Merovingians in the 5th/6th century

[Flavivs Aetivs]

I heavily agree with you regarding Osprey, as some of their "choices" are better than others in terms of what they assign to what era.

Cloisonne first appears in Hunno-Persian blades, and that's not so much Cloisonne as it is Inlaid Garnets and other gems. In the 5th century, the first true Cloisonne blade is a Gold Hilt Spatha (which began to appear about the early 5th century) found at Pouan, in France, often associated with the Battle of Chalons. I highly doubt it was from Chalons, but the possibility that it was a link between Hunnic and Frankish Cloisonne is possible.

You are right in that fashion components can change in just 100 years. Look at Roman belts - going from the wierd loop belts like the ones at Dura Europos, to Propeller Stiffeners in only 125 years. My Late Roman Belt dates to the early 5th century, and my impression is mid-5th century.

As for Merovingian Frankish, we don't have descriptions or depictions in the 5th century (for the most part.) We do have finds though of Franko-Alemannic Brooches, and other gave goods, that help us build this understanding. The Kemathen Warrior, dating to the Early 5th century, was an Alemann but his appearance was probably similar to many Franks or Burgundians at the time.

I guess what I"m trying to say is, you're right that the Osprey Images garble things together, like Jordanes.

[AlexV]

There is descriptions for "franks", and one frome Apollinaris for the ripuarians antrostjas of Sigismer in 470.
For ourselves, we have took the side of crossing the early M.A. norvegian/germanic founds and the "frankish" descriptions (dont remember the authro, maybe Apollinaris too..? saying tight sleeves, short tunic upper the knees, etc..).

Another way is according Agathias, that said some parts of the frankish troops have keeped their own clothes, he spoke about the armoricans, with +/- roman fittings..

The first cloisonné example i know for merovingians is the Childerick's grave, but it seem to have been worked near Constantinopois, certainly given by Attila or someone else during hi journey to the east between 449 and 457..

[Flavivs Aetivs]

Oh wait, I forgot about that. Hold on:

When he defended the Turoni [Tours], who feared the conflict, thou [Aetius] wast not there; but a little later ye fought together where Chlodio the Frank had overrun the helpless lands of the Atrebates [Arras]. There was a narrow passage at the junction of two ways, and a road crossed both the village of Helena, which was within bowshot, and the river, where that long but narrow path was supported by girders. Thou [Aetius] wert posted at the cross-roads, while Majorian warred as a mounted man close to the bridge itself. As chance would have it, the echoing sound of a barbarian marriage-song rang forth from a hill near the riverbank, for amid Scythian [Frankish] dance and chorus a yellowhaired bridegroom was wedding a young bride of like colour. Well, these revellers, they say, he laid low [During the celebration they laid low, i.e. an ambush]. Time after time his helmet rang with blows, and his hauberk with its protecting scales kept off the thrust of spears, until the enemy was forced to turn and flee. Then might be seen the jumbled adornments of the barbarian nuptials gleaming red in the waggons, and captured salvers and viands flung together pell-mell, and servants crowned with perfumed garlands carrying wine-bowls on their oily top-knots [Merovingian Knots?]...

[Rhetoric]

...for this youth [Majorian] likewise subdues monsters, on the crown of whose red pates lies the hair that has been drawn towards the front, while the neck, exposed by the loss of its covering, shows bright. Their eyes are faint and pale, with a glimmer of greyish blue. Their faces are shaven all round, and instead of beards they have thin moustaches which they run through with a comb. Close-fitting garments confine the tall limbs of the men; they are drawn up high so as to expose the knees, and a broad belt supports their narrow middle. It is their sport to send axes hurtling through the vast void and know beforehand where the blow will fall, to whirl their shields, to outstrip with leaps and bounds the spears they have hurled and reach the enemy first. Even in boyhood's years the love of fighting is fullgrown. Should they chance to be sore pressed by numbers or by the luck of the ground, death may overwhelm them, but not fear ; unconquerable they stand their ground, and their courage well-nigh outlives their lives. Such men did he put to flight with thee to witness and to praise.

[AlexV]

You found the text i was talking about, i think
(i only have it in french, i'm ashamed to not understand the latin and Greek.. :/ )

Some extracts are nice to see how the frankish weapons were used, as for Agathias with the Ango, at the late timeframe of ango's use in the italic wars

[Flavivs Aetivs]

There is descriptions for "franks", and one frome Apollinaris for the ripuarians antrostjas of Sigismer in 470.
For ourselves, we have took the side of crossing the early M.A. norvegian/germanic founds and the "frankish" descriptions (dont remember the authro, maybe Apollinaris too..? saying tight sleeves, short tunic upper the knees, etc..).

Another way is according Agathias, that said some parts of the frankish troops have keeped their own clothes, he spoke about the armoricans, with +/- roman fittings..

The first cloisonné example i know for merovingians is the Childerick's grave, but it seem to have been worked near Constantinopois, certainly given by Attila or someone else during hi journey to the east between 449 and 457..

As for the description of Antrusiones (the latin word), I should mention that the "Ripurians" in my view were not a group of Franks. The word Ripurian coincides perfectly with Riparienses, and it is my belief that when Jordanes, Sidonius, and Greg. of Tours all mention the Ripuarian Franks, they are actually confusing the old Rhine garrisons as an independant group of Franks.

Drinkwater in his "The Alemanni and Rome" argues that the Rhine defences had been in place for so long it would have been incredibly difficult to assimilate by the beginnings of the Barbarian groupings. Archaeological evidence shows Alemanns in Roman service in the mid 5th century on the Upper and Middle Rhine, indicating that Aetius still controlled this frontier. In reality, what was happening is that he was using Alemannic (and probably Burgindian and Frankish as well) manpower to keep the Ripenses/Riparienses units intact.

