Galswintha

Gailswintha, also: Galsuintha, Galswintha, Galsuenda, Gaileswintha, Galswint (* 550, † 567 ) was a Visigothic origin francs Queen. She was a daughter of the Visigoth Athanagild and Queen Goswintha and the older sister of Brunechildis.

Her sister married Brunechildis 566 the Frankish king Sigebert I of Austrasia. Then turned Sigibert brother and rival, King Chilperic I of Neustria, at Athanagild and wooed Gailswintha. Athanagild agreed and sent his daughter to Neustria. The marriage was 567 closed. Gailswintha, however, felt unworthy of her husband treated and complained that he was not legally her the honor due. In particular, Chilperic was not willing to part with his concubine Fredegunde. Soon after the wedding was Fredegunde Gailswintha murder. Chilperich role in this act is unclear; afterwards he rose to the rank Fredegunde definitely his wife. Through these operations, a lifelong enmity between Fredegunde and Brunechildis, which have worsened the political opposition between Chilperic and Sigebert and contributed significantly to the outbreak of the Merovingian Heresy arose.

The poet Venantius Fortunatus wrote on the occasion of death Gailswinthas a funeral poem of 370 couplets that Gelesvintha elegy.

Swell

• Kurt Steinmann (ed. ): The Gelesuintha elegy Venantius Fortunatus ( Carm. VI 5). Text, translation, interpretation. Juris -Verlag, Zurich, 1975, ISBN 3-260-04015-3 ( same time: Zurich, Univ, Diss, 1976. ).