Saturday, March 12, 2011

Now That Rosimund Is Dead

After they had been thus killed, the prefect Longinus sent Albsuinda with the treasure of the Langobards to Constantinople to the emperor . Some declare that Peredeo equally had come to Ravenna with Helmichis and Rosimund and from there he was sent to Constantinople with Albsuinda. And there, in a spectacle of the people, in the presence of the emperor, he killed a lion of great size. As it is reported, because he was a strong man, by order of the emperor, his eyes were torn out lest he set in motion anything of evil in the royal city. He, after some time had adapted two small knives to himself, which were hidden inside both of his sleeves. He went to the palace and promised to speak about a certain thing useful to the emperor if he was brought into his presence. To whom, the emperor sent two patricians, members of his own household, who would take up his words. When they came to Peredeo, he approached nearer to them as though he wanted to speak something to them more secretly, and he wounded them severely with the swords in both of his hands, which he had hidden. They immediately fell to the ground and died. He avenged his injuries like that very strong Samsom, being not dissimilar to him in other parts, and he killed two men, who were very useful to the emperor, for the loss of his two eyes.

Unfortunately nothing is known of the subsequent fate of Albsuinda so here ends the tale of Alboin.

7 comments:

Anachronist said...

So the girl (Albsuinda) and the riches were very silently lost...any theories what might have become of them?

Tracy said...

They tore his eyes out!!! Poor bloke. I've heard of the evil eye, but that's taking it to extremes!

The Red Witch said...

They must have held on to albsuinda to try to keep control over the Lombards. They would have married her off to someone loyal to the Byzantine empire. She must have died before she could have children. Back then there were so many ways to die.
Imagine being blinded just because you are a big, strapping fellow. But the blood feud and vengeance goes on and on. All this started because the Gepids gave refuge to a defeated member of a royal family.

The Plashing Vole said...

Eye-gouging was a wide-spread habit. If I remember correctly, the Welsh learned it from the Normans and employed it liberally.

The Red Witch said...

I remember William the Conqueror thought he was a nice guy because he didn't execute 'rebels' he only plucked out their eyes or chopped off hands or feet. I take it he didn't just deal with the defenders of Ely in this way but also dealt like this with others on Edric the Wild's band.

Anachronist said...

Yeah, a very nice guy indeed...eye-gouging as lesser evil seems to be horrible.

They must have held on to albsuinda to try to keep control over the Lombards. They would have married her off to someone loyal to the Byzantine empire. She must have died before she could have children. Back then there were so many ways to die.

I know, certainly you are right. Perhaps she died in childbirth and her child was stillborn. It opens a vista of possibilites when it comes to fiction, though.

Unknown said...

Albsuinda had to have had children as the alboin family name continued on as Alboino and still lives today...
I'd put money on there being records of her in the Vatican archives...