After sacking Rome in 410 CE under King Alaric I, the Visigoths settled in southwestern Gaul (modern France) and later established a kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula. By the 5th and 6th centuries, Visigothic power was centered around Toledo in Spain and Toulouse in southern France.
The Visigoths, like many Germanic peoples, had a rich tradition of warrior culture and were deeply entangled in the politics of early medieval Europe, especially involving the Merovingian Franks, the Ostrogoths in Italy, and the Byzantine Empire.
Brunhild of Austrasia: The Historical Queen
Many historians argue that the legendary Brunhild could be inspired by Brunhild of Austrasia (c. 543–613 CE), a powerful queen consort in the Merovingian kingdom, whose life was marked by political intrigue, warfare, and fierce rivalry.
Born a Visigothic princess (daughter of Athanagild, king of the Visigoths in Spain), Brunhild married King Sigebert I of Austrasia (a Frankish kingdom roughly covering eastern France and Germany). She wielded significant influence during her husband’s reign and after his assassination, becoming a queen regent and power broker for her sons.
Brunhild of Austrasia was known for her intelligence, determination, and ruthlessness in political matters. She engaged in a bitter feud with Fredegund, the queen consort of Neustria (another Frankish kingdom), which led to years of civil war and bloodshed.
Her life ended violently; she was captured and executed on the orders of her great-nephew King Chlothar II, marking one of the most dramatic and brutal conclusions to a queen's career in early medieval Europe. shutdown123