ROMILLE DE PARRIOUL — Wikipedia

Romilda by Frioul (born around 575 – died in 610), was a noble Lombard from Italy, wife of Gisulf  II , lead by the fried ( c. 590 – 610) under the reign of King Agilulf. She went to posterity thanks to the story of Paul Diacre, author at the end of VIII ^{It is} century of a history of the Lombard people.

Romilda is probably Garibald’s daughter, first ^is Duke of Bavaria, and the Lombard Princess Waldrada ^{[ first ]} .

In 610, during an stingy invasion in the N.-E. From the Lombard kingdom, Romilda lost her husband, the Duke Gisulf  II , which was massacred with most of its men after having worked boldly against the invaders, superiors in number and led by Khagan Behind II . She took refuge with women and children in the fortified place of Cividale ( Market Julius ), capital of the Duchy of Frioul, soon joined by the surviving Lombard warriors. As for the Avars, they arrived in front of Cividale after having ravaged the frioul and put the blockade in front of the fortress.

From the top of the Cividale walls, Romilda observed the Khagan Avaar in arms and large crew which went around the besieged city, student on what side his troops could attack. The young and flourishing seeing, she made him know by a messenger that if he married him, she would give him the city with all those who were there. Bayan II accepted and undertook to take her in marriage. Romilda, against the opinion of the people, therefore had the doors of the fortified place opened; Entering the city, the Cavaliers Avars put Cividale with a bag, which they burned after having slavped all the inhabitants who had survived violence. Romilda, her eight children and the inhabitants of Cividale enslaved were taken prisoners by Bayan II In pannonia, in the “ring”, the fortified capital of the Avars located in current Hungary.

Romilda, the “damn infamous” ( harlot nefarious ) as Paul had designated it in his History of Lombards ^{[ 2 ]} , spent one night with the khagan, as if they were husband and woman, because of the oath he had promised him during the siege of Cividale, but he delivered it immediately after twelve Avars warriors who violated her one after the other. After Romilda had to undergo this collective rape, Bayan II had a post in the middle of the royal camp and ordered it to impact it, adding these words of stigma: “This is the husband you deserve!” ».

The young sons of Romilda (two children and two adolescents), managed to seize two horses, escaped from the Avar camp and returned to Italy. The girls were trapped in Bayan II And were later sold in various countries such as slaves, concubines or wives.

Paul Diacre seems to have been inspired by the myth of Tarpeia.

Romilda eut du du Gisulf  II frioul Eight children, four sons and four daughters:

• Tasso, who will become Duke of Frioul with his brother Cacco;
• Cacco, who will become Duke of Frioul jointly with his brother Taso;
• Radoald, who will become Duke of Bénévent;
• Grimald, who will become Duke of Bénévent then king of the Lombards;
• Appa, which, captured during the invasion of 610 by the Avars, is sold by the latter and marries the Duke of Alamans;
• Gaila, who suffers the same fate as her sister and marries a Bavarian prince;
• A girl, who suffers the same fate as her sisters;
• A girl, who suffers the same fate as her sisters.

Sources [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

external links [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

• (in) Charles Cawley, «  Romilda  » sur Medieval Lands, Foundation for Medieval Genealogy, 2006-2016.
• ‘ Romhild and Grimoald Children  », In: German evenings; Chronicles, Tales, Traditions and popular beliefs , by Grimm. Printing of Mme Huzard, Paris, 1838, pp. 58-60 .