Why the Turks? On the etymological method in Fredegar's account of the Trojan Franks

Abstract

This article is part of a larger project that seeks to understand the role of the etymological method in historical writings. I analyse the account of the Trojan origin of the Franks in the Chronicle of Fredegar and demonstrate that Fredegar uses the etymological method as an epistemological resource and a catalyst to the narrative, and that taking this into account sheds light on some of Fredegar's narrative choices. Particularly, the use of the etymological method explains the extraordinary association of the Franks with the Turks, which has long puzzled historians. My conclusions advocate for an inclusive and methodologically careful consideration of etymological stories to understand the internal logic of medieval historical narratives and the methods that shape their messages. My reading suggests that Fredegar's is not a story of ethnic uniqueness but a scholarly account of kinship between the peoples of Eurasia.