Author's Notes - Three-fer

Today, we'll take the next thee entries in the Authorial Notary gloss.  As always, kids - please remember that these are written "in-universe" from the point of view of writing The Ax and the Vase, and so should not be used as sources nor complete explanations.


ARIANISM
Arianism, an early Christian faith ruled heretical by the Catholic Church, was at one time a powerful Christian cult.  The central conflict between the Arian and Catholic faiths lay in the doctrine of the Trinity, which Arians did not accept.  By Arian doctrine, the Son was considered to be a creation of The Father, divine, but not co-eternal with God Himself.  The term was sometimes used as a blanket epithet for any nontrinitarian Christian belief.

Much has been made of Clovis’ adoption of Catholicism, as opposed to the Arianism adopted by those of his peers who accepted Christianity at all—many Catholic faithful accept the tale of Clotilde’s persuasion of her husband; some posit political advantages to his conversion to the Trinitarian faith.  Whatever the case, Clovis’ religious conversion made him the first Catholic king in Europe—and his power and influence, along with the dynastic continuation of his faith, makes this choice one of profound consequence for the millennium following his rule.


ARMORICA
The Armorican Peninsula, or Brittany, was at the time of Clovis’ rule most likely experiencing an influx of Britons, which gave the region the latter name.  There is some speculation that the Catholicism adhered to by this population made Clovis a palatable leader, which could have contributed to his acquisition of this territory by treaty and only minor combat.  Like Thuringia and Tongeren, Armorica presents an example of Clovis’ willingness to forgo war—and, his pet strategy, deceit—for conquest, and to manage his increase of power administratively.


ARRAS
One of the three cities held during the reign of Clovis’ father, Childeric, Arras’ etymology is uncertain, but occupation at the site of the city dates to the Iron Age.  Arras lay southeast of Bononia, southwest of Tournai.