16. The Creation of the French Realm  16.2 The Franks  The
Burgunds, the Ostrogoths, the Visigoths were initially Aryan
Christians. They developed Law Codes that reduced to rule and
reason the social relations between the Romano-Gallic population
and the conquerors. The Salian Franks devised a Codex at the
beginning of the 6th century. The Salic law was decidedly male-
oriented and punished with death the adulterous woman while her
partner would go free. Polygamy was accepted. Its most renowned
clause (LIX, 6) is: No portion of Salic land will be inherited
by a woman. The Franks used this clause to their advantage to
prevent the passage of land and political power in foreign hands
(Eleanor of Aquitaine and the Hundred Years War) and will ignore
it when to their advantage for the acquisition of foreign
heritages (Louis XIV and the heritage of Spain).  Among the
Germanic tribes, the Franks stood out for their immorality and
savagery. All valid Franks had to carry arms: a sword and an ax
made of excellent steel.