Levi Roach
Torn to Death by Horses
The Dark Queens: A Gripping Tale of Power, Ambition and Murderous Rivalry in Early Medieval France
By Shelley Puhak
Apollo 391pp £25
When Einhard sat down to write his biography of Charlemagne in the early decades of the ninth century, he decided to begin with the great emperor’s Frankish forebears. Einhard informs us that the preceding Merovingian royal line had ruled the Franks up until the time of Childeric, who’d been packed off to a monastery by Charlemagne’s father in 752. The Merovingians had, however, been kings in name only. They wore the long hair symbolic of royal office among the Franks, but all practical decisions were made by the mayors of the palace – Charlemagne’s own ancestors. When Childeric had to travel, he was carried around on a simple ox cart, like a peasant. Einhard’s message was clear: Charlemagne’s family had long been the true leaders of the Franks.
Many other sources from Charlemagne’s court confirm Einhard’s bleak picture of the late Merovingian monarchs. These were rois fainéants (do-nothing kings), or so the sources would have us believe. For far too long, historians have been willing to take these accounts at face value. Yet it’s clear that
Sign Up to our newsletter
Receive free articles, highlights from the archive, news, details of prizes, and much more.@Lit_Review
Follow Literary Review on Twitter
Twitter Feed
Don't ask about the dress code, don't talk about your spouse too much, flirt with everyone
Andrew Martin on the rules, pleasures and pitfalls of living in Paris
Andrew Martin - Bobos versus Beaufs
Andrew Martin: Bobos versus Beaufs - Impossible City: Paris in the Twenty-First Century by Simon Kuper
literaryreview.co.uk
for the latest edition of @Lit_Review I worked on some excellent pieces – @MortenHoiJensen on Kafka
@ellafox_m on @mimpathy (Honor Levy)
@profrhodrilewis on Shakespeare novels
@edcumming on Kaliane Bradley
@zoeguttenplan on @NationalTheatre's Dickens show
wrote about MY FIRST BOOK (@GrantaBooks) for @Lit_Review, a book that I think makes difficult things look very easy: