The Merovingian Dynasty: France's First Kings

The Merovingian Dynasty: France's First Kings

From Gone Medieval by History Hit

May 19, 2026 · 58 min · Episode 527

About this episode

Dr. Eleanor Janega and Dr. James Palmer explore the Merovingian Dynasty and its impact on medieval France.

Long-haired rulers, dynastic bloodshed, secret letters, and a kingdom built in the aftermath of empire; Dr. Eleanor Janega and Dr. James Palmer dive into the wild, Roman-adjacent world of the Merovingians. What made the first kings of France so unforgettable, and why were they later written out of the story? From myth to murder, this is the family that helped shape medieval France. MORE Why The Early Middle Ages Matter Listen on Apple Listen on Spotify The Destruction of Charlemagne's Legacy Listen on Apple Listen on Spotify Gone Medieval is presented by Dr. Eleanor Janega. Audio editor is Tim Arstall, the producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff. All music used is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds. Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week plus ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe .   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People in this episode

Host: Dr. Eleanor Janega

Guest: Dr. James Palmer

Topics covered

  • Merovingian Dynasty
  • medieval France
  • early Middle Ages
  • dynastic bloodshed
  • Roman history

Keywords

  • Merovingian
  • France
  • kings
  • history
  • dynasty
  • empire
  • bloodshed

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Gone Medieval, History Hit, Epidemic Sounds

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