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The Burgundians or Burgundes were an East Germanic tribe which may have emigrated from mainland Scandinavia to the island of Bornholm, whose old form in Old Norse still was Burgundarholmr (the Island of the Burgundians), and from there to mainland Europe. The East Germanic languages are a group of extinct Indo-European languages in the Germanic family. The Germanic peoples are a historical group of Indo-European -speaking peoples originating in Northern Europe and identified by their use of the Germanic Bornholm (b̥ʌnˈhʌlˀm or [bɔʀnˈhɔlˀm]) ( Old Norse: Burgundarholm ' is a Danish Island in the Baltic Sea located Old Norse is the North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age In Þorsteins saga Víkingssonar, Veseti settled in an island or holm, which was called Borgund's holm, i. Þorsteins saga Víkingssonar or The Saga of Thorstein Viking's Son is a Legendary saga taking place in the 7th century and it is about the father of e. Bornholm. Alfred the Great's translation of Orosius uses the name Burgenda land. Alfred the Great (also Ælfred from the Old English Ælfrēd ˈælfreːd (c Paulus Orosius (b circa 375 d 418? was a Christian Historian, theologian and disciple of St The poet and early mythologist Viktor Rydberg (1828–1895), (Our Fathers' Godsaga) asserted from an early medieval source, Vita Sigismundi, that the Burgundians themselves retained oral traditions about their Scandinavian origin. Abraham Viktor Rydberg ( Jönköping, December 18, 1828 &ndash Djursholm, September 22, 1895) was a Swedish The year 1828 ( MDCCCXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap Year 1895 ( MDCCCXCV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year For other nobles of the same name please see Sigismund Sigismund (died 524 was king of the Burgundians from 516 to his death

Contents

Early history

Tribal Origins

The Burgundians' tradition of Scandinavian origin finds support in place-name evidence and archaeological evidence (Stjerna) and many consider their tradition to be correct (e. g. Musset, p. 62). Possibly because Scandinavia was beyond the horizon of the earliest Roman sources, including Tacitus (who only mentions one Scandinavian tribe, the Suiones), they don't tell from where the Burgundians came, and the first Roman references place them east of the Rhine (inter alia, Ammianus Marcellinus, XVIII, 2, 15). Publius (or Gaius) Cornelius Tacitus (ca 56 &ndash ca 117 was a senator and a Historian of the Roman Empire. The Swedes (svear Old Norse: svíar; Old English: Sweonas; Suiones Suehans or Sueones) were an ancient North The Rhine (Rhein Rijn Rhin Reno Rain Rhenus is one of the longest and most important Rivers in Europe at 1320 kilometres (820 mi with an average discharge Amiricanus Gambilinus (325/330-after 391 was a fourth-century Roman historian. Early Roman sources thought they were simply another East Germanic tribe.

Ca 300, the population of Bornholm (the island of the Burgundians) largely disappeared from the island. Events By place Roman Empire The Franks penetrate into what is now northern Belgium (approximate date Bornholm (b̥ʌnˈhʌlˀm or [bɔʀnˈhɔlˀm]) ( Old Norse: Burgundarholm ' is a Danish Island in the Baltic Sea located Most gravefields ceased to be used, and those that were still used had few burials (Stjerna, in Nerman 1925:176).

In the year 369, the Emperor Valentinian I enlisted their aid in his war against another Germanic tribe, the Alamanni (Ammianus, XXVIII, 5, 8-15). Events By Place Roman Empire Athanaric, a Visigoth ruler fights against Valens at Isaccea. Flavius Valentinianus, known in English as Valentinian I, ( 321 - November 17, 375) was Roman Emperor from 364 until his death The Alamanni, Allemanni, or Alemanni were originally an alliance of Germanic tribes located around the upper Main river ( Germany At this time, the Burgundians were possibly living in the Vistula basin, according to the mid-6th century historian of the Goths, Jordanes. The Goths ( Gothic: Gothic usvg|14px|u]]Gothic asvg|14px|a]]Gothic s Jordanes (also Jordanis or even Iornandes) was a 6th century Roman Bureaucrat, who turned his hand to History later in life Sometime after their war against the Alamanni, the Burgundians were beaten in battle by Fastida, king of the Gepids and were overwhelmed, almost annihilated. The Gepids (Gepidae Gifðas ( Beowulf, Widsith) - possibly from * Gibiðos, "givers" or gepanta, see below were

