Little prayers at the Lorelei rock

On the west bank of the mighty river Rhine, halfway between the cities Koblenz and Mainz, lies the town of Sankt Goar. Named after Saint Goar of Aquitaine who retreated here in the sixth century. Diagonally across the river stands the famous and mystical Lorelei rock. Steep, and over 130 meters high. A whisper rockContinue reading “Little prayers at the Lorelei rock”

Don’t believe everything they say about sweet Cunera

Imagine. One day your husband brings home a young and unmarried woman. A virgin even. He simply takes her into your house, openly shows affection for her, and who knows what else. That’s not all. He also gives the young maiden full access to your pantry and savings account, which she, for crying out loud,Continue reading “Don’t believe everything they say about sweet Cunera”

Porcupines bore U.S. bucks

On May 5th, 2018, it was exactly two centuries ago that Karl Marx was born. When in 1867 the good man published the first part of Das Kapital, Marx was actually 1,300 years too late to turn the tide. The ship had sailed. Ships of selfish and merciless Frisian merchants in pursuit of personal wealth,Continue reading “Porcupines bore U.S. bucks”

Why was Redbad skinny dipping in eau de Cologne?

In March 716, Redbad’s army reached the shores of Cologne. That is deep in the Frankish heartlands and way out of the traditional Frisian coastal territories. Sure, Frisians were smelly bastards, but eau de Cologne wasn’t invented yet. Was Redbad ahead of his time or why else did he end up there? A movie aboutContinue reading “Why was Redbad skinny dipping in eau de Cologne?”

The battles of Redbad, unplugged

King Redbad died in 719. Some 1300 years later, as a tribute a movie about this Frisian king hit the silver screen in the Dutch cinemas. Redbad repeatedly ended up fighting his neighbours, the Franks. Where and how often, will be explored in this article. As a hikers blog that follows the whereabouts of Frisian history, we areContinue reading “The battles of Redbad, unplugged”