The monk Ecgberht of Ripon was the driving force behind the Christianization of the defiant heathens of Frisia. From the influential monastery of Rath Melsigi in Ireland, he launched wave after wave of monks, priests, and other clergy toward the Frisian coast. Among his spiritual soldiers were the monks Willibrord and Adalbert. After receiving theirContinue reading “The Abbey of Egmond and the Rise of the Gerulfing Dynasty”
Author Archives: hans faber
Giants of Twilight Land. Creatures of the Rim
At the intersection of land and sea — where it is hard to tell where one ends and the other begins — life is harsh. The corrosive salt of the sea is ruinous to most land species, which explains the formerly near-treeless, flat, and monotonous mudflats and tidal marshlands of Frisia. Conversely, most aquatic lifeContinue reading “Giants of Twilight Land. Creatures of the Rim”
The United Frisian Emirates and Black Peat. How Holland Became Dutch
In this blog post, we will argue that the Frisian lands might just as well be called the United Frisian Emirates. Granted, there are a few superficial differences with the modern United Arab Emirates. The Emiratis have camels and goats; the Frisians have cows and sheep. Their climate is hot and dry; the Frisians’ isContinue reading “The United Frisian Emirates and Black Peat. How Holland Became Dutch”
We’ll Drive Our Ships to New Land. A Social Memory of Migration
In the series Myths of Nations, we disclose to you this time that the Frisians, in fact, did not come from India, as the old legends tell us. A bummer, we know. And, what is proven yet again in this blog post, we should listen more often to Led Zeppelin. In particular, to their ImmigrantContinue reading “We’ll Drive Our Ships to New Land. A Social Memory of Migration”
Have a Frisians’ Cocktail! A Rich Composition
With the upcoming seasonal festivities at the end of the year, it is appropriate to serve you a flavourful cocktail. It is a cocktail from the list ‘Myths of Nations’, namely the Frisians’ Cocktail. Its recipe is not as old as some people thought it was, or would like it to be, but it isContinue reading “Have a Frisians’ Cocktail! A Rich Composition”
Weladu the Flying Blacksmith. Tracing the Origin of Wayland
Master blacksmith Wayland is well known from Germanic mythology. According to legend, he was imprisoned on a small island at sea but escaped using wings of his own making. Saxons, Anglo-Saxons, Norwegians, Icelanders, Goths — in fact nearly all early Germanic peoples — preserved stories or artifacts relating to Wayland. Even the Franks did. AllContinue reading “Weladu the Flying Blacksmith. Tracing the Origin of Wayland”
Hero of Haarlem, or Dragon in Disguise? Rethinking Sea-Level Rise Strategies
It was a Yankee by the name of Mary Mapes Dodge who wrote ‘Hans Brinker, or The Silver Skates: A Story of Life in Holland’. The book was published in New York in 1865. It is about poor, 15-year-old Hans and his sister, Gretel. Gretel wins the Silver Skates, the prize for winning an iceContinue reading “Hero of Haarlem, or Dragon in Disguise? Rethinking Sea-Level Rise Strategies”
You killed a Man? That’ll Be One Weregeld in Total, Please
Frisia in the High Middle Ages — a region stretching from the (former) River Vlie — located between the Wadden Sea islands of Vlieland and Terschelling in the Netherlands — all the way to the lower reaches of the River Weser in Germany. It included areas such as Butjadingen und Stadland and Land Wursten. TheContinue reading “You killed a Man? That’ll Be One Weregeld in Total, Please”
Grassland Conversation. Where Less Is More
Being out on the grasslands may bring you face to face with farmers, fellow wanderers, or — of course — ‘birdwatchers’; see the note at the end of this blog post. Encounters with these countryside folk unfold in slow motion, and follow a sequence of clearly defined phases. Out here, less is more — justContinue reading “Grassland Conversation. Where Less Is More”
One of History’s Most Enlightening Hikes: That of Bernlef and Ludger
This blog post is not about the Westfrisian writer Hendrik Jan Marsman (1937–2012), better known by his pen name Bernlef. Nor is it about the student association F.F.J. Bernlef in the town of Groningen, the Netherlands. No — this is about the original Bernlef, the bard and harp player who lived in Frisia sometime betweenContinue reading “One of History’s Most Enlightening Hikes: That of Bernlef and Ludger”
Frisia Coast Trail 