Saint Guntram

Yesterday's post mentioned that the Franks fell into civil war and became less of a threat to Lombardy. The Frankish Kingdom had a long history with lots of shifts in power. We should take a serious look at the history of the Franks, especially prior to Charlemagne, but right now let's talk about Guntram.

Also called Gontrand, Gontran, Gontram, Gunthram, Gunthchramn, and Guntramnus, the man we'll call Guntram (c.532 – 28 March 592) was a son of Clothar I, a king of the Franks in the Merovingian dynasty, the dynasty that gave way to the Carolingians.

Guntram was king of Orléans (taking over the ruling of Burgundy) from 561 to 592, inheriting it when his father died and the kingdom was divided among four sons (Paris, Reims, and Soissons went to Guntram's brothers). Gregory of Tours wrote a history of the Franks; he refers to Guntram as "good king Guntram." Although in his youth he was a bit of a wild child, he repented during his later life. Gregory says he traded the sick, the oppressed, and all his subjects with care.

Guntram was one of the more respected and powerful of the four brothers, partially because he had a general named Mummolus who was considered the greatest strategist of the age. He actually changed his allegiance to others, but wound up back with Guntram. When Guntram's brother Sigebert I of Australia started a war,Guntram called their brother Chilperic I of Soissons for help. But when Sigebert was killed in 575 and Chilperic invaded Australia, Guntram sent Mummolus to stop him and allow Sigebert's son Childebert II (who was only five) to succeed his father.

When Guntram's two sons died two years later of dysentery, Guntram adopted Childebert. As Childebert grew up, however, he was not always loyal to Guntram in exchange for the support he had received. Chilperic also tried expanding his own territory. Guntram and Childebert together allowed St. Columbanus to found an abbey and two monasteries in their territory. (The illustration shows the two men enthroned.)

Guntram was able, through military force and negotiation,  to suppress the attempts to take over each other's lands. He also was able to force cooperation and peace with neighbors, putting down invasion attempts and rebellions.

When he died in 592, Childebert succeeded him. Guntram was interred in a church he had founded, the Church of Saint Marcellus. He was almost immediately venerated as  saint, and miracles were ascribed to him, some of which Gregory of Tours claimed to have witnessed himself.

Without Guntram's military force and moderating influence, strife became more common between parts of western Europe. Let's, however, look back at his father, the man at whose death the Frankish Kingdom split into four part. Tomorrow we'll look at Clothar I, king of Soissons, of Orléans, of Reims, of Paris, and of the Franks.