Galswintha

Galswintha
Queen consort of Neustria (Soissons)
The strangling of Galswintha by Chilperic I
Born	540
Died	568 (aged 27–28)
Spouse	Chilperic I
Dynasty	Merovingian (by marriage)
Father	Athanagild
Mother	Goiswintha
Religion	Arianism

Galswintha (540–568) was the daughter of Athanagild, Visigothic king of Hispania (the Iberian Peninsula, comprising modern Spain and Portugal), and Goiswintha. Galswintha was the sister of Brunhilda, Queen of Austrasia; and the wife of Chilperic I, the Merovingian king of Neustria.

Galswintha and Chilperic were married at Rouen in 567, but soon afterwards she was murdered at the instigation of Chilperic's mistress Fredegund, who then married him. Chilperic in turn was murdered in 584, possibly by Fredegund, but just as likely by someone else, as there were many who had reason to want him killed.

Galswintha's death aroused the enmity of her sister Brunhilda against Chilperic, bringing about 40 years of warfare between the Frankish kingdoms of Austrasia and Neustria.

Commemorated in Verse

The Late Latin poet Venantius Fortunatus wrote a long commemorative poem (Carmina VI.5) in honour of Galswintha.^[1] Symphonic metal band Leaves' Eyes also wrote a song from their album Symphonies of the Night, titled "Galswintha".

References

1. English translation by Judith George, in Venantius Fortunatus: Personal & Political Poems (Liverpool: Translated Texts for Historians, 1995), p.40 - 50.