
The Quinotaur is a legendary sea creature described in Frankish mythology, particularly associated with the origins of the Merovingian dynasty. Its name, derived from the Latin Quinotaurus (“five-horned bull”), suggests a hybrid being with aquatic and bovine features. The Quinotaur is most famously linked to the tale of the divine conception of Meroveus, the semi-legendary founder of the Merovingian dynasty.
Attributes of the Quinotaur
Physical Appearance: The Quinotaur is often envisioned as a bull-like creature with marine characteristics, such as scales, fins, or other aquatic features. The “five-horned” aspect of its name may symbolize its divine or otherworldly nature rather than literal horns.

Divine Role: The Quinotaur is considered a symbol of fertility, transformation, and divine intervention. Its mythical act of impregnating the queen aligns with the archetypal theme of gods or heavenly beings siring heroes or leaders.

Connection to Meroveus
The legend involving the Quinotaur suggests that Meroveus, the progenitor of the Merovingian dynasty, was born of a sacred union between the Quinotaur and the queen. This narrative imbues the Merovingian lineage with a divine origin, elevating their rule as one chosen by higher powers. The myth’s blending of mortal and divine emphasizes the sacred nature of the dynasty’s claim to leadership.
Symbolism of the Quinotaur
Water and Life: As a creature associated with the sea, the Quinotaur symbolizes life, fertility, and the mysteries of creation, much like water gods in various mythologies (e.g., Enki/Ea in Mesopotamian mythology).
Divine Legitimacy: The Quinotaur’s role as a progenitor elevates the Merovingian dynasty, tying them to cosmic forces and divine destiny.
Bridge Between Realms: The Quinotaur serves as a mediator between the mortal and divine worlds, much like other hybrid creatures in myth.
Quinotaur and Enki
The Quinotaur shares symbolic parallels with Enki, the Mesopotamian god of water, creation, and wisdom:
- Water and Fertility: Enki’s association with fresh water and life echoes the Quinotaur’s role as a sea-dwelling life-giver.
- Creation and Progenitor: Enki’s creation of humanity and other life forms mirrors the Quinotaur’s role in siring the divine bloodline of Meroveus.
- Wisdom and Transformation: Both figures represent transformative power and wisdom, guiding humanity and shaping destiny.
The Quinotaur’s story can be seen as a European echo of ancient myths of divine beings interacting with humanity to bring forth leaders or establish sacred lineages. It occupies a unique place in mythology as a physical and symbolic embodiment of the union between the divine and mortal worlds.

Quinotaur as an Avatar of Enki
The Quinotaur, a mythical sea creature often described as a bull with aquatic features, symbolizes water and fertility’s mysterious and creative aspects. As an avatar of Enki, the Sumerian god of wisdom, creation, and water, the Quinotaur connects Enki’s divine attributes to European mythologies. In legend, the Quinotaur is said to have sired Meroveus, the semi-legendary founder of the Merovingian dynasty, merging holy and royal bloodlines. This connection underscores Enki’s role as a progenitor and guide of humanity.

The Quinotaur is a legendary sea creature described as a hybrid of a bull and a marine beast, often portrayed as embodying both strength and the untamed, mystical power of water. Rooted in Frankish mythology, the Quinotaur links divine beings and humanity, mirroring the Sumerian god Enki’s role as a life-giver and architect of civilization.

In Mesopotamian mythology, Enki, also known as Ea, is associated with wisdom, fertility, and water. His transformative power over the physical and spiritual realms makes him a fitting archetype for the Quinotaur, whose mysterious appearance in legends conveys nature’s primal, generative forces. In one of the most famous tales, the Quinotaur is said to have impregnated a queen who gave birth to Meroveus, the progenitor of the Merovingian dynasty. This act blends themes of divine intervention, the sacred origins of royalty, and the transmission of wisdom.

The Quinotaur’s role as an avatar of Enki highlights a cross-cultural narrative of gods who guide and interact with humanity through symbolic forms. Just as Enki bestowed gifts of knowledge and craftsmanship upon humans, the Quinotaur’s mythical union with a mortal queen symbolizes the merging of divine power with human destiny.
Stories of the Quinotaur
The Progenitor of Meroveus
According to legend, the Quinotaur emerged from the depths of the sea near the Frankish coast. One day, a queen wandered by the shore and encountered the creature. Enchanted by its mysterious aura, she was drawn to it. Their union resulted in the birth of Meroveus, who would become the forefather of the Merovingian dynasty. This story cemented the royal lineage’s divine origins, connecting them to the mysterious and transformative powers of the sea.
The Quinotaur Emerging from the Sea
Scene: The Quinotaur rises under a glowing, moonlit sky from the waves. Its scales shimmer with celestial light as the queen looks on in awe.

