General Notes

ema p 307 "According to Gregory of Tours, [CLOVIS] was persuaded to[conve
rt to Christianity] by his Christian wife Clotild, granddaughter of King G
undioc of Burgundy, whose son, Clodild's father, had been killed by his o
wn brother.  Clovis married her in 493, and Gregory presents his subseque
nt conversion as a desperate measure, taken in hopes of preventing the tot
al annihilation of his army by the Alemanni.   . . ."
ewh p 172 ". . . a Burgundian, Clotila, who was of the Roman communion.  T
he Burgundians in general were Arians, and Clovis' choice may have been de
liberate."
In 493 Clovis married Clothilde (Clotilda) of Burgundy (afterwards St.
Clothilde), born 475, died at Tours in 545, "the girl of the French
Vineyards". She was the daughter of Gondebaud (Chilperic II.?), King of
Burgundy.
She was Arian by religion, but with strong Roman Catholic tendencies.
This marriage was of primary importance, as the real shape of France
dated from it. It was she who led her husband to abandon his old beliefs
and embrace Christianity.
He was baptized in the 15th year of his reign at Rheims on Christmas Day
in 496, with 3,000 of his followers. When Clovis first heard the sto
Christ's crucifixion, he was so moved that he cried, "If I had been the
with my valiant Franks, I would have avenged Him."
Henceforth the Church played a decisive role in the history of the kings
of France.