"I would have avenged him': Clovis's warrior response to Christ's death

I recently stumbled upon a fascinating quote from King Clovis I, the first ruler to unite all the Frankish tribes. It was about his reaction when he first heard the story of Jesus Christ's crucifixion. What caught my attention was how raw and warlike his response seemed - exactly what you'd expect from his pagan background, even though he'd converted to Christianity, a faith that we all know often preaches turning the other cheek.

Clovis became king at just 15 and spent years leading relentless military campaigns. His conversion to Christianity was a big deal for Western civilization, but it all started with his marriage to Clotilde, a devout Christian princess from Burgundy. At first, Clovis wasn't too passionate about his new faith. But then came the Battle of Tolbiac, where things looked pretty dire for him. In desperation, he called out to Clotilde's God and ended up winning. Clovis saw this as divine intervention and got baptized around 496 AD.

Clovis reaction to the crucifixion

What really made me think was the story recorded by Gregory of Tours. Apparently, when Clovis heard about the crucifixion, he blurted out: "Had I been there with my valiant Franks, I would have avenged his wrong." I found this utterly fascinating. Here's this newly Christian king, and his gut reaction is to want to avenge Christ with his warriors. It's like his old pagan self and his new Christian beliefs crashed into each other.

This reaction shows how our past can stick with us, even when we adopt new beliefs. It's as if Clovis couldn't help but see the crucifixion through the eyes of a warrior, despite his new faith preaching forgiveness. It really highlights how tricky it can be to fully embrace a new way of thinking, especially when it goes against everything you've known.

Clovis's words capture this weird mix of warrior pride and Christian devotion that was so common in the early Middle Ages. For me, it's a reminder that changing your beliefs - whether personal or cultural - is often a messy, contradictory process.

Image Source: François-Louis Dejuinne, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons