Ragnachar or Ragnarius (died 509) was a

Frankish Frankish may refer to: * Franks, a Germanic tribe and their culture ** Frankish language or its modern descendants, Franconian languages * Francia, a post-Roman state in France and Germany * East Francia, the successor state to Francia in Germany ...

petty king (''regulus'') who ruled from Cambrai. According to Gregory of Tours, Ragnachar "was so unrestrained in his wantonness that he scarcely had mercy for his own near relatives".Gregory, II, 42. According to the '' Gesta episcoporum Cameracensium'', Clovis I and Ragnachar were related through Clovis's mother, Basina, a Thuringian princess.''Deeds of the Bishops of Cambrai'', (Bernard S. Bachrach, David S. Bachrach, Michael Leese, trans.), Routledge, 2017, 9781317036210
/ref> In 486, Ragnachar allied with Clovis, who was king of the

Salian Franks The Salian Franks, also called the Salians (Latin: ''Salii''; Greek: Σάλιοι, ''Salioi''), were a northwestern subgroup of the early Franks who appear in the historical record in the fourth and fifth centuries. They lived west of the Low ...

, in order to attack

Syagrius Syagrius (430 – 486 or 487 or 493–4) was a Roman general and the last ruler of a Roman rump state in northern Gaul, now called the Kingdom of Soissons. Gregory of Tours referred to him as King of the Romans. Syagrius's defeat by king Clovis ...

, the

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

ruler of the

Domain of Soissons The Kingdom or Domain of Soissons was a rump state of the Western Roman Empire in northern Gaul, between the Somme and the Seine, that lasted for some 25 years during Late Antiquity. The rulers of the rump state, notably its final ruler Syagrius, ...

. After Clovis was baptised a Christian in 496, about half of the 6,000 or so Frankish warriors who formed the armies of the various ''reguli'' refused to join him and cleaved to Ragnachar, still a traditional pagan.

Hincmar of Reims Hincmar (; ; la, Hincmarus; 806 – 21 December 882), archbishop of Reims, was a Frankish jurist and theologian, as well as the friend, advisor and propagandist of Charles the Bald. He belonged to a noble family of northern Francia. Biography Ea ...

writes in his biography of

Saint Remigius Remigius (french: Remi or ; – January 13, 533), was the Bishop of Reims and "Apostle of the Franks". On 25 December 496, he baptised Clovis I, King of the Franks. The baptism, leading to about 3000 additional converts, was an important event ...

(who baptised Clovis): "Finally, many of the army of the Franks, not yet converted to the faith, followed the king's relative Ragnachar across the Somme for some distance."Bachrach (1972), 9; Hincmar, 15: ''Multi denique de Francorum exercitu, necdum ad fidem conversi, sum regis parente Ragnario ultra Sumnam fluvium aliquandiu deguerunt, donec, Christi gratia cooperante, gloriosis potitus victoriis, eundem Ragnarium, flagitiis turpitudinum inservientem, vinctum a Francis sibi traditum, rex Hludowicus occidit et omnem Francorum populum per beatum Remigium ad fidem converti et baptizari obtinuit.''. The ''Gesta'' says that Ragnachar's unbridled lust extended even to the wives of his close associates. He also discounted the advice of his closet counselors in favor of his favorite courtier Farro. Ragnachar was reputed to divide all the gifts or food he received between himself and his favourite, and have a saying, "Enough for me and my Farro". Those thus offended plotted to be rid of Ragnachar. The opportunity arose when, in 509, the arrogant Ragnachar denied Clovis entrance into Cambrai. Clovis took advantage of the disaffection and bribed Ragnachar's military followers, his '' leudes'', with "armlets and belts hat weremade to resemble gold ut were only bronze gilded so as to deceive", and thus deprived him of his support. Clovis then went to war against him. When Ragnachar's spies came back from observing the movements of Clovis's army, they are reported to have said it was of "sufficient strength for you and your Farro". The ''leudes'' captured Ragnachar and his brother Ricchar (Riccar), while they were fleeing after their defeat in battle.Bachrach (1972), 13. They brought them, hands tied behind their backs, to Clovis. Gregory reports that Clovis asked Ragnachar: "Why have you humiliated our family in permitting yourself to be bound? It would have been better for you to die." He then killed him with an axe and told Ricchar, "If you had aided your brother, he would not have been bound", before killing Ricchar in the same way. Ragnachar's other brother, Rignomer, was later killed on Clovis's orders at Le Mans. At their death all of their family's riches and Ragnachar's kingdom passed to Clovis. When the traitorous ''leudes'' complained of having received false gold, Clovis told them that that was their payment for betraying their lord, and that they should be grateful they still had their lives. Hincmar's account of Ragnachar continues with his subsequent defeat, noting that the ''leudes'' followed him "until, the grace of Christ cooperating, the glorious victory obtained, that same Ragnachar, submitting to the shame of baseness, was bound by his own Franks to be handed over; King Clovis killed him and all the people of the Franks by the Blessed Remigius were converted to the faith and received baptism".

Notes

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Bibliography

* Bachrach, Bernard. ''Merovingian Military Organization, 481–751''. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1972. *Bachrach, Bernard. "Procopius and the Chronology of Clovis's Reign," ''Viator'', 1 (1970), 21–31. *Dill, Samuel. ''Roman Society in Gaul in the Merovingian Age''. London: Macmillan, 1926. * Gregory of Tours. ''History of the Franks'', trans. E. Brehaut, Records of Civilization 2. New York: Columbia University Press, 1916. *

. "Vita Remigii episcopi Remensis", trans. B. Krusch, '' Monumenta Germaniae Historica'', ''SS r. Merov.'' 3. Hanover, 1896. * Kurth, Godefroi. ''Clovis'', I. Paris, 1896. * Wallace-Hadrill, J. M. ''The Long-Haired Kings and Other Studies in Frankish History''. London: Butler & Tanner, 1962. 6th-century Frankish kings 509 deaths Frankish warriors Year of birth unknown 6th-century executions