1974 The Franks - part
The Franks
A Critical Study in Christianisation and Imperialism [PDF]
- Original Dutch: Karel De Frank “De Groote”?
- by F.J. Los, M.A., Ph.D.
- Translated into English by John P. Wardle
- Printed in England by Historical Review Press
- Chapel Ascote, Ladbroke, Southam, Warwickshire
- Publication of the Foundation “The Northern League”,
- P.O.B. 1796, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Author’s biography
[2]
Contents/ Plates/ Maps
[3]
Foreword to the original Dutch edition
[5]
Preface for the English edition
[7] When the plan of this book was crystallising in the mind of its author, a revival of Nordic-Germanic self-awareness seemed to be dawning. The centre of this movement was in Germany, but although it found an echo among the minor Germanic peoples of the European continent, it was hemmed in its spreading by unfavourable circumstances. The political antagonism between the leading Nordic-Germanic nations made it at that time improbable right from the start, that it would ever meet with a response from our Anglosaxon brotherfolks over the seas.
A world-catastrophe has passed since, and political circumstances are thoroughly changed. A war which has exhausted the forces and greatly reduced the power of the leading Germanic nations of Europe, has brought this continent onto the verge of destruction, while it has deprived the Nordic race of its dominant position all over the world. As a consequence of this internecine and devastating war — that was in the full sense of the word mainly a war between brother-folks — half Europe is at present occupied by an alien and half-Asiatic power, while the Nordic race, threatened by hostile forces from without and within, is everywhere thrown on the defensive.
To withstand the enormously increased power of Asiatic communism, seconded as it is by the “rising tide of colour” — to use an expression of a well known and far-seeing American author — most Western nations have united in a great alliance, to avert, if possible, their subjugation which would result in the total eclipse of Western culture. What makes the politics of these nations uncertain and unsuccessful however, is the blindness of their leading politicians to the significance of Race which makes them ignore in their doings the predominant Nordic and Germanic character of their peoples.
Greater still is the danger which threatens the Western peoples from within. This danger originates from the fact that these same politicians are, for a considerable part, aliens in respect of the soul of the Western culture, in which they cannot share, while nearly all of them are hating the Nordic race, the main producer and bearer of this culture. Striving to dilute and obliterate this race by a wholesale and thoroughgoing mongrelisation, they adhere to the obsolete ideal of “democracy” which originated in the antiquated equality idea.
As a result of the prevailing ideology, the Nordic element has lost its leadership of the Germanic nations, while at the same time and as a direct consequence thereof a phenomenon has become apparent which has justly been dubbed by another American writer, who ended tragically, as Culture distortion. Our Western culture is seriously ill and is degenerating in a terrifying manner, having come under the custody of men who are inwardly indifferent or even hostile to it, and whose mental and moral attitude differs too much from that of its creators.
[8] Culture distortion is however of olden date. As will be expounded in this book, it existed already from the sixth century onwards in the kingdom of the Franks and ever since that time the Nordic race has been struggling against tendencies in that direction. Although at present the situation is in this respect more serious than ever, there are, especially in the Anglosaxon countries, signs of an awakening of Nordic self-awareness and this revival of the race-soul, which is no longer confined to the homeland of the Germanic peoples, is our only hope for the future. If the English edition of this book could contribute a little to this Nordic renaissance, the writer would think it to be the best reward for his troubles.
To conclude with, he has to express his thanks to his friend, Mr. Jan Kruls in Amsterdam, who took the initiative in the translation of this book and sponsored its English edition. No less is he obliged to Mr. John P. Wardle in Dusseldorf, who effectuated the difficult task of translation in a short time, nonetheless in an excellent manner.*
Oostburg, Holland, Haymoon 1968. / The Author.
- Note: The translator, as an expert in Germanic languages, had the intention to use many real Anglosaxon words instead of words of French origin, which came later into the English language.
