Aldgisl

The most detailed early medieval source telling about Aldgisla - written in the VIII century by " " ^{[3] [4]} . The “King of Frisians” Aldgils is also mentioned in the “ Church history of the people of the Angles ” of Bede Venerable ^[5] . On the basis of evidence from these sources, modern historians consider Aldgisl the first reliably known ruler of the Frisian kingdom ^{[6] [7] [8]} .

There is no reliable information about the origin of Aldgisla. In the medieval Frisian chronicles, a certain Beroald was named the father of Aldgisla, who died in a battle with the Franks during the time of King Chlothar II . Modern historians consider this evidence to be erroneous, pointing out that Beroald of the Frisian chronicles is identical with the duke Bertoald of the Frankish authors, who unanimously called him Sachs , and not a frieze ^{[9] [10] [11]} . Perhaps Aldgisl could have been the son of King Audulf , but the assumption of such kinship is based only on onomastic data ^[12] .

The exact date of Aldgisl’s gaining power over the friezes has not been established. It is assumed that he could begin to rule Frisia around the year 630, becoming the successor to King Audulf. A more precise date, the year 623, is given on the basis of the date of the death of the Duke Bertoald mentioned in the Frankish annals . It is precisely known that Aldgisl was a contemporary of the Frankish king Dagobert II . It is possible that he was able to ascend the Frisian throne only with the support of the Franks. However, the weakening of the power of the Frankish monarchs after the death of King Dagobert I , who died in 639, allowed Aldgisl to become a completely independent ruler ^{[13] [14] [15] [16]} .

The Aldgisla possessions - the so-called “Great Frisia” ( lat. Magna Frisia ) - included land east of the Vli river, that is, the North Sea coast from Brugge to Weser , as well as the East Frisian Islands . In the south, the border ran along Lower Maas and Baal ^[13] . The capital of the Frisian kingdom under Aldgisla may have been located in Utrecht or Dorestad ^{[8] [16]} .

Medieval authors report various information about what title Aldgisl wore: Trouble the Venerable and Frisian historians endow this ruler with a royal title ( lat. Rex ), while in the Frankish annals all frieze rulers are called only dukes ( lat. Dux ). Modern scholars are more inclined to support the approval of Bede Venerable about the royal dignity of Aldgisl, considering the opinion of Frankish sources regarding the title of Frisian rulers to be biased ^{[16] [17] [18] [19]} . Perhaps Aldgisl, as well as his successor Radbod , bore the title of “kuning” ^[20] .

The Frisian traditions described Aldgisl as a peace-loving and just ruler who did a lot for the prosperity of the Frisian kingdom. In particular, this monarch was credited with the publication of laws, the establishment of new cities, the drainage of coastal lands and the construction of dams ^[14] . According to numismatic data , around 670, under the Aldgisla, silver coins of small denomination, called began to be made in Frisia. Soon they displaced the gold coins of the Roman type inconvenient in the early medieval monetary circulation. Subsequently, such coins began to be produced in the lands adjacent to Frisia: in the Frankish state and in Britain ^{[16] [20] [21]} . The archaeological excavations carried out in Dorestad show that at about the same time this port began to develop rapidly, soon becoming one of the centers of trade of continental Europe with Anglo-Saxon Britain ^{[7] [16]} .

Wilfried, expelled from the York Archdiocese in 678, on the way to Rome to Pope Agathon, visited Frisia and was friendly received by Aldgisl. At his court in Utrecht, the exile spent several winter months. According to Stephen of Riponsky, Aldgisl contributed to the Christianization of the Frisians by the former Archbishop of York: ^{] [8] [15] [22]} . Perhaps Aldgisl was one of the first converts to the Christian faith ^[14] . About the massive conversion of the Frisians to Christianity at that time was also mentioned by the Trouble Honorable. However, the opinion of Frisia’s Christianization of Wilfried has opponents who point out that in other historical sources the conversion of Frisians to Christianity is attributed to another church leader, Saint Willibrord ^[23] .

Approximately in 678, the embassy arrived from Aldgisl from the hostile to Wilfried mayordom Neustria Ebroin , with a proposal to extradite the saints to the francs alive or dead. Despite the fact that in exchange for this, the ambassadors offered a large sum of money to the Frisian ruler, Aldgisl publicly tore up and burned the message of Ebroin. Perhaps this act of Aldgisla was caused by his opposition to the increasing Nestrian expansion to the Frisian lands. Although any Frankish-Frisian conflicts of that time are not mentioned in the early medieval annals, later sources know that in the middle of the 7th century the Franks attempted to seize some of the Frisian fortifications at the mouth of the Rhine , but failed. In another view, the reason for Aldgisl’s refusal to extradite Wilfried to Ebroin was the recognition by the governor of the Frisians of his dependence on the King of Austrasia Dagobert II, the enemy of the Neistrian majordom ^{[15] [22]} .

On the fate of Aldgisla information in medieval historical sources has not survived. It is assumed that he could die as early as 679 ^{[13] [14]} . The 16th century historian in his work The ”reported that Ritzard became the new ruler of the Frisian kingdom, owning the throne until about 690. However, modern researchers consider the evidence of the existence of this king of Frisians unreliable ^{[24] [25]} . At present, the point of view generally accepted among historians is that according to which Radbod ^{[13] [14] [15] [22]} became the new king of Frisians. It is assumed that he could have been the son of Aldgisl ^{[7] [13] [14] [15] [22]} , but there is no reliable evidence of such a relationship in medieval sources ^[12] .

The writings of Frisian historians mention Herkon, an illegitimate son of Aldgisl, but the information about him is legendary ^[26] .

• Wood I. The Merovingian Kingdoms, 450-751 . - London & New York: Longman , 1994. - 396 p. - ISBN 0-582-49372-2 .