July 1987. The two Frisian bastards, both being sixteen years old at the time, went to the village of Wijnaldum – Winaem in the Mid-Frisian language. Reason to go was twofold. Firstly, the yearly street kaatsen tournament was taking place that day. Secondly, one of their most beautiful classmates, Gerda, lived close to Wijnaldum. TheContinue reading “Expelled From Regal Grounds, the Soils of Wijnaldum”
Author Archives: hans faber
The Killing Fields, of the Celts
About 2,000 years ago, a tragedy unfolded. A sixteen-year-old girl, who had suffered from scoliosis during her young life, was killed. Her red hair was shaved off on one side, she was stabbed at the base of her neck on the right shoulder, and strangled with a woollen rope. After this, she was placed inContinue reading “The Killing Fields, of the Celts”
Rowing Souls of the Dead to Britain — The Ferryman of Solleveld
In 2004, archaeologists made a remarkable discovery at the early medieval burial ground of Solleveld, just south of the city of The Hague: a boat grave. It lies almost exactly two hundred kilometres in a straight line due east across the North Sea from the legendary ship burial at Sutton Hoo. With this extraordinary find,Continue reading “Rowing Souls of the Dead to Britain — The Ferryman of Solleveld”
Our Civilization — It All Began With Piracy
The arrival of the Romans in north-western Europe at the beginning of the Common Era, with the River Rhine as their northern frontier, marked the starting point for five centuries of widespread piracy. These raids affected not only the coasts of Britannia and northern Gaul but rippled as far as the Mediterranean and the BlackContinue reading “Our Civilization — It All Began With Piracy”
Out of Averting the Inevitable an Unruly Community Was Born
On March 25, 2020, the coronavirus pandemic was climbing towards its second peak. There was uncertainty about how destructive the pandemic was going to be in the long run. How many family members and loved ones would it take? It was a phenomenon of chaos and destruction that confronted us with the limitations of anContinue reading “Out of Averting the Inevitable an Unruly Community Was Born”
With the White Rabbit Down the Hole. The Spread and Legacy of a Coastal DNA
R1b/Hg1/Eu18; R-M213; R-M9; R1b-M45; R-M207; R-M173; R-M343; R-L278; R-L754; R-L389/R1b1a1; R-M415; R-P297/R1b1a1a; R-M269/R1b1a1a2; R-M520; R-L23; R-M412; R-L11; R-S21/U106/M405/R1b1a1a1a2a1a1… Knock Knock… Wake up Neo… Follow the White Rabbit… | These serial numbers, arranged in chronological order, represent groups and subgroups of people who genetically share a common ancestor. Pulling on these protein strands is like tumblingContinue reading “With the White Rabbit Down the Hole. The Spread and Legacy of a Coastal DNA”
Make Way for the Homesick Dead Frisians! A Saga From the Swiss Alps
High in the majestic Alps, in Switzerland’s Bernese Oberland, many men, women, and children have witnessed the dreadful sight of dead Frisians marching home under the cover of darkness. The path they follow is known as The Frisians’ Way, a ghostly route linking the Haslital — the Hasli Valley in the Bernese Oberland — toContinue reading “Make Way for the Homesick Dead Frisians! A Saga From the Swiss Alps”
Latið Meg Ei á Frísaland Fordervast! And the Murder of a Bishop
Latið meg ei á Frísaland fordervast! This is the Faroese language, and its translation is: ‘Do not let me perish in Friesland!’ It is a cry of a Faroese young woman when she was being kidnapped by Frisian pirates somewhere in the Middle Ages. The question of this blog post is not about how onContinue reading “Latið Meg Ei á Frísaland Fordervast! And the Murder of a Bishop”
Sailors Escaped From Cyclops, and Saw World’s End
“Why am I late to class? Oh, you’re gonna love this — there was this random cat in our barn this morning, right? Total stranger. And guess what? I stepped right in its poop. Yep. So before I could even think about school, I had to deal with the whole mess — literally scrubbing myContinue reading “Sailors Escaped From Cyclops, and Saw World’s End”
The Batwing Doors of Dorestad. A Two-Way Gateway of Trade and Power
“Is the seaport Maasvlakte the gateway to north-western Europe? No? How about Europoort? Still no? What about the Botlek port area? Or the town of Vlaardingen? No again? Surely it must be the city of Rotterdam then! Wait — neither? Alright, last guess: since you guys only talk and brag about Frisia, could it beContinue reading “The Batwing Doors of Dorestad. A Two-Way Gateway of Trade and Power”
Frisia Coast Trail 