Charlemagne, King of France and Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire
Charlemagne, also known as Charles the Great or Charles I, founded the Carolingian Empire in France and was crowned Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire in 800 CE in Rome. During the crowning ceremony, Charlemagne lay on a red porphyry disc that survives, to this day, on the floor of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. One of our family traveled to Italy and stood on the exact spot where his ancestor was crowned more than 1,200 years ago.
The Bonner lineage to Charlemagne passes through Nancy Bates, daughter of Sir Ralph Bates of Millboune & Hallowell and his wife Lady Anne Ellison. This lineage is detailed in the Royal Bonner Lines of England & France.
Saint Arnulf Of Metz, France
Our lineage to Charlemagne can be traced further back another two centuries. Saint Arnulf of Metz, France, was Charlemagne’s 3rd great-grandfather along the male line. Arnulf (French for “Arnold”) was born about 582 CE in Aquitaine, southwest France near Bordeaux. His family was politically powerful, and Arnulf became involved at a young age with the Merovingian court where he served for a number of years, eventually becoming the Bishop of Metz. He was deeply embroiled in various court power struggles and was said to be involved in the murder of Chrodoald, an important leader of the Agilolfings family. In 628, he repented for his past deeds and retired to a hermitage in the Vosges Mountains, near Metz in Eastern France, where he lived the rest of his life as a religious penitent.
Arnulf was canonized not long after his death—several miracles and legends survive him:
Legend Of Beer
A severe epidemic struck Metz, felling many of the town’s residents. Arnulf urged the people to stop drinking the town’s water and, instead, drink only the beer that the monastery had brewed. Miraculously, the epidemic ended. In retrospect, it seems obvious that the epidemic was due to a water-borne infection, but the scientific method of the Renaissance was a millennium away.
Legend Of Fire
Around the time that Arnulf resigned as Bishop of Metz, a fire broke out in the cellars of the Royal Palace. The fire grew quickly, threatening to spread to the town of Metz. Arnulf approached the raging fire, stood in its path, and said: “If God wants me to be consumed, I am in His hands…” he made the sign of the cross. At that moment, it is said, the fire receded.
Legend Of The Ring
As he grew older, Arnulf became increasingly distressed with his role in the violence that had marked the internecine battles of the royal families. One day he went to a bridge over the Moselle River, removed his Bishop’s ring, and threw it into the deep waters. He prayed for God to give him a sign of absolution by returning the ring to him. Many years later, a fisherman brought a fish to the palace for the Bishop’s dinner. When the fish was cut open, the Bishop’s ring was found in its stomach. Arnulf is said to have taken this as a sign from God—he resigned as Bishop immediately and retired to a penitent’s life in the Vosges hermitage.
Our Most Ancient Ancestor
Finally, the lineage from Charlemagne can be traced back another century to Clovis I, the first King of the Franks. This link tells the story of Clovis’s role in spreading Catholicism throughout Europe.
Shared Ancestral Line
Charlemagne, Saint Arnulf and Clovis I are all common ancestors of the Mullins and Bonner families. The Mullins family lineage to these ancients is detailed in articles about Elizabeth Johnston and Details of the Mullins Royal Lines of Scotland & France.