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History of the Franks

St Gregory of Tours, tr. Dalton, 1927

Book 5, 3. The War Against Chilperic, and Rauching’s Malice

While they were in this place,¹ certain men of Champagne assembled and marched on the city of Soissons; they drove out of the place Queen Fredegund and Chlodovech, son of Chilperic,² and sought to get the city into their power. As soon as the news reached Chilperic, he marched thither with his army, sending envoys in advance to warn them to do nothing to his injury, for it would end in destruction on both sides. But they disregarded the warning and made ready to fight. The battle was engaged, and Chilperic prevailed, scattering the enemy and laying low many a man lusty and good at need; the rest being put to flight, he entered the city of Soissons.

After these events, he began to suspect his son Merovech by reason of his union with Brunhild; these battles, he declared, were wickedly instigated by him. Wherefore he deprived him of his arms, and ordered that guards should watch him, but not as a close prisoner. He had not made up his mind what to decide about him in the future. But the real head and cause of that war was Godin. This man had abandoned Sigibert’s allegiance for that of Chilperic, who had enriched him with many gifts; when defeat befell that king in the field, he was the first to flee. Chilperic had granted him domain lands in the territory of Soissons; these were now taken back and bestowed on the church of the holy Médard. Godin soon afterwards met with a sudden death. His widow married Rauching, a man compact of all manner of vanities, puffed up with pride and insolent conceit, conducting himself towards those beneath him as one admitting no trace of humanity, raging against his people beyond all bounds of folly and malice, doing them unspeakable outrage. When a serf, according to usage, held a lighted candle before him as he sat at meat, he had his legs bared and fixed the candle tight between his shins until it burned out; the same was done when a second taper was lit, until the shins of the serf were all badly burned. If the man uttered a sound, or moved from his place, forthwith a naked sword threatened him; whereat Rauching exulted with great glee over the man’s tears. There was one who had a story that at this time two of his serfs, a man and a girl, fell in love, as will often befall. After their affection had lasted for two years or more, they fled together, and took refuge in the church. As soon as Rauching heard it, he went to the priest of the place and demanded the surrender of his two serfs, whom he professed to have forgiven. Thereupon the priest said to him: ‘Thou knowest what reverence is due to the house of God; it is not granted thee to take them back if thou promise not that they may remain in wedlock, and likewise that they be free from punishment.’ At this he stood silent a long while, pondering and doubtful what to do; but at length he turned to the priest and placing his hands upon the altar uttered this oath: ‘They shall never be put asunder by me; rather will I see that they remain united even as now. For though I was vexed that they acted without my consent, one thing I heartily approve, that the man doth not wed the maid of another lord, or the maid a man from another household.’ The priest in the simplicity of his heart believed the promise of this crafty man, and gave up the two serfs, as those whose pardon was assured. Rauching took charge of them, thanking the priest, and withdrew to his house. There he straightway bade fell a tree, and caused a section of the trunk to be split at the ends with wedges and hollowed out; a pit was then dug in the earth to the depth of three or four feet, and this hollowed trunk placed in it by his orders. The girl was laid out in it as if she were a corpse, and the man cast in upon her; then the cover was put on and the earth filled in. So he buried them alive, uttering these words: ‘I have not gone counter to my oath that these two should never be put asunder.’ News whereof being brought to the priest, he ran thither with speed, and bitterly rebuking the man, hardly won from him leave to have the earth removed. The male serf was taken out alive, but the girl was found suffocated. Such were his deeds and his perversity, for which cause he died in the manner which his life deserved, as I purpose to set forth below.³

Siggo the referendary, who had kept the seal of King Sigibert and had been summoned by King Chilperic to hold the same office as he had enjoyed in the time of his brother, now forsook Chilperic, and went over to Childebert, son of Sigibert; his property in Soissons was granted to Ansovald. Many more of those who had left King Sigibert’s kingdom to enter Chilperic’s service now withdrew from that king. Soon afterwards the wife of Siggo died; but he took to himself another.

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