Hermanafrid

Hermanafrid (Hermenfredus) was the last king of the Thuringians. He was the son of King Bessinus (Bisinus) and the Lombard Menia (though the latter is doubted by some authors). His siblings were Baderich, Radegundis (the older), married to the Lombard king Wacho, and Bertachar. Hermanfrid married Amalaberga, niece of Theodoric the Great between 507 and 511 AD. It is unclear when Hermanafrid became king, but he is called king ('rex thoringorum') in a letter by Theoderich dated to 507. He first shared the rule with his brothers Baderich and Bertachar, but later killed Bertachar in a battle, leaving the younger Radegundis an orphan. According to Gregory of Tours, Amalaberga now stirred up Hermanafrid against his remaining brother. Once she laid out only half the table for a meal, and when questioned about the reason, she told him "A king who owns only of half of his kingdom deserved to have half of his table bare." Thus roused, Hermanafrid made a pact with the Frankish king Theuderich I to march against Baderich. Baderich was overcome by the Franks and beheaded, but Hermanafrid refused to fulfil undisclosed unfulfilled obligations to Theuderich, which led to enmity between the two kings. In 531 Theuderich and his brother Chlothar I attacked the Thuringians. The Franks won the battle near the river Unstrut and took the Royal seat at (Scithingi) Burgscheidungen. Hermanifrid managed to flee, but the Francs captured his nice Radegundis the younger (Venantius Fortunatus, De excidio Thoringae) and his nephews. Theuderich gave Hermanafrid save conduct, ordered him to come to Zülpich and gave him many gifts. While Hermanafrid talked with Theuderich, 'somebody' pushed him from the town-walls of Zülpich and he died. Gregory mentions (very tongue in cheek) that 'certain people' had ventured to suggest that maybe Theuderic might have something to do with it. Radegundis was forced to marry King Lothar I.

Hermanafrid's wife Amalaberga fled to the Ostrogoths with her children Amalafrid and Rodelindis. She was later captured by the Byzantine general Belisarius and sent to Constantinople, where Amalafrid later became an imperial General, while while Rodelindis was married to the Lombard king Auduin.

The Thuringian kingdom ended with Hermanafrid. The area east of the Saale river was taken over by Slavic tribes, North-Thuringia by the Saxons.

The fall of the Thuringian dynasty became the subject of numerous epic treatments, the best known of which is 'Rerum gestarum saxonicarum libri tres' by Wittukind of Corvey, a Saxon foundation myth written in 967.

In this version, Amalaberga is the daughter of the Frankish king Huga. After Huga's death Thiadrich, his son by a concubine is crowned as king, but Amalaberga convinces her husband with the help of the warrior Iring that it is really her who should inherit the kingdom. A war starts, and after the Franks under Thiadrich have won a battle at Runibergun, the Thuringians retreat into the fortress of Scithingi. The Franks get the help of the newly immigrated Saxons who are looking for land, and a bloody battle is fought at Scithingi. After many warriors have been slain, Irminfrid sends Iring as a messenger to Thiadrich to ask for peace. The kings reach an agreement and plan to slay the Saxons on the morrow, but the Saxons get word of this, storm Scithingi during the night and kill all grownups. Only Irminfrid and his family escape. The Saxons celebrate their victory for three days, afterwards they return to Thiadrich, who gives the country over to them.

By the order of Thiadrich, Iring convinces Irminfrid to return to the Frankish court. When Irminfrid kneels in submission before Thiadrich, Iring slays him. Thiadrich banishes him, as he has become despicable to all men by this deed, and he wants to have no part of this crime. Iring announces that he will atone for his crime and get revenge for his former master and slays Thiadrich as well. He places the body of Irminfrid over that of Thiadrich, so he will be victor in death at least, and leaves. Wittukind ends by doubting the truth of this story, but recounts that the milky way is called Iring's street to his day. Rudolph of Fulda tells a related story.

Sources

The main source for this period is Gregory of Tours, who represents the Frankish viewpoint. Wittukind is much later and has clearly incorporated mythical elements into his account. Procopius only mentions the events in passing as far as they affect Italy.