It is at the inn The Prancing Pony in the village of Bree that the Hobbits find refuge from the screeching Nazgûl on their coal-black horses. It is also here that they encounter Strider, the mysterious wanderer who is later revealed to be Aragorn — future king of the Reunited Kingdom. Horses, wanderers, fugitive royalty,Continue reading “Hengist and Horsa — Frisian Horses from Overseas That Founded the Kentish Kingdom”
Tag Archives: kings
The Chronicles of Warnia. When History Seems a Fantasy Story
The fate of tribes and their names in the age of the Great Migration, between the fourth and sixth centuries, was anything but certain. Most simply disappeared. Celtic and Germanic peoples alike faded from the stage of history — some crushed by alliances of stronger tribes, others absorbed into new tribes, and still others vanishingContinue reading “The Chronicles of Warnia. When History Seems a Fantasy Story”
The Bishop From Frisia Who Proceeded the Hunger Games
Katniss Everdeen, portrayed by American actress Jennifer Lawrence, is both a survivor and victor of The Hunger Games. She comes from District 12, the impoverished mining region of the country called Panem. In fact, Katniss was never meant to be a tribute in the games. Her younger sister was originally chosen, but Katniss volunteered toContinue reading “The Bishop From Frisia Who Proceeded the Hunger Games”
Stavoren. Balancing on a Slack Rope of Religion, Trade, Land, Water, Holland, and Frisia
For many turbulent centuries, the town of Stavoren was a tightrope walker before it finally settled as a small harbour at the Lake IJsselmeer. Living in retirement from well-to-do owners of white yachts, sailing boats, and other pleasure vessels. Now it looks back on when Saint Odulf arrived in the ninth century to convert theContinue reading “Stavoren. Balancing on a Slack Rope of Religion, Trade, Land, Water, Holland, and Frisia”
The Deer Hunter of Fallward, and His Throne of the Marsh
Near a terp called Fallward, close to the village of Wremen in the region of Land Wursten, archaeologists uncovered a remarkable site that opens a rare window onto life during the Migration Period — the world of the so-called ‘Old Saxons’ who once inhabited the tidal marshes of the Wadden Sea at the mouth ofContinue reading “The Deer Hunter of Fallward, and His Throne of the Marsh”
A Dutch King Once Yelled: “Je Suis Frison, et Je Suis Plus Têtu Que Vous!”
In our recent blog post Barbarians Riding to the Capital to Claim Rights on Farmland, we recounted the famous story of the two Frisian kings who travelled to Rome 2,000 years ago to seek an audience with Emperor Nero. In this blog post, the roles are reversed. Nearly two centuries ago, a delegate from RomeContinue reading “A Dutch King Once Yelled: “Je Suis Frison, et Je Suis Plus Têtu Que Vous!””
Barbarians Riding to the Capital to Claim Rights on Farmland
This is not a blog post about the current agriculture and nitrogen debates between the government in Brussels and farmers in Flanders, Germany, and the Netherlands. Not about farmers driving to The Hague capital with their tractors. No, this is the two-millennia-old story of two Frisian kings who travelled all the way to Rome, theContinue reading “Barbarians Riding to the Capital to Claim Rights on Farmland”
A Frisian Warlord Who Ruled in Brittany, Until His Wife Cheated on Him
Where the English Channel meets the Celtic Sea, the ships of the Frisian brothers Corsold and Coarchion are said to have sailed, raided, and held sway in the early sixth century. For a time, they may even have established a short-lived kingdom in Brittany. Breton legend holds that the village of Kersaout — modern-day CorseulContinue reading “A Frisian Warlord Who Ruled in Brittany, Until His Wife Cheated on Him “
Don’t Believe Everything They Say About Sweet Cunera
Imagine this: one day your husband brings home a young, unmarried woman. A virgin, even. He simply takes her into your house, openly shows her affection — and who knows what else. But that is not all. He also gives this maiden full access to your pantry and your savings account, which she — forContinue reading “Don’t Believe Everything They Say About Sweet Cunera”
Like Father, