Basina, Queen of Thuringia

Basina was queen of Thuringia in the middle of the fifth century. She left her husband king Bisinus and went to Roman Gaul. She herself took the initiative to ask for the hand of Childeric I, king of the Franks, and married him. For as she herself said, "I want to have the most powerful man in the world, even if I have to cross the ocean for him". This remark of her may have been related to Childeric's successful invasion of the Roman Empire and his attempt to settle a Frankish kingdom on Roman soil.

Basina's name is probably Low Franconian for 'female boss'. She is the mother of the man who is remembered as the founder of the Frankish realm and modern France. She (not her husband Childeric) named her son Chlodovech, but he is better remembered under his Latinized name Clovis I. The simple fact that Chlodovech's name comes from Basina is remarkable since it was a common practice for the Franks to name a son after a member of the family of the male-line of ancestors.

Through the ages historians have been intrigued by the story of Basina since she obviously acted as a player and not as bystander — which is not uncommon for the women of the Franks, but highly uncommon for the Italians.

ources

*Gregory of Tours