Faramundus (Merovingian) Franken (abt. 370 - abt. 427)

Born about 0370 in Rhineland [uncertain]

Descendants

Died about 0427 at about age 57 in Gaul [uncertain]

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Biography

Pharamond (Faramond or Faramundus (in Latin) is supposedly the first king of all the Franks, traditionally reigning about 420-428, and an ancestor of the Merovingian dynasty.

However research from late 19th century onward suggests that he is legendary and his name used to fill in a gap in the genealogy.^[1] If he existed at all, then he might have been a chieftain or king of one tribe of the Franks with no known connection to the Merovingian kings or anyone else.

Research Notes

Early sources

The principle reason for considering him legendary is that although he appears in some 7th and 8th century documents, (and many later ones) he doesn't appear in any earlier sources, written closer to the time he would have lived.

The first mention of Faramond is in the early 7th century when his name is listed as the first king of the Franks in an early genealogy, but this genealogy has a number of errors relating to factual Frankish kings and is considered very unreliable.^[2] Nor is it likely that there would be a king of all the Franks during this time period.

The Liber Historiæ Francorum (also called Gesta regum Francorum) written about 727 gives more detail of Pharamond, calling him the son of Marcomer and father of Clodio and the first King of all the Franks However this work has a Trojan origin for the Franks, making Marcomer the son of Priam King of Troy, and his fellow king Sunno, the son of Antenor. It is the death of Sunno, that prompts Marcomer to call for a King over all the Franks and the election of his son Pharmaond (Faramundus in Latin).^[3] If nothing else this Trojan element marks the work as genealogically unreliable.

Interestingly the Chronicle of Fredegar, written in the middle of the 7th century , also has a Trojan ancestry for the Franks, and the Merovingian dynasty, but although it has more generations between Priam and Clodio, it omits Pharamond altogether.^[4]

Gregory of Tours, History of the Franks, written in the late 6th century also omits Pharamond. It does mention Marcomer as one of the Frankish leaders who led a raid across the Rhine^[5] and also Clodio, as King of the Franks^[6] but there is no connection between the two.

Nor does Pharamond appear in the Chronique de la Gaule written about 455 by Prosper d'Aquitaine (Prosper Tiro).^[7]

A further reason to consider him legendary or at least unconnected to the Merovingians, is that his name, either in full or in part, is never used as a name for any member of that family.^[8]

Later sources

He does appear in many later sources, either based on Liber Historiæ Francorum or other later works, often with more elaborate genealogies or more details about his reign for which there are no primary sources.

Aeneas Silvius Piccolomini (later Pope_Pius_II), in his history De Europa, written about circa 1450-1458, repeats the story of Pharamond, being elected king and being son of Marcomer and grandson of Priam, but does realise there is a chronological gap and calls Priam and Antenor, the descendants of the original Trojan men.^[9]

It is possibly in the Compendium sive Breviarium primi voluminis annalium sive historiarum de origine regum et gentis Francorum (or shorter version De origine gentis Francorum compendium) both by Johannes Trithemius and written about 1514 or 1515 that the list of Kings of the Franks from Priam to Clodion first appears. Most of the names are repeated a number of times, and there is no reason to consider them anything but fictitious.^[10]

In one of the books that promulgate the Merovingian descent from Jesus Christ; Bloodline of the Holy Grail: The hidden lineage of Jesus revealed, by Laurence Gardner, published in 1997, Pharamond (in this named Faramund) is the founder of several lines including the Merovingian kings, but this time his father is Frotmund (or Frimutel) equally mythical^[11]. Like many such books, it quotes no primary sources.^[12]

There are also many online genealogies and some published works that use genealogies derived from Gardner or Trithemius and any number of variations, but again none of them quote any primary sources. Works by Brian D. Starr, including The Saints Tree, and David Hughes (see in particular his ancestry of the Merovingian KIngs) are among this group.

Family Relationships

As mentioned above Liber Historiæ Francorum names his father as Marcomer, and his son as Clodion, but no other family members (though this source is unreliable even for those two relationships). However other family relationships have developed over the years, again none have any basis in fact.

Alternate fathers

Apart from Marcomer, there are some genealogies that name Sunno as his father. As mentioned Laurence Gardner names Frotmund or Frimutel as his father. In some online genealogies, Frotmund (Frimutel) is listed as the mother of Pharamond, and wife of Marcomer, presumably to be able to encompass both stories, even though neither Frotmund nor Frimutel have any feminine elements to those names.

Wives

There appear to be 2 main woman identified as his wives

1. Ymbergide, the daughter of Basogast
2. Argotta or Argote, Princess of the Scimbrian Franks, sometimes named as the daughter of ^[13]

Additional children

Both the following sons, perhaps originate with Laurence Gardner ^[14]

• Fredemundus, father of Prince Nascien I, father of Celedoin, father of Nascien II of Septimania;
• Frotmund, from whom descends the House del Acqs and the Counts of Toulouse and Sires of France

Sources

1. ↑ Kurth, p. 136
2. ↑ Pharamond - Wikipédia, l'encyclopédie libre
3. ↑ Settipani, p. 7
4. ↑ Kurth, p. 134
5. ↑ Gregory of Tours, p. 120
6. ↑ Gregory of Tours, p, 125
7. ↑ Pharamond - Wikipédia, l'encyclopédie libre
8. ↑ Settipani, p. 8
9. ↑ Piccolomini, p. ?
10. ↑ Stevens; http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/gen-medieval/1998-12/0913779688
11. ↑ Faux Mérovingiens
12. ↑ Johnson: https://sites.google.com/site/countyhistorian/descendants-of-jesus
13. ↑ Hughes (see above) names her Rosamunde
14. ↑ Johnson: https://sites.google.com/site/countyhistorian/descendants-of-jesus

• Faux Mérovingiens. (2015, 16 October). Wikipédia, l'encyclopédie libre. Retrieved from http://fr.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Faux_M%C3%A9rovingiens&oldid=119549591 : 5 December 2015..

• Gregory of Tours, (1974), The History of the Franks. (L. Thorpe, Trans.). London: Penguin Books.

• Johnson, Will, (n.d.), Descendants of Jesus. Retrieved from https://sites.google.com/site/countyhistorian/descendants-of-jesus

• Kurth, Godefroid, (1893), Histoire poétique des mérovingiens, Bruxelles: F.A. Brockhaus. Retrieved from University of Liege: Open repository and bibliography (http://orbi.ulg.ac.be/handle/2268/90792)

• Pharamond. (2015, 22 September). Wikipédia, l'encyclopédie libre. Retrieved from http://fr.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pharamond&oldid=118878116 : 3 December 2015.

• Wikipedia: Pharamond

• Settipani, Christian, (1990), The Ancestors of Charlemagne: Addenda. Retrieved from http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~medieval/addcharlENG.pdf

• Stevens, Luke, (1998, 15 December). Re: The Frank line [Gen-Medieval discussion group message]. Retrieved from http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/gen-medieval/1998-12/0913779688

• http://www.historyfiles.co.uk/FeaturesEurope/FranceKings.htm

  Pharamond (Merovingian) Franken was a member of aristocracy in ancient Europe. Join: Medieval Project Discuss: medieval