|
Merovech (Latin: ''Meroveus'' or ''Merovius'') (d. 453/457) is the semi-legendary founder of the Merovingian dynasty of the Salian Franks (although Chlodio may in fact be the founder), which later became the dominant Frankish tribe. His name is a Latinization of a form close to the Old High German given name ''Marwig'', lit. "famed fight" (cf. ''māri'' "famous" + ''wīg'' "fight") compare modern Dutch ''mare'' "news, rumour", ''vermaard'' "famous" and ''vecht'' "fight".〔Green, D.H. ''Language and History in the Early Germanic World''. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 1998.〕 He is said to be one of several barbarian warlords and kings that joined forces with the Roman general Aetius against the Huns under Attila on the Catalaunian fields in Gaul. The first Frankish royal dynasty called themselves Merovingians ("descendants of Meroveus") after him, although no other historical evidence exists that Merovech ever lived. ==Evidence for existence== There is little information about him in the later histories of the Franks. Gregory of Tours only names him once as the father of Childeric I while putting doubt on his descent from Chlodio.〔Gregory of Tours - The History of the Franks, II.9〕 Many admit today that this formulation finds its explanation in a legend reported by Fredegar.〔(Christian Settipani - Addenda to Les Ancêtres de Charlemagne, 1990 )〕 The Chronicle of Fredegar interpolated on this reference by Gregory by adding Merovech was the son of the queen, Chlodio's wife; but his father was a sea-god, bistea Neptuni.〔Pseudo-Fredegar, Hist. III, 9.〕 Some researchers have noted that Merovech, the Frankish chieftain, may have been the namesake of a certain god or demigod honored by the Franks prior to their conversion to Christianity. Clodio, the sometime putative father of Merovech, is said to have been defeated by Flavius Aëtius at Vicus Helena in Artois in 448. Ian Wood would therefore place his son somewhere in the second half of the fifth century.〔(Wood, Ian. ''The Merovingian Kingdoms 450 - 751'', Pearson Education Ltd., 1994, ISBN 9781317871163 )〕 It has been suggested Merovech refers to, or is reminiscent of, the Dutch river Merwede,〔Emil Rückert: Oberon von Mons und die Pipine von Nivella; Weidmann'sche Buchhandlung, Leipzig, Germany. 1836〕 Although this river was historically a main subsidiary of the Rhine, in modern times it is a tributary of the Rhine-Meus-Scheldt delta; the area where, according to Roman historians, the Salian Franks once dwelled. Another theory〔see M. Todd's, ''The Early Germans''〕 considers this legend to be the creation of a mythological past needed to back up the fast-rising Frankish rule in Western Europe. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Merovech」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|