Hermanfrid

Hermanfrid
King of the Thuringia
Reign	507–531
Predecessor	Bertachar
Died	532 Zülpich
Spouse	Amalaberga
Father	Bisinus
Mother	Basina

Hermanfrid (also Hermanifrid or Hermanafrid; Latin: Hermenfredus) was the last independent king of the Thuringii in present-day Germany. He was one of three sons of King Bessinus (or Bisinus) and the Lombard Menia (or Basina). His siblings were Baderic; Radegund (the elder), married to the Lombard king Wacho; and Bertachar.

Hermanfrid married Amalaberga, daughter of Amalafrida who was the daughter of Theodemir, between 507 and 511. Amalberga was also the niece of Theodoric the Great. It is unclear when Hermanfrid became king, but he is called king (rex thoringorum) in a letter by Theodoric dated to 507. He first shared the rule with his brothers Baderic and Bertachar, but later killed Bertachar in a battle in 529, leaving the young Radegund an orphan.

According to Gregory of Tours, Amalaberga now stirred up Hermanfrid against his remaining brother. Once she laid out only half the table for a meal, and when questioned about the reason, she told him "A king who owns only of half of his kingdom deserved to have half of his table bare." Thus roused, Hermanfrid made a pact with the king of Metz, Theuderic I, to march against Baderic. Baderic was overcome by the Franks and beheaded, but Hermanfrid refused to fulfill his obligations to Theuderic, which led to enmity between the two kings.

In 531 or 532, Theuderic, his son Theudebert I, and his brother King Clotaire I of Soissons attacked the Thuringii. The Franks won a battle near the river Unstrut and took the royal seat at Scithingi (modern Burgscheidungen). Hermanfrid managed to flee, but the Franks captured his niece Radegund (see Venantius Fortunatus, De excidio Thoringae) and his nephews.

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