The Sacred Union

The Birth of Meroveus

The King Welcomes the Child

The Quinotaur Returning to the Sea

The Quinotaur Guarding Sacred Waters

The Sacred Protector of Waters


In some variations, the Quinotaur is not merely a sire but also a guardian of sacred waters. It is said to have emerged during drought, bringing rain and abundance to the land. This protective role mirrors Enki’s stewardship of life-sustaining water and his interventions on behalf of humanity.
The Lost Temple of the Quinotaur

Legends speak of an underwater temple where the Quinotaur resides, filled with treasures and wisdom. Those brave enough to seek it must pass trials that test their courage and purity of heart. Survivors are said to gain profound insights into life, echoing Enki’s role as a revealer of divine knowledge.
The Quinotaur and the Stars

Some tales link the Quinotaur to celestial phenomena, describing it as a creature that swims through the stars and the seas. These stories align with Enki’s association with cosmic order and his creation of the zodiac.
Similarities Between Enki and the Quinotaur
Water Element: Both are intrinsically tied to water as a life-giving and transformative force.
Creation and Fertility: The Quinotaur’s role in siring Meroveus parallels Enki’s role in creating humanity and bestowing fertility.
Divine Wisdom: Enki’s wisdom and the Quinotaur’s mysterious nature reflect the transmission of sacred knowledge.
Mythical Influence: Both serve as intermediaries between the divine and mortal realms, shaping human destiny.

Depending on the variation, the story of the Quinotaur mating with the king’s wife or daughter originates from Frankish mythology, particularly the semi-legendary origins of the Merovingian dynasty. While details vary, the common elements of the tale reveal a fascinating fusion of myth and royalty:

The Legend of the Quinotaur and the King’s Wife/Daughter
The Encounter by the Shore
In the myth, the king’s wife—a noblewoman of extraordinary beauty and grace—often walked along the coastline, finding solace in the rhythmic waves. One fateful day, as she strolled near the water’s edge, the sea churned and swelled, and from the depths emerged a magnificent creature: the Quinotaur. It was a being unlike any she had seen—a majestic bull-like form with glistening scales, glowing eyes, and an aura of otherworldly power.
The woman felt an inexplicable pull toward the creature. The air shimmered with divine energy, and time stood still as the Quinotaur approached her. Without words, the encounter unfolded in a dreamlike sequence, a union of mortal and divine, symbolizing the merging of two worlds. The event was later regarded as a sacred act that would forever alter the kingdom’s destiny.
The story goes that the Quinotaur, a divine or semi-divine sea creature, emerged from the waters near the kingdom. One day, the king’s wife (or, in some versions, his daughter) was walking along the shore when she encountered the mysterious creature. The Quinotaur, radiating otherworldly majesty, drew her into a mystical union. The act was described not as violence or coercion but as a sacred and transformative encounter, implying divine intervention.
Afterward, the woman bore a child, Meroveus (or Merovig), who was said to have inherited both human and divine traits. Interestingly, the king did not react with hostility or jealousy upon discovering the child’s origins. Instead, he welcomed the child as his heir, recognizing the sacred nature of the event and the child’s connection to a higher power. This acceptance suggests the king viewed the Quinotaur as a divine force whose involvement elevated the status and destiny of his lineage.
The Divine Origins of Meroveus

Long ago, in a kingdom near the restless sea, a noble queen known for her beauty and wisdom often sought solace by the shore. Her heart was heavy with unspoken desires, for she longed for her lineage to be blessed with greatness and purpose. The tides roared with an otherworldly force on one fateful night beneath a glowing, moonlit sky. The sea churned, and from its depths emerged the Quinotaur—a creature of majestic and divine power, part bull, part aquatic deity.
Mesmerized by the creature’s shimmering scales and glowing eyes, the queen felt a pull transcending mortal understanding. In the presence of the Quinotaur, time seemed to stand still, and the air was thick with divine energy. Without words, the creature and the queen formed a sacred union that would alter the course of history. The Quinotaur, as an avatar of the god Enki, had bestowed a divine gift upon the queen: the seed of a new destiny for her kingdom.

In the months that followed, the queen bore a son, Meroveus. From his birth, it was clear he was no ordinary child. His eyes sparkled with the heavens’ light, and an aura of divine wisdom surrounded him. Legends spread of his miraculous origins, and the kingdom’s people revered him as a child of the gods.
The king, though initially bewildered by the story of the Quinotaur, saw the divine signs in his son and embraced him as his heir. He declared Meroveus, the rightful progenitor of a dynasty destined to rule with wisdom and strength. This marked the beginning of the Merovingian lineage, a royal bloodline intertwined with the divine.
Meroveus became a wise and just leader, his reign marked by prosperity and enlightenment. His birth story became a cornerstone of the kingdom’s identity, blending themes of divine intervention, sacred royalty, and the transmission of wisdom through the ages.

Symbolism and Interpretation
Royal Legitimacy: The tale sanctified the Merovingian bloodline by attributing its origins to divine or supernatural forces, reinforcing the dynasty’s claim to rule by divine right.
Sacred Union: The meeting between the king’s wife/daughter and the Quinotaur can be seen as a symbolic marriage of humanity and the divine, a theme prevalent in many mythologies.
Acceptance of the Child: The king’s acceptance of Meroveus reflects an acknowledgment of divine will, an essential cultural element in societies where rulers often claimed divine endorsement.
Similarities to Enki’s Role

This myth closely mirrors Enki’s narratives in Mesopotamian mythology, where he is often depicted as a benefactor to humanity through acts of creation and intervention. Just as the Quinotaur contributes to founding a divine bloodline, Enki fosters humanity’s development, offering wisdom and guidance. Both figures bridge the mortal and heavenly worlds, emphasizing themes of creation, fertility, and destiny.
Is the Anunnaki God Enki also the Quinotaur? Enki, Lord of the Earth, is also in charge of the seas. He is often seen as Neptune and Poseidon, part human with a mermaid tail. Enki has been known to rape (or seduce) human women to create children, thus introducing his advanced DNA into the human gene pool. In this way, he establishes demi-gods, his children who become kings, queens, priests, and royals who govern and lead humanity.
How does Enki shapeshift and change from a humanoid that walks upright to various beings and creatures with mixed features?

The Birth of Meroveus

Months later, the queen gave birth to a son, Meroveus. The child was unlike any other, marked with a divine aura and traits hinting at his extraordinary origins. His name, derived from the Quinotaur’s legendary qualities, became synonymous with the birth of a new dynasty.
Remarkably, when the king learned of the child’s origins, he did not react with anger or jealousy. Instead, he recognized the divine nature of the event, understanding that the Quinotaur’s involvement elevated his family’s lineage to one of celestial significance. The king declared Meroveus his rightful heir, solidifying the child’s place in history as the progenitor of the Merovingian dynasty.
The Quinotaur’s Departure
After the sacred union, the Quinotaur vanished into the sea, leaving no trace but the child it had sired. In some versions of the story, it is said that the creature’s return to the ocean marked the end of its earthly mission, while in others, it is believed to guard the sacred waters, watching over its descendants from afar.
Symbolism of the Story
- Divine Lineage: The union between the Quinotaur and the queen imbued the Merovingian line with divine legitimacy, reinforcing the idea of rulers chosen by celestial forces.
- Water as Creation: Water, often associated with Enki, symbolizes life, fertility, and transformation in the story, highlighting the Quinotaur’s connection to Enki’s domain.
- Acceptance and Destiny: The king’s embrace of the child’s divine origins reflects themes of acceptance, destiny, and the intertwining of mortal and immortal realms.
Connections to Enki
- Water and Creation: The Quinotaur’s emergence from the sea mirrors Enki’s role as the god of freshwater and life.
- Fertility and Divine Intervention: Enki’s acts of creation and guidance for humanity are echoed in the Quinotaur’s role as a progenitor of a divine bloodline.
- Wisdom and Legacy: Both figures embody the transmission of wisdom and the shaping of destiny through their interactions with mortals.
Similarities Between Enki and the Quinotaur
Water Element: Both are intrinsically tied to water as a life-giving and transformative force. Enki, the god of freshwater and wisdom, often used water to bring life and prosperity. Similarly, the Quinotaur’s association with the ocean and sacred springs mirrors this role, symbolizing renewal and abundance.
Creation and Fertility: The Quinotaur’s role in siring Meroveus parallels Enki’s role in creating humanity and bestowing fertility. Through their interactions, both figures ensure the continuation of life and the establishment of powerful lineages.
Divine Wisdom: Enki is celebrated as the revealer of divine knowledge, offering guidance and solutions to humanity’s challenges. The Quinotaur, while more enigmatic, serves as a guardian of wisdom and sacred waters, testing those who seek its treasures to ensure their purity of heart.
Mythical Influence: Enki and the Quinotaur are intermediaries between the divine and mortal realms. Through their actions, they shape the destinies of humanity, whether by creating sacred bloodlines or revealing paths to wisdom and survival.




