These units were certainly not "Roman" in their makeup, but were still probably the same quality and equipped similarly to the old Limitanei that manned the garrisons, even if the soldiers were now "Alemanni" or "Frankish." When Jordanes records the Riparii marching to fight with Aetius at Chalons, he is not referring to a barbarian federate group, but to barbarians manning old Roman units.

The Ripuarian Franks must have been the same thing - Franks manning Ripenses Garrisons on the Lower Rhine, loyal to Aetius. These units had to be assimilated by Clovis in the 490's, as they were completely unaware the Empire had collapsed.

As for Agathias, you wouldn't happen to have his texts? I could use them as he is a useful source on the Huns, and of course his descriptions of the Franks and Armoricans are useful for my book on the Battle of Chalons.

I have more quotes from Sidonius for you. Gotta get the passage on the war against the Burgundians describing the Salii and Franci serving in Aetius' army.

[Thomas V.]

[...] the first true Cloisonne blade is a Gold Hilt Spatha (which began to appear about the early 5th century) found at Pouan, [...]

The first, or rather one of the first? ;-) In chronological terms, the swords of Tournai, Flohnheim and Blučina don't differ from each other, according to Kurt Böhner.

[Flavivs Aetivs]

Anon thou [Avitus] didst follow Aetius, because he had learnt many a lesson from the Scythian warfare; and he [Aetius], glorious in arms though he was, did no deed without thee [Avitus], though thou didst many without him. For when he had finished with the luthungi and the war in Noricum, and had subdued the Vindelicians [430 AD], thereafter in partnership with thee did he deliver the Belgians, whom the fierce Burgundian had harassed [436 AD]. There the Herulian found in thee [Avitus] his match in fleetness, the Hun in javelin throwing, the Frank in swimming, the Sauromatian in use of shield, the Salian in marching, the Gelonian in wielding the scimitar ; and in bearing of wounds thou didst surpass any mourning barbarian to whom wailing means self-wounding and tearing the cheeks with steel and gouging the red traces of scars on his threatening face.

Here the Herulian could be the Herulii Seniores, a unit in Aetius' army, but it is also known that there were some Heruli in the Gothic kingdom of Aquitiane, who "8 ships full" attacked Gallaecia in 457.

He distinguishes between the Salians and Franks in general - this could refer to the Palatina unit the Salii, and thenk Frnakish Foederati, or Franks serving in Roman units, and Salian Foederati.

The Sauromatian is the Alanic groups of Goar and Sambida, who served the Empire loyally from 414 to 453.

[Flavivs Aetivs]

[...] the first true Cloisonne blade is a Gold Hilt Spatha (which began to appear about the early 5th century) found at Pouan, [...]

The first, or rather one of the first? ;-) In chronological terms, the swords of Tournai, Flohnheim and Blučina don't differ from each other, according to Kurt Böhner.

One of the first; I thought Blucina, Tournai, and Flohnheim dated later, to 470? Pouan dates to 450 (albeit some say 480). Either way, all of them could have been passed down over several generations and been around long before they were buried.

I believe that Cloisonne developed from Frankish exposure Hunnic Blades, especially considering the Blucina blade is from Pannonia, for example.

[Dan Howard]

Cloisonne first appears in Hunno-Persian blades.

Cloisonne first appears in the Bronze Age. There are tons of examples from all over the Aegean both for weaponry and mundane items.

[Flavivs Aetivs]

Really? I'd like to see some examples if you have some pics.

[Caballo]

One ( of many) things puzzles me. I've heard from two sources that the 5th / 6th century Merovingians did not wear cloak brooches. What's the source of this and how did they wear their cloaks?

[Flavivs Aetivs]

Umm... I highly doubt that they did not. I know some types of brooches were not worn by soldiers, but there were brooches. I in particular like this one of a fish:

[Dan Howard]

http://www.glass-on-metal.com/pastart/ea...elides.htm
http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/nenam/gom-cyprus.htm

[Thomas V.]

One ( of many) things puzzles me. I've heard from two sources that the 5th / 6th century Merovingians did not wear cloak brooches. What's the source of this and how did they wear their cloaks?

The Stuttgart Psalter depicts cloaks, that are closed by lacing. The Stuttgart Psalter might be from a later century, but it shows, that you don't need a brooch to wear a cloak.

[AlexV]

maybe roman-general fibulas, but there is no brooches found in mal graves, just feminine ones. That's why some specialists in archeology are kidding about the reenactors who wear it: it's like to be an travestite before the day :p

If you want to wear one, you must wait to the 7th, in merovgian aera of installation (Now Belgium and N-France), there is few "butterfly" ones in male graves (basically the one on the Osprey i shared), or to reenact a very hight placed officer in the late roman army..


edit:
- concerning the way to wear the cloaths: i havent any brooch, the most confortable way stays to have laces on one corner and on the middle of the top.
- for salians and ripuarians: i make the distinction because one groupe of kings/regulii seems to be placed by Julian in Toxandria, and then are quite faithfull to the romans (exept Chlogio and then CHilderic wich is banned of his "legacy" and remplaced by Aetius), and the "orthes", the ones who are attaking Treverorum several times, and who claim for Clovis's aids against the Alemanni. I don't think they are like the liminatei, some authors presents them as looters of the region during the most part of the Vth, but this is not the question there, i just linked to them for the clothes, their armament and waytofight could be different of the Salians, more romanised and including local peoples.