ABSTRACT
There are a number of crucial periods in Merovingian history when women dominate events. Indeed, the political influence of women in Francia was arguably more important than in any other early medieval state. This may seem curious given the notorious role that the Salic Law was to play in royal succession in the later Middle Ages. In fact Lex Salica is not unusual among early law codes in privileging the inheritance of land by males. It did not prevent women from owning property. The influence of royal women, however, depended not so much on their land-holdings, although these could be important, but on the opportunities afforded by the structure of Merovingian politics.
