The Franks were also a Germanic tribe that had been living for some time in Northern Germany. The early Franks were, in fact, a loose confederation of tribes who shared a similar culture. Because they had not come into contact with Rome, they were still worshipping the old gods, and had not converted to Christianity.
The Franks first settled in Northern France and Belgium, but around 490 AD, the Franks became Christians under a new, young, and ambitious king named Clovis, They began to fight their way south. Clovis established the independent development of the Frankish Church, and encouraged the growth of churches and abbeys as centres of learning.
The Franks were legendary fighters. They fought with the Visigoths in 509 AD, and won. The Franks now took over all of France, except Burgundy. One of the greatest of their kings was Charlemagne. Using the strength and loyalty of his army, combined with his own leadership abilities, Charlemagne soon defeated most of the other barbarian tribes in Western Europe. He expanded the Frankish Empire to include Germany, all of France, most of Italy, and even sections of northern Spain.
The name ‘Frank’ is closely related to the word that means ‘fierce’ or ‘free’ in the Frankish language- and the Franks was indeed a fearless people!