Aldager Agilofinges

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Adalger I Agilofinges was a member of aristocracy in ancient Europe. Join: Medieval Project Discuss: medieval

Biography

Adalger or Adalgerius is supposedly a leader or king of one of the Germanic tribes in the late fifth century and founder of the Agilolfing dynasty, but he is not mentioned in any medieval texts, nor is he found in any later credible or scholarly sources and he must be considered legendary.

He is mentioned in the Cosmographie of Peter Heylyn published in 1652^[1] but he may have originated in an earlier publication.

In Heylyn's work, Adalger is the last, but only named king, of a German tribe called the Bojarians and he was slain supporting the Alemanni in a battle against the Franks,

"Aldigerius (and he the last of that race) slain, fighting on the side of the Almans against the French, at the great battell of Zulp, near Colen ...."p. 71. ^[1]

Although there was a Battle between the Franks under Clovis I and the Alamanni at Zülpich or Tolbiac,^[2] none of the leaders of the Alamanni are named in the earliest version by Gregory of Tours^[3]

Gregory of Tours, places the date of the battle in the 15th year of the reign of Clovis I or 496^[3] but Heylyn implies this occurred in 493.^[1]. However more recent research states the date is unknown and could be as late as 506.^[2]

Heylyn also has Aldigerius as the father of Theodo I,^[1] who is considered as the first Agilolfing Duke of Bavaria, although sometimes he is also considered as legendary.^[4]

Later sources

Anderson in his Royal Genealogies, published in London in 1732^[5] basically quotes Heylyn but interestingly Hübner's very similar German publication from 1712, whom Anderson effectively copies for some genealogies, doesn't mention Aldiger but starts the Agilolfingischen with Theodo I.^[6]

Online genealogies or books published using only online sources add extra details, origin unknown, such as a father for Adalger, named Hanno Velphio, King of the Alamannians, who is also legendary and dates of birth and alternate dates of death. Some of these would make Adalger 95 years when he died (born 415, died 508) which would be highly unlikely in the 5th or 6th centuries. There are also exact dates of birth and death (23 Nov 415 - 7 May 508) which are also rarely known in this time period.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3} Heylyn, Peter, Cosmographie in four bookes : containing the chorographie and historie of the whole vvorld, and all the principall kingdomes, provinces, seas and isles thereof, vol 2, pp. 71-72, London: Henry Seile, 1652. Digitised by Text Creation Partnership, University of Michigan Library, https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A43514.0001.001/1:13.2.7?rgn=div3;view=fulltext : accessed 27 May 2021.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Wikipedia contributors, "Battle of Tolbiac," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Battle_of_Tolbiac&oldid=1018286167 (accessed May 27, 2021).
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Gregory of Tours, The History of the Franks, translated by Lewis Thorpe, London: Penguin Books, 1974. Bk 2, chap 30, p. 143.
4. ↑ „Theodo“. In: Wikipedia, Die freie Enzyklopädie. Bearbeitungsstand: 28. Oktober 2017, 11:54 UTC. URL: https://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Theodo&oldid=170410420 (Abgerufen: 27. Mai 2021, 08:45 UTC)
5. ↑ Anderson, James, Royal Genealogies : Or, the Genealogical Tables of Emperors, Kings and Princes, from Adam to These Times, London: James Bettenham, 1732. p. 500. Digital image, (image 486 of 820), Google Books https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=yrqeY839bMwC&printsec=frontcover&pg=GBS.PA500 : accessed 27 May 2021.
6. ↑ Hübner, Johann, Drey hundert und drey und dreyßig Genealogische Tabellen, Nebst denen darzu gehörigen Genealogischen Fragen, Zur Erläuterung Der Politischen Historie, Mit sonderbahrem Fleiße zusammen getragen, Und vom Anfange biß auf diesen Tag continuiret, vol. 1, 2nd ed, Leipzig, 1712. Table 131. Digital image (image 111 of 325), Google Books, https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=RCJ_8oMJI8sC&pg=GBS.PA131 : accessed 27 May 2021.