chapter one — The migration of Germanic peoples and its consequences
[9]
Comparative survey of the history of the Frankish kingdom and of the christianisation of the West-Teutons
[105-112]
| Rise and downfall of the Merovingians | Subjugation of the free Teutons | Salient facts from the history of the West-Teuton conversion |
|---|---|---|
| [481-511] Chlodwig 486 — Syagrius defeated at Soissons. [500-510] — Forming of the Greater Frankish Kingdom. 500 — The Burgundians beaten at Dijon; they become tributary. 507 — The Visigoths beaten at Vouglé; the kingdom extended to the Garonne. 511 — Partitioning of the Kingdom among Chlodwig’s four sons. 532 — Total subjection of the Burgundians. 558-561 — Re-unification of the Kingdom under Lothar I, followed by a new partitioning. Austrasia (=Eastland), Neustria (=New Austria) and Burgundy are from now on the foremost parts of the kingdom, while Aquitania becomes a separate and half-autonomous dukedom. |
496 — Chlodwig defeats the Allemans and partly subjects them. 531 — Theoderic and Lothar, his sons, defeat the Thuringians and annex their territory. 536 or 538? — Theodebert, his grandson, completes the subjection of the Allemans (in Rhaetia), and probably also of the Thuringians. Round about the same time, the Bavarians are made tributary. From now on, Bavaria and Thuringia come under Christian dukes. (In Bavaria the Agilolfings, most likely a Frankish dynasty). |
1. The Conversion of the Franks themselves. 496 — Chlodwig has himself baptised by Remigius. Political considerations overweigh in his conversion to Roman Catholicism. (Backing from the Church in his founding of the Great Frankish Kingdom. Treachery of the Roman Catholic bishops towards their Burgundian and Visigothic Arian masters). 511 — In order to break the resistance of the free yeomen and of a part of the nobility, Chlodwig gives the priests leave to wipe out heathendom and assists them therein by endowment of land. Even so, Christianity had still made little progress at his death. Under the reign of his sons begins the savage destruction of all Germanic halidoms and symbols in which the State supported the priests with armed might. |
| Downfall of the Merovingians and rise of the Carolingians (Arnulfings) | Subjugation of the free Teutons | Salient facts from the history of the West-Teuton conversion |
|---|---|---|
| 613 — Arnulf of Metz and Pepin the Elder treacherously deliver their queen, Brunhilda, over into the hands of her arch-foe Lothar of Neustria. Entry of the Carolingians into History. 613-628 — Lothar II reunifies the whole kingdom. His victory is essentially a triumph of the serving-nobility, to whom [in 614] at the diet of Paris he is forced to grant farreaching privileges. 622 — Dagobert, king of Austrasia; Pepin the Elder his majordomus. 628-638 — Dagobert, in complete power. As the last deed-mighty Merovingian, he banished Pepin from his court. Some years later, he appoints the latter’s son-in-law, Ansegisil, major-domus of Austrasia. After Dagobert's death, begins for the Carolingians a time of vicissitude. The house-mayors of the three provinces feud among each other to the death, appearing now as the representatives of kinghood and now as the tools of the serving-nobility. For a time the Carolingians fade, even completely, into the background. 687 — The battle of Tertri; Pepin of Heristal, a son of Ansegisil, defeats the house-mayor of Neustria and then has him put to death. Re-establishment of imperial unity. 687-714 — Pepin of Heristal becomes house-mayor over the entire kingdom. He calis himself “duke and prince of the Franks”, and names his grandson of tender years as his successor, which gives rise to a new civil war. |
In connection with the weakening of the Frankish kingdom, it is not until towards the end of this period that a revision of the frontiers takes place. For the time being, it calls for the greatest endeavours to keep the border-lands under control. c.630 — Dagobert sustains a defeat at the hands of the Slavs, so forcing him to make renewed concessions to the Austrasian serving-nobility (the nomination of Ansegisil!). 689 — The battle of Dorestad. Radbod (679-719) has to yield Western Frisia from the Sincfal to the Flie. Pepin carries on the struggle against the Allemans. |
2. The Irish-‘‘Frankish” mission The Frankish brand of Christianity is so lukewarm and superficial that the work of conversion among the heathens is soon taken over by aliens — the Irish. The secularisation of the Frankish priesthood causes their preaching to be directed in the first place towards those Christians dwelling within the kingdom; only later do the Irish turn towards the heathens in the off-lying lands. The so-called “Frankish” helpers, whom they find, are, for the greater part, native Romanics from Gaul. Further characteristics of this mission are: 1. It does not emanate from Rome, but from a monkhood, independent of Rome, which has its base in Ireland. 2. It forgoes thereby the support of the mighty Roman Catholic hierarchy, with which it at length clashes. 3. Nonetheless, it preaches asceticism and penance and deviates only on minor issues from customs and teachings of Roman Catholicism. 4. Although not averse to the use of force, it was supported less powerfully by worldly authority than the later Anglo-Saxon mission, and meets thus with less resistance. In the Frankish kingdom, the Irish monkhood reaches its peak of power at the Synod of Chalon which adopts certain basic principles of the Irish mission, such as penitence, confession and celibacy. In the dependent Germanic lands, Allemania, Bavaria and Thuringia, the preaching of these monks finds support among: 1.The Romanic folk-remnants (in Bavaria called ‘“Walchen”), who had been left behind in the first two above-named lands; 2. the bishoprics which had persisted in these lands from Roman times and 3. the ruling ducal families (in Bavaria, the Catholic Agilolfings). In Thuringia, their evangelism is facilitated, moreover, by the moral aftermath of a crushing defeat (at Burgscheidungen, 531). The most outstanding of these Irish or “Frankish” gospellers are: 615 — Columba (the Younger), and Gallus, who preach among the Allemans around Lake Constance. c.630 — Amandus, who, with the powerful backing of Dagobert, converts the Flemings. c.640 — Eligius who, as bishop of Noyon, preaches among Saxons and Swabians. c.680 — Kilian, who appears in the Main region, and perhaps also in Thuringia. c.700 — Rudbert, Emmeram and Corbinian, who work in Bavaria. c.700 — Landibert, who lays waste halidoms and idols in Toxandria (= Brabant), and c.730 — Pirmin who preaches, at a somewhat later period, among the Allemans. |
| Downfall of the Merovingians and rise of the Carolingians (Arnulfings) | Subjugation of the free Teutons | Salient facts from the history of the West-Teuton conversion |
|---|---|---|
| x | y | z |
| Survey of political events | Subjugation of the free Teutons | Salient facts from the history of the West-Teuton conversion |
|---|---|---|
| x | y | z |