Quinotaur

From Wikipedia
The Quinotaur (Latin: Quinotaurus) is a mythical sea creature mentioned in the 7th-century Frankish Chronicle of Fredegar. Referred to as “the beast of Neptune which resembles a Quinotaur”,[1] it was held to have fathered Meroveus by attacking the wife of the Frankish king Chlodio and thus to have sired the line of Merovingian kings.
The name translates from Latin as “bull with five horns”, whose attributes have commonly been interpreted as the incorporated symbols of the sea god Neptune with his trident, and the horns of a mythical bull or Minotaur. It is not known whether the legend merged both elements by itself or whether this merger should be attributed to the Christian author.[2] The clerical Latinity of the name does not indicate whether it is a translation of some genuine Frankish creature or a coining.

The suggested rape and subsequent family relation of this monster attributed to Frankish mythology correspond to both the Indo-European etymology of Neptune (according to Jaan Puhvel, from Proto-Indo-European *népōts, “grandson” or “nephew”, compare also the Indo-Aryan Apam Napat, “grandson/nephew of the water”)[3] and to bull-related fertility myths in Greek mythology, where for example the princess Europa was abducted by the god Zeus, in the form of a white bull, that swam her to Crete; or to the very myth of the Minotaur, which was the product of Pasiphaë‘s, a Cretan Queen’s, intercourse with a white bull, initially allotted to King Minos, Pasiphaë’s husband, as a sacrifice for Poseidon.



























































































































































































Footnotes[edit]
- ^ Fredegar (c. 650). “Chronicarum quae dicuntur Fredegarii scholastici libri IV cum continuationibus”. In Krusch, Bruno (ed.). Scriptores rerum Merovingicarum. Monumenta Germaniae Historica. Vol. 2. Hannover: Hahn (published 1888). p. 95. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
bistea Neptuni Quinotauri similis eam
. - ^ Fabbro, Eduardo (August 2006). “Germanic Paganism among the Early Salian Franks” (PDF). The Journal of Germanic Mythology and Folklore. 1 (4). Archived from the original (PDF) on February 25, 2007.
- ^ Mallory, James Patrick (1989). In Search of the Indo-Europeans. London: Thames and Hudson. p. 129. ISBN 0-500-27616-1.
Were the Merovingians Descended from a Monster? Meet the Quinotaur
https://www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends/merovingians-descended-quinotaur-007465

UPDATED 19 FEBRUARY, 2022 – 00:53 CARLY SILVER
Were the Merovingians Descended from a Monster? Meet the Quinotaur
You’ve probably heard of a Minotaur (half-man, half-bull), but what about a Quinotaur? In early Frankish history, there was a “beast of Neptune,” which was said to look like a creature called a Quinotaur. This mysterious mythical being only appeared in one text, but he was said to have fathered a line of kings whose descendants still survive today, and they even made an appearance in The Da Vinci Code.
Merovech, Founder of the Merovingians
This story involved the Franks, a Germanic tribe whose descendants eventually migrated to and ruled parts of what is now modern France, Germany, and Belgium. In a history of the Frankish people , the cleric Fredegar attributed the founding of its ruling dynasty, the Merovingians, to one guy named Merovech. Gregory of Tours was the first source to mention Merovech. But he doesn’t give Merovech a monstrous lineage, instead making him a mortal man who founded a new royal dynasty.

Merovech, founder of the Merovingians. ( Public Domain )
A Descendant of Chlodio?
Gregory stressed the accomplishments of his descendants, including his son Childeric, rather than giving him any illustrious ancestors. Merovech might be related to a prior king named Chlodio, but it’s not confirmed. What does this mean?
Perhaps Merovech wasn’t of noble lineage, but was instead a self-made man; either way, it seems that Merovech’s descendants were of more historical significance than his ancestors. Other sources, like the anonymously-penned Liber Historiae Francorum (Book of the History of the Franks ), explicitly identify Merovech as being related to Chlodio.
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But the aforementioned Fredegar goes a different route. He says that Chlodio’s wife gave birth to Merovech, but her husband wasn’t the father; instead, she decided to go swimming and, in the water, mated with a mysterious monster, a “beast of Neptune which resembles a Quinotaur.” As a result, Merovech was the son either of a mortal king or a magical beast.