Approximately four decades later, the Burgundians appear again. Following Stilicho’s withdrawal of troops to fight Alaric I the Visigoth in AD 406-408, the northern tribes crossed the Rhine and entered the Empire in the Völkerwanderung, or Germanic migrations. Flavius Stilicho (occasionally written as Stilico) (ca 359 &ndash August 22, 408) was a high-ranking general ( Magister militum Alaric I ( Alareiks in the original Gothic; Alarik or Alarich in modern Germanic languages Alaricus in Latin and Alarico The Visigoths (Visigothi, Wisigothi, Vesi, Visi, Wesi, or Wisi were one of two main branches of the Goths, an East Events By Place Western Roman Empire Roman legions in Britain mutiny against Honorius and select For the area code see Area code 408. Events By Place Western Roman Empire In the summer of this year The Migration Period, also called Barbarian Invasions, or sometimes Völkerwanderung ( German for "wandering of peoples" is the English name Among them were the Alans, Vandals, the Suevi, and possibly the Burgundians. The Alans or Alani (occasionally but more rarely termed Alauni or Halani) were an Iranian nomadic group among the Sarmatian people The Suebi or Suevi (from Proto-Germanic * swēbaz based on the Proto-Germanic root * swē- meaning "one's own" The Burgundians migrated westwards and settled in the Rhine Valley. The Rhine (Rhein Rijn Rhin Reno Rain Rhenus is one of the longest and most important Rivers in Europe at 1320 kilometres (820 mi with an average discharge

There was, it seems, at times a friendly relationship between the Huns and the Burgundians. The Huns were an early confederation of Central Asian equestrian nomads or semi-nomads with a Turkic core of aristocracy It was a Hunnic custom for females to have their skull artificially elongated by tight binding of the skull when the child was an infant. Germanic graves are sometimes found with Hunnic ornaments but also with skulls of females that have been treated in this way; west of the Rhine only Burgundian graves contain a large number of such skulls. The Rhine (Rhein Rijn Rhin Reno Rain Rhenus is one of the longest and most important Rivers in Europe at 1320 kilometres (820 mi with an average discharge (Werner, 1953)

Christianization

Somewhere in the east the Burgundians had Christianized to the Arian form of Christianity from their native Germanic polytheism, which proved a source of suspicion and distrust between the Burgundians and the Catholic Western Roman Empire. The Germanic peoples underwent gradual Christianization in the course of Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages. Arianism is the theological teaching of Arius (c AD 250-336 who was ruled a heretic by the Christian church at the Council of Nicea. Germanic paganism refers to the religious beliefs of the Germanic peoples preceding Christianization. Divisions were evidently healed or healing circa AD 500, however, as Gundobad, one of the last Burgundian kings, maintained a close personal friendship with Avitus, the Catholic bishop of Vienne. Gundobad, Patrician of the Western Roman Empire (472-473 also became King of the Burgundians (473-516 after his father Gundioc of Burgundy Alcimus Ecdicius Avitus Saint Avitus was Bishop of Vienne in Gaul (c The Archbishopric of Vienne, named after its episcopal see Vienne in the Isère département of southern France was a metropolitan Roman Catholic archdiocese Moreover, Gundobad's son and successor, Sigismund, was himself a Catholic, and there is evidence that many of the Burgundian people had converted by this time as well, including several female members of the ruling family. For other nobles of the same name please see Sigismund Sigismund (died 524 was king of the Burgundians from 516 to his death

Early Relationship with the Romans

Initially, the Burgundians seem to have had a stormy relationship with the Romans. They were used by the Empire to fend off other tribes, but also raided the border regions and expanded their influence when possible.

