The Long-Haired Kings

Abstract This chapter argues that the relationship between Christianity and kingship in the Merovingian kingdoms developed throughout the sixth and seventh centuries, becoming part of the political discourse surrounding how elite consent was given to rulers. It suggests a secular sacrality related to religious diversity existed during the reigns of the first Frankish Christian kings. The bishops of Gaul promoted an understanding of Christian rule as pastoral and caring for subjects, while influences coming from Constantinople encouraged Frankish kings to assert their Christianity more aggressively. Long years of civil war inspired a series of political and religious experiments by royal elites such as Guntram and Radegund that rendered monasticism, the liturgy, and Christian devotion important ways that individual Merovingians could compete for support. Christianity’s main role in political discourse came to be as a means for talking about how kings served their subjects, although the dynastic nature of Frankish kingship limited its significance.