BRUNHIL'DA, or BRUNEHAUT, britn-lnY (c.550-613). Queen of Austrasia and the daugh ter of Athanagild. King of the Visigoths. Brunhilda was wedded to Sigibert T. of Aus trasia, while her sister, Galswintha, became the wife of Sigibert's brother, Chilperic, King of Nenstria. Fredegunda. (q.v.), the former con cubine of Chilperic, soon recovered her ascend ehey over the King and caused Galswintha to be murdered in 567. Brunhilda determined to avenge herself on Fredeguirla. and the annals of the next half-century in Gaul are filled with the bloody deeds provoked by the enmity of the two women. Brunhilda and her husband were successful at first, until Sigibert was murdered in 575 at the instigation of Fredegunda. Brun bilda herself was captured by Chilperic ; but her beauty gained over Merovig, the son of Chilperie, who made her his wife and assisted her to eseape. Slerovig was put to heath by his father, but 1:runhilda returned to Austrasia and governed in the name of her son. Childebert I. :Murders and wars continued, however, as long as Brun hilda was alive, for she exercised the real power in the kingdom, in the name of her son and grandson. Finally, the armies of Austrasia were
overthrown in 613 by Clotaire IL, son of Fre degunda; the aged Queen was taken captive and for three (lays subjected to insult and torture, then bound to a wild horse and dragged to death. Brunhilda was very beautiful, splendidly en dowed, an able ruler, religions, a founder of churches, hospitals, and monasteries; hut in her revenge she was implacable, and the wars which she brought about undermined the power of the Slerovingians.—Another is the hero ine of the Norse legend of Sigurd or Siegfried, traces of which are found in the Nibelungenlied. She is a Valkyr, and is rescued from a couch surrounded by flames, on which she lies in enchanted sleep, by Sigurd, who bears her off and marries her, but, under the influence of sorcery, forsakes her. In her jealousy Brunhilda eauses him to be murdered, and immolates herself on his funeral pyre.