The Burgundian Kingdoms

The First Kingdom

In 411, the Burgundian king Gundahar or Gundicar set up a puppet emperor, Jovinus, in cooperation with Goar, king of the Alans. Events By Place Western Roman Empire The Burgundians and the Alans elevate the usurper Jovinus Gunnar redirects here Gunnar is also a character from the 2000AD comic strip Rogue Trooper Gunther (Gundahar Jovinus is a Roman Cognomen, most often used for a 5th century Roman usurper emperor Goar (born before 390 died between 446 and 450 was a leader of the Alans in 5th century Gaul. The Alans or Alani (occasionally but more rarely termed Alauni or Halani) were an Iranian nomadic group among the Sarmatian people With the authority of the Gallic emperor that he controlled, Gundahar settled on the left (Roman) bank of the Rhine, between the river Lauter and the Nahe, seizing Worms, Speyer, and Straßburg. This article covers the culture of Romanized areas of Gaul. For the political history of the brief "Gallic Empire" of the 3rd century see Gallic Empire The Nahe is a river in Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland, Germany, a left tributary to the Rhine. Worms (voɐms is a City in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, on the Rhine River Speyer (English formerly Spires) is a City in Germany ( Rhineland-Palatinate) with approx Strasbourg (Strasbourg stʁazbuʁ Alsatian: Strossburi,; Straßburg) is the capital and principal City of the Alsace région Apparently as part of a truce, the Emperor Honorius later officially "granted" them the land. Flavius Honorius ( September 9, 384 &ndash August 15, 423) was Roman Emperor (393- 395 and then Western Roman Emperor (Prosper, a. 386)

Despite their new status as foederati, Burgundian raids into Roman Upper Gallia Belgica became intolerable and were ruthlessly brought to an end in 436, when the Roman general Aëtius called in Hun mercenaries who overwhelmed the Rhineland kingdom (with its capital at the old Celtic Roman settlement of Borbetomagus/Worms) in 437. Foederatus (pl foederati) is a Latin term whose definition and usage drifted in the time between the early Roman Republic and the Gallia Belgica was a Roman province located in what is now the southern part of the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, northeastern Events By Place Western Roman Empire The Huns attack the Burgundians, wiping out the royal family Aëtius is also the name of several other persons Flavius Aëtius or simply Aëtius, (c The Huns were an early confederation of Central Asian equestrian nomads or semi-nomads with a Turkic core of aristocracy 437 can also refer to MS-DOS Code page 437. Events By Place Roman Empire October 29 — Valentinian Gundahar was killed in the fighting, reportedly along with the majority of the Burgundian tribe. (Prosper; Chronica Gallica 452; Hydatius; and Sidonius Apollinaris)

The destruction of Worms and the Burgundian kingdom by the Huns became the subject of heroic legends that were afterwards incorporated in the Nibelungenlied—on which Wagner based his Ring Cycle—where King Gunther (Gundahar) and Queen Brünhild hold their court at Worms, and Siegfried comes to woo Kriemhild. The Nibelungenlied, translated as The Song of the Nibelungs, is an epic poem in Middle High German. Der Ring des Nibelungen ( The Ring of the Nibelung) is a cycle of four epic Music dramas by the German composer Brynhildr is a Shieldmaiden and a Valkyrie in Norse mythology, where she appears as a main character in the Völsunga saga and some Sigurd ( Old Norse: Sigurðr) is a legendary hero of Norse mythology, as well as the central character in the Völsunga saga. (In Old Norse sources the names are Gunnar, Brynhild, and Gudrún as normally rendered in English. ) In fact, the Etzel of the Nibelungenlied is based on Attila the Hun.

The Second Kingdom

For reasons not cited in the sources, the Burgundians were granted foederati status a second time, and in 443 were resettled by Aëtius in the region of Sapaudia. Events By Place Western Roman Empire The Burgundians create a kingdom on the banks of the Rhone. (Chronica Gallica 452) Though Sapaudia does not correspond to any modern-day region, the Burgundians probably lived near Lugdunum, known today as Lyon. ||-||} Lyon, also known as Lyons in English is a city in east-central France. (Wood 1994, Gregory II, 9) A new king Gundioc, or Gunderic, presumed to be Gundahar's son, appears to have reigned from his father's death. Gondioc (also called Gundioc, Condiaco, Candiacus and Gundowech, died 473 was King of Burgundy following the destruction of (Drew, p. 1) In all, eight Burgundian kings of the house of Gundahar ruled until the kingdom was overrun by the Franks in 534.

As allies of Rome in its last decades, the Burgundians fought alongside Aëtius and a confederation of Visigoths and others in the battle against Attila at the Battle of Chalons (also called "The Battle of the Catalaunian Fields") in 451. Aëtius is also the name of several other persons Flavius Aëtius or simply Aëtius, (c Events By Place Western Roman Empire April 7 — The Huns sack Metz. The alliance between Burgundians and Visigoths seems to have been strong, as Gundioc and his brother Chilperic I accompanied Theodoric II to Spain to fight the Sueves in 455. Theodoric II (in Spanish and Portuguese Teodorico) murdered his older brother Thorismund to become king of the Visigoths in 453 Events By Place Western Roman Empire March 16 — Valentinian III is murdered by former soldiers of Aëtius, in revenge (Jordanes, Getica, 231)

Aspirations to the Empire

Also in 455, an ambiguous reference infidoque tibi Burdundio ductu (Sidonius Apollinaris in Panegyr. For the Franco-Irish saint see Sidonius of Saint-Saëns. Gaius Sollius (Modestus Apollinaris Sidonius or Saint Sidonius Apollinaris Avit. 442. ) implicates an unnamed treacherous Burgundian leader in the murder of the emperor Petronius Maximus in the chaos preceding the sack of Rome by the Vandals. Flavius Anicius Petronius Maximus (c 396 - May 31 455) was a Roman aristocrat and briefly Western Roman Emperor with the designation The Patrician Ricimer is also blamed; this event marks the first indication of the link between the Burgundians and Ricimer, who was probably Gundioc's brother-in-law and Gundobad's uncle. Ricimer (c 405 &ndash August 18, 472) (ˈrikimer was a Germanic general who was master of the Western Roman Empire during part of the fifth century Gundobad, Patrician of the Western Roman Empire (472-473 also became King of the Burgundians (473-516 after his father Gundioc of Burgundy (John Malalas, 374)

The Burgundians, apparently confident in their growing power, negotiated in 456 a territorial expansion and power sharing arrangement with the local Roman senators. Events By Place Western Roman Empire Capua is destroyed by the Vandals. (Marius of Avenches)

In 457, Ricimer overthrew another emperor, Avitus, raising Majorian to the throne. Events By Place Western Roman Empire Majorian is declared emperor by Ricimer. This article is about the Roman Emperor For the poet see Avitus of Vienne. Iulius Valerius Maiorianus (November 420 - 7 August 461) commonly known as Majorian, was Western Roman Emperor (457 This new emperor proved unhelpful to Ricimer and the Burgundians. The year after his ascension, Majorian stripped the Burgundians of the lands they had acquired two years earlier. After showing further signs of independence, he was murdered by Ricimer in 461. Events By Place Western Roman Empire August 2 — Majorian resigns as Emperor shortly afterwards Libius Severus

Ten years later, in 472, Ricimer–who was by now the son-in-law of the Western Emperor Anthemius–was plotting with Gundobad to kill his father-in-law; Gundobad beheaded the emperor (apparently personally). Events By Place Western Roman Empire Relations between Emperor Anthemius and general Ricimer deteriorate completely See Anthemius of Tralles for an architect of Hagia Sophia. For the Praetorian prefect and grandfather of the Emperor see Anthemius (praetorian prefect (Chronica Gallica 511; John of Antioch, fr. 209; Jordanes, Getica, 239) Ricimer then appointed Olybrius; both died, surprisingly of natural causes, within a few months. Flavius Anicius Olybrius, Western Roman Emperor with the designation and name Dominus Noster Flavius Anicius Olybrius Augustus from March 23 or July Gundobad seems then to have succeeded his uncle as Patrician and king-maker, and raised Glycerius to the throne. Glycerius (c 420 - after 480 was one of the last of the Western Roman Emperors (reigned 473-474 and later served as a bishop in the early Catholic Church (Marius of Avenches; John of Antioch, fr. 209)

