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Klotilda BurgundskayaSecond wife of the Frankish king Clovis from 493.
Country:
 France |
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Biography of Clotilde of Burgundy
Clotilde of Burgundy (Chrochtehilde) or Saint Clotilde (French: Clotilde, Clothilde, ancient German: Chrochtehilde, c. 475 - c. 545) was the second wife of Frankish king Clovis since 493. She is revered as a saint, with her feast day celebrated on June 3rd by the Orthodox and June 4th by Catholics. She is the patron saint of brides, adopted children, parents, exiles, and widows. Clotilde was the daughter of the Burgundian king Hilperik II (c. 436 - 491), brother of King Gundobad, and Agrippina (c. 440 - 491). Unlike her uncle, Clotilde followed the Catholic faith, while Gundobad adhered to Arianism.
The Story of the Marriage
According to Gregory of Tours in his "History of the Franks", during that time, Gundebad, a king of the Burgundians, persecuted Christians. He had four sons: Gundobad, Godigisel, Hilperik, and Godegisel. Gundobad killed his brother Hilperik with a sword and drowned his wife by tying a stone around her neck. He condemned his two daughters to be exiled, with the older one named Hrona becoming a nun and the younger one named Chrochtehilde.
The story of Agrippina's gruesome death is likely a later legend, as a recently discovered epitaph in Lyon is dedicated to a Burgundian queen who died in 506. It is possible that this refers to Clotilde's mother. Clotilde married Clovis between 492 and 494. Gregory of Tours describes Clovis' courtship as follows: "Since Clovis often sent ambassadors to Burgundy, his envoys once saw the maiden Chrochtehilde. Finding her beautiful and intelligent and learning that she was of royal lineage, they reported this to King Clovis. He immediately sent messengers to Gundobad, asking him to give her to him in marriage. Since Gundobad feared to refuse Clovis, he handed her over to the messengers. They took her and quickly brought her to the king. When he saw her, the king was overjoyed and married her. However, he already had a son named Theoderic from a concubine." The wedding took place, most likely, in Soissons.
