Pepin the Short was first king of the Franks of the Carolingian Dynasty, once proving his strength by killing lion and bull.

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Pepin the Short (714-768) was the son of Charles Martel, a military commander and leader under the Merovingians who then ruled in the interregnum. Pepin the Short succeeded him and became the first king of the Franks of the Carolingian Dynasty. But, because he was short, Pepin felt he had to prove himself to his subjects. As it was the custom in Frankish courts to hold animal fights, Pepin hosted one between a lion and a bull, and in the midst of the raging battle, asked his courtiers who might step in and separate the beasts. No one replied, fearing certain death. Pepin stepped in, separated the beasts, and then killed each one. he then asked, Am I not worthy to be your king? This 1915 illustration shows Pepin, after killing the lion, and preparing to do battle with the bull.

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Size: 4500px × 3441px
Photo credit: © Ivy Close Images / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
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Keywords: bull, carolingian, charles, dynasty, early, france, frank, franks, french, hero, history, kills, king, legend, lion, martel, merovingian, pepin, pepins, proves, short, strength