmother. But what do you think her? Is Fredegund an iconic baddie, or tragically misunderstood?
Below are a few of the images we used to judge Fredegund in her Enchanté round:
Fredegund ordering the murder of Bishop Pretextatus, by Edourard Cibot 
Fredegund witnessing the death of Bishop Pretextatus, by Laurence Alma-Tadema 
Fredegund and Rigunth, by Madame de Witt 
Fredegund riding to meet the army of Childebert II, holding baby Clothar II (medieval manuscript painting) 
Detail of Fredegund’s marble and copper tomb effigy in the Basilica of Saint-Denis
Also, here’s the current Merovingian family tree, to help follow some of the details of the episode, highlighting those who are alive in this episode:
Battle Royale: French Monarchs 
2 thoughts on “Episode 2.5 – Fredegund”