Pharamond
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Pharamond or Faramund is a legendary early king of the Franks, first referred to in the anonymous 8th century Carolingian text Liber Historiae Francorum, also known as the Gesta regnum Francorum. In this work, which is customarily dated to 727, the anonymous author begins by writing of a mythical Trojan origin for the Franks.
Pharamond in later culture
A Pharamond appears as the king of France in the Prose Tristan and later Arthurian works.
A god called Pharamond appears in Neil Gaiman's Sandman and also the related Lucifer series as a provider of transportation for the gods and higher beings. It appears he also has a large amount of control over human transportation as well. He calls himself the last member of his pantheon and it is suggested in his appearance, the decor of his offices and comments about familiarities that Pharamond might be Babylonian.
Pharamond is also mentioned in William Shakespeare's Henry V, Act I, Scene 2, as the originator of the Salic law banning women from succession to the throne of France.
Pharamond appears as a title character in the opera Faramondo by Handel.
Pharamond is also the name of a venerable and quite beautiful restaurant in the Halles area of Paris.