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Childeric II

Character

King of Austrasia (662–673 AD)

Historical Accuracy

The Chronicle of Fredegar's continuations are the main narrative source for his reign and assassination, including the account of the public flogging of a noble named Bodilo that reportedly helped provoke the conspiracy against him. As with several later Merovingian kings, the personal detail available is limited, and this dossier's own account reflects that limitation rather than inventing embellishment.

Historical Significance

Sources: - Chronicle of Fredegar continuations — main narrative source for his reign and assassination.

Childeric II's brief reunification of the whole Frankish realm in 673, followed within two years by his assassination after harsh treatment of the Neustrian aristocracy, is a telling episode in the ongoing tension between Merovingian kings and the aristocracy whose cooperation their rule increasingly depended on — a dynamic that would only intensify as the mayors of the palace continued to gain power in the following decades.

Historical Era

662–675 AD · King of Austrasia · King of All the Franks (673–675)

Not yet featured in the novels

Novel Relevance: - Not yet directly dramatized in the manuscript chapters reviewed to date. His assassination (675) falls within Book VI's own 656–679 AD span, alongside Dagobert II's restoration and death. Timeline: - c. 653 born; 662 becomes king of Austrasia; 673 briefly reunites the whole realm; 675 assassinated with his wife Bilichild. Witch's Rebirth Canon: - Falls within Book VI's 656–679 AD span, contemporaneous with Dagobert II's restoration and assassination.

662–675 AD · King of Austrasia · King of All the Franks (673–675)

Birth: - c. 653 AD. Death: - 675 AD — assassinated, along with his pregnant wife Bilichild, while hunting in the forest of Livry. Parents: - Father: Clovis II (per most reconstructions). Reign: - Became king of Austrasia in 662, after the collapse of Grimoald's coup. Briefly reunited the whole Frankish realm in 673 on the death of his brother Chlothar III, but his harsh treatment of the Neustrian aristocracy — reportedly including the public flogging of a noble named Bodilo — provoked the conspiracy that killed him within two years.

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