In 474, Burgundian influence over the empire seems to have ended. Events By Place Western Roman Empire Julius Nepos becomes western Roman Emperor, deposing Glycerius. Glycerius was deposed in favor of Julius Nepos, and Gundobad returned to Burgundy, presumably at the death of his father Gundioc. Julius Nepos (c 430–480 was a Western Roman Emperor (474–475 or –480 during the last stage of the Western Roman Empire. At this time or shortly afterward, the Burgundian kingdom was divided between Gundobad and his brothers, Godigisel, Chilperic II, and Gundomar I. (Gregory, II, 28)

Consolidation of the Kingdom

According to Gregory of Tours, the years following Gundobad's return to Burgundy saw a bloody consolidation of power. Saint Gregory of Tours ( November 30, c 538 &ndash November 17, 594) was a Gallo-Roman historian and bishop of Tours Gregory states that Gundobad murdered his brother Chilperic, drowning his wife and exiling their daughters (one of whom was to become the wife of Clovis the Frank, and was reputedly responsible for his conversion). The Franks or Frankish people (Franci or gens Francorum) were West Germanic tribes first identified in the 3rd century as an Ethnic group [1] This is contested by, e. g. , Bury, who points out problems in much of Gregory's chronology for the events.

C. 500, when Gundobad and Clovis were at war, Gundobad appears to have been betrayed by his brother Godegisel, who joined the Franks; together Godegisel's and Clovis' forces "crushed the army of Gundobad. Events By Place Europe Possible date for the Battle of Mons Badonicus: Romano-British and Celts defeat an Anglo-Saxon " (Marius a. 500; Gregory, II, 32) Gundobad was temporarily holed up in Avignon, but was able to re-muster his army and sacked Vienne, where Godegisel and many of his followers were put to death. From this point, Gundobad appears to have been the sole king of Burgundy. (e. g. , Gregory, II, 33) This would imply that his brother Gundomar was already dead, though there are no specific mentions of the event in the sources.

Either Gundobad and Clovis reconciled their differences, or Gundobad was forced into some sort of vassalage by Clovis' earlier victory, as the Burgundian king appears to have assisted the Franks in 507 in their victory over Alaric II the Visigoth. For the area code see Area code 507 Events By Place Europe Battle of Vouillé: Clovis I Alaric II, also known as Alarik Alarich and Alarico in Spanish and Portuguese or Alaricus in Latin (d

During the upheaval, sometime between 483-501, Gundobad began to set forth the Lex Gundobada (see below), issuing roughly the first half, which drew upon the Lex Visigothorum. Events By Place Byzantine Empire Due to Zeno I 's Monophysite sympathies general Illus and Verina, mother-in-law Events By Place Asia Qi He Di succeeds Qi Dong Hun Hou as ruler of the Chinese Southern Qi Dynasty. (Drew, p. 1) Following his consolidation of power, between 501 and his death in 516, Gundobad issued the second half of his law, which was more originally Burgundian. Events By Place Europe Sigismund, son of Gundobad becomes king of Burgundy.

The Fall of the Second Kingdom

The Burgundians were extending their power over southeastern Gaul; that is, northern Italy, western Switzerland, and southeastern France. Gaul (Gallia was the Roman name for the region of Western Europe comprising present day northern Italy, France, Belgium, western Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. In 493 Clovis, king of the Franks, married the Burgundian princess Clotilda (daughter of Chilperic), who converted him to the Catholic faith. Clovis I (c 466 &ndash 27 November 511) was the first King of the Franks to unite all the Frankish tribes under one ruler Saint Clotilde (475 – 545 also known as Clotilda or simply Clotild, was the daughter of Chilperic II of Burgundy and Caretena and wife of the Frankish

