he Merovingian centuries were a foundational period in the historical consciousness of western Europe. The memory of the first dynasty of Frankish kings, their origin myths, accomplishments, and failures were used by generations of chroniclers, propagandists, and historians to justify a wide range of social and political agendas. The process of curating and editing the source material gave rise to a recognizable ’Merovingian narrative’ with three distinct phases: meteoric ascent, stasis, and decline. Already in the seventh-century Chronicle of Fredegar, this tripartite model was invoked by a Merovingian queen to prophesy the fate of her descendants. This expert commentary sets out to understand how the story of the Merovingians was shaped through a process of continuous historiographical adaptation. It examines authors from across a millennium of historical writing and analyzes their influences and objectives, charting the often-unexpected ways in which their narratives were received and developed.

Covers a millennium of historical composition, from the sixth to the sixteenth centuries
Reveals how generations of historians moulded their own stories on Merovingian history
Sheds light on the formation of historical myths.

Introduction
1. Trojans, sea-monsters, and long-haired kings: from Priam to Childeric
2. Capud victuriarum vestrarum Chlodovechus
3. Taedit me memorare: the middle Merovingians
4. Omni ecclesiastica dignitate nobilitavit: ’Good King Dagobert’
5. Regibus solo nomine regnantibus: the Late Merovingians
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