A quinotaur sea monster possessing King Clodio’s wife, who became pregnant with the future king Merovech. Created by Andrea Farronato. ( Public Domain )
Who, or What, was a Quinotaur?
Other than the etymological similarity it bears to “Minotaur,” another famous beast, Fredergar’s is the sole reference to Quinotaur in history, so we don’t have any real means of comparison. Some scholars have suggested that “Quinotaur” was a misspelling of “Minotaur.”
Bulls weren’t particularly prominent in Franco-Germanic myths, so it’s suggested that this creature was of Latin inspiration. Indeed, even by that time there was a long tradition of casting the Franks as heirs to the classical Mediterranean (and thus as legitimate heirs of the Romans); after the Trojan War, the Trojans and their allies reportedly fled to the Rhine, where their descendants eventually became the Franks.

Is quinotaur just a misspelling of minotaur (pictured)? ( Public Domain )
Why did Fredegar Suggest that Merovech had a Mythical Sea Creature as a Father?
Perhaps Fredegar was elevating Merovech to hero status. A semi-mythical ancestry was a characteristic of many mythological heroes; think of, for example, the Greek king Theseus of Athens, who claimed both the sea god Poseidon and the mortal king Aegeus as his father. In other words, having a sea monster father made Merovech—and his real-life descendants, living and ruling during the times of Gregory and Fredegar—different from those they ruled over, perhaps as demigods or, at least, divinely ordained.
Some historians have suggested the Merovingians were indeed thought of as “sacred kings,” somehow more than mortal, men that were holy in and of themselves. The kings would be special, perhaps invincible in battle.
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The authors of Holy Blood, Holy Grail , who posited that the Merovingians were descended from Jesus—whose hidden bloodline migrated from Israel to France via Mary Magdalene—were big proponents of this theory. Other scholars have suggested that this tale was an attempt to parse out the name “Merovech,” assigning it a meaning of “sea bull,” or some such.
Rather than understanding the Quinotaur as a mythological justification for the Merovingians being sacred kings, some think the issue is much simpler. If Merovech was Chlodio’s son by his wife, then he was just your average king—nothing special. And if Chlodio’s queen had a child by a man who was neither her husband nor a mythical sea creature, then Merovech was illegitimate.
Rather than specifying that a mythical creature fathered Merovech, maybe the chronicler deliberately left the king’s parentage—and thus the ancestry of his son, Childeric—ambiguous because, as British Ian Wood wrote in an article, “there was nothing special about Childeric’s birth.”
Top image: Silvered brass mounting from 1867 depicting Merovech victorious in battle, by Emmanuel Frémiet. Source: CC BY SA 3.0
By Carly Silver
Updated on February 18, 2022.

Quinotaur
The Quinotaur (Lat. Quinotaurus) is a mythical sea creature mentioned in the 7th century Frankish Chronicle of Fredegar. Referred to as “bestea Neptuni Quinotauri similis“, (the beast of Neptune which resembles a Quinotaur) it was held to have fathered Meroveus by attacking the wife of the Frankish king Chlodio and thus to have sired the line of Merovingian kings.
Myths and Legends
The suggested rape and subsequent family relation of this monster attributed to Frankish mythology is similar to to bull-related fertility myths in Greek mythology, where for example the Phoenician princess Europa was abducted by the god Zeus, in the form of a white bull, that swam her to Crete; or to the very myth of the Minotaur, which was the product of Pasiphaë’s, a Cretan Queen’s, intercourse with a white bull, initially allotted to King Minos, Pasiphaë’s husband, as a sacrifice for Poseidon.
Appearance
This creature is a hybrid with the top half of a bull and the bottom half of a fish. It’s most distinctive characteristic are the five horns on its head, which is where its name came from. This attribute has commonly been interpreted as the incorporated symbols of the sea god Neptune with his trident, and the horns of a mythical bull or Minotaur.
Etymology
The name translates from Latin as “bull with five horns” and the legend itself seems to correspond to the Indo-European etymology of Neptune (from PIE ‘*nepots’, “grandson” or “nephew”, compare also the Indo-Aryan ‘Apam Napat’, “grandson/nephew of the water”).
It is not known whether the legend merged both elements of Neptune’s name and bull myths by itself or whether this merger should be attributed to the Christian author. The clerical Latinity of the name does not indicate whether it is a translation of some genuine Frankish creature or a coining.