At first allies with Clovis' Franks against the Visigoths in the early 6th century, the Burgundians were eventually conquered by the Franks in 534. Clovis I (c 466 &ndash 27 November 511) was the first King of the Franks to unite all the Frankish tribes under one ruler The Franks or Frankish people (Franci or gens Francorum) were West Germanic tribes first identified in the 3rd century as an Ethnic group The Visigoths (Visigothi, Wisigothi, Vesi, Visi, Wesi, or Wisi were one of two main branches of the Goths, an East The 6th century is the period from 501 to 600 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian / Common Era. Events By Place Byzantine Empire January 1 — Decimus Theodorius Paulinus is appointed Consul (the last to hold this The Burgundian kingdom was made part of the Merovingian kingdoms, and the Burgundians themselves were by and large absorbed as well. The Merovingians (also Merovings) were a Salian Frankish dynasty that came to rule the Franks in a region (known as Francia in Latin

The Burgundian Laws

The Burgundians left three legal codes, among the earliest from any of the Germanic tribes. A Code is a type of legislation that purports to exhaustively cover a complete system of laws or a particular area of law as it existed at the time the code was enacted by a

The Liber Consitutionum sive Lex Gundobada (The Book of the Constitution following the Law of Gundobad), also known as the Lex Burgundionum, or more simply the Lex Gundobada or the Liber, was issued in several parts between 483 and 516, principally by Gundobad, but also by his son, Sigismund. The Lex Burgundionum ( Burgundian Laws, also lex gundobada or loi gombette) refers to the Law code of the Burgundians, probably (Drew, p. 6-7) It was a record of Burgundian customary law and is typical of the many Germanic law codes from this period. In particular, the Liber borrowed from the Lex Visigothorum (Drew, p. The Visigothic Code ( Latin, Forum Iudicum or Liber Judiciorum; Spanish, Libro de los Juicios) comprises a set 6) and influenced the later Lex Ribuaria. The Lex Ripuaria is a 7th century collection of Germanic law, the laws of the Ripuarian Franks. (Rivers, p. 9) The Liber is one of the primary sources for contemporary Burgundian life, as well as the history of its kings.

Like many of the Germanic tribes, the Burgundians' legal traditions allowed the application of separate laws for separate ethnicities. Thus, in addition to the Lex Gundobada, Gundobad also issued (or codified) a set of laws for Roman subjects of the Burgundian kingdom, the Lex Romana Burgundionum (The Roman Law of the Burgundians). The Lex Burgundionum ( Burgundian Laws, also lex gundobada or loi gombette) refers to the Law code of the Burgundians, probably

In addition to the above codes, Gundobad's son Sigismund later published the Prima Constitutio.

Origin of Burgundy

see also Bornholm

The name of the Burgundians has since remained connected to the area of modern France that still bears their name: see the later history of Burgundy. Bornholm (b̥ʌnˈhʌlˀm or [bɔʀnˈhɔlˀm]) ( Old Norse: Burgundarholm ' is a Danish Island in the Baltic Sea located Burgundy (Bourgogne Burgund is a region historically situated in modern-day France and Switzerland, inhabited in turn by Celts ( Gauls) Between the 6th and 20th centuries, however, the boundaries and political connections of this area have changed frequently; none of those changes have had anything to do with the original Burgundians. The name Burgundians used here and generally used by English writers to refer to the Burgundes is a later formation and more precisely refers to the inhabitants of the territory of Burgundy which was named from the people called Burgundes. The descendants of the Burgundians today are found primarily among the French-speaking Swiss and neighbouring regions of France.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Gregory, II, 28. The following is a list of the Kings of Burgundy. Kings of the Burgundians The Burgundians had left Bornholm c Gregory's chronology of the events surrounding Clovis and Gundobad has been questioned by Bury, Shanzer, and Wood, among others. Gregory was somewhat of a Frankish apologist, and commonly discredited the enemies of Clovis by attributing to them some fairly shocking acts. As with Godegisel, he also commonly refers to the treachery of Clovis' allies, when in fact Clovis seems to have bought them off (e. g. , in the case of the Ripuarians).

References

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