518 Neustria
voor Prae-uen Protohistorie, 1989); Walter Prevenier, The
Burgundian Netherlands(Cambridge: Cambridge Univer-
sity Press, 1986).
Neustria The word Neustria, or “new land,” entered
use around 642 to refer to the land of the FRANKS, who
usually called it Francia. It was applied to the western part
of three regions that made up Gaul in the sixth century
after partitions of the Merovingian kingdom and a decen-
tralization of power. Its capital was Soissons. Neustria
consisted of the lands bordered by the Loire, BRITTANY, the
English Channel, and the Meuse, the northwestern area of
the Frankish kingdom. In reality it was the heart of CLO-
VIS’s great kingdom. It encompassed the prestigious cul-
tural centers of SAINT-DENISnear Paris, Saint-Martin at
Tours, Saint-Médard at Soissons, and the towns of ROUEN
and PARIS. A more clear regional consciousness developed
later when the Neustrians considered themselves to be the
true Franks.
The Merovingian kings Clotar II (r. 613–629) and
Dagobert I (r. 629–639) reunified the Merovingian king-
dom from 613 to 639. Paris became its capital, and the
basilica of Saint-Denis became a necropolis for the Frank-
ish Merovingian family. From about 640, however, power
was exercised by a mayor of the palace. Austrasia, the
other part of the Frankish realm, eventually dominated its
western neighbor, especially after Pépin II of Heristal (d.
714) defeated the Neustrians at the Battle of Tetry in 687.
PÉPINIII THESHORTformally united the two regions in his
consecration at Saint-Denis in 754. The CAROLINGIANS
stayed in the region when not on campaign, choosing
AACHENas their capital. The area between the Seine and
the Rhine became a new royal area, Francia, or FRANCE.
Much of its territory was eventually taken over by the
Normans when they settled in NORMANDY.
Further reading:Edward James, The Franks(Oxford:
Basil Blackwell, 1988); Felice Lifshitz, The Norman Con-
quest of Pious Neustria: Historiographic Discourse and
Saintly Relics, 684–1090(Toronto: Pontifical Institute of
Mediaeval Studies, 1995); J. M. Wallace-Hadrill, The
Long-Haired Kings and Other Studies in Frankish History
(London: Methuen, 1962).
Nevsky, Alexander, Saint(Alexandr Yaroslavich)
(1220–1263)grand prince of Vladimir, Kiev, and Novgorod
Born on May 30, 1220, the son of Grand Prince Yaroslav II
of Vladimir (r. 1238–46), Alexander was elected prince of
NOVGORODin 1236 and defeated the Swedes at the Battle
of Neva in 1240. He took the name Nevsky from the site
of that battle on the banks of the Neva River. The Swedes
had invaded the region to punish Novgorod for its attacks
on their territory. In 1242 he achieved his greatest success
by destroying the Livonian TEUTONICKNIGHTSin the Bat-
tle on the Ice, fought on Lakes Peypus and Pskov. These
victories preserved Orthodox RUSSIA. Alexander foresaw
the futility of opposing the MONGOLS, who had just cap-
tured KIEV, and rendered them allegiance and tribute.
After the death of his father in 1246, Alexander was
appointed prince of Kiev, while his brother was named
grand prince of Vladimir by the Mongols. In 1252 he
replaced his brother as grand prince and appointed his
own son, Vasily, as the prince of Novgorod. As a vassal
and appeaser of the Mongols or TATARSof the Golden
Horde, Alexander assisted them in conducting their tax
census and in furthering their supremacy in northern
Russia. Since the church was left out of his revised tax
system, it ardently supported Alexander and later made
him a saint for that reason and for protecting orthodoxy.
He built extensive fortifications and enacted numerous
laws. After a period of illness and taking of monastic ton-
sure, he died on November 14/15, 1263. His reign
marked the end of resistance to the Mongols for a long
time and was followed by conflict over succession.
See alsoRUSSIA ANDRUS ́.
Further reading:S. A. Zenkovsky, ed., The Nikonian
Chronicle. Vol. 3, From the Year 1241 to the Year 1381
(Princeton, N.J.: Kingston Press, 1986); John Fennell, The
Crisis of Medieval Russia, 1200–1304(New York: Longman,
1983); Charles J. Halperin, Russia and the Golden Horde: The
Mongol Impact on Medieval Russian History(Bloomington:
Indiana University Press, 1985); Nicholas Riasanovsky, A
History of Russia,3d ed. (New York: Oxford University
Press, 1977); George Vernadsky, The Mongols and Russia
(New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 1953).Nibelungenlied (the Song of the Nibelungs, sons of
the mist) An anonymous German popular epic set in
Austro-Bavarian in several versions composed about
1200, it was one of the great and best known works of
medieval German literature. This poem had a strong
influence on subsequent literature and music.
In German mythology, the Nibelungen were the sons
of the mist and a race of dwarfs who inhabited the under-
ground world. They held a treasure that symbolized
power. The hero of this epic, Siegfried, stole their treasure
and become king of the Rhine. At the court at Worms of
the weak king of the BURGUNDIANS, Siegfried asked for
the hand of the king’s sister, Kriemhild. The story told of
Siegfried’s assistance to Gunther to win the hand of Brun-
hilde, his own marriage to Kriemhild, his murder by
Hagen, the disposal of the treasure in the Rhine,
Kriemhild’s marriage to ATTILA THEHUN(Etzel), and an
avenging slaughter at a meeting between the Burgundians
and HUNS. It was based on popular legends dating back
to the time of the invasions, when the Burgundians were
defeated by the Huns near Worms in 436. It was about
ideas of power, domination, heroic virtues, ambition,
honor, and vengeance—all issues in the feudal Germany
of the early 13th century.
See alsoICELAND ANDICELANDIC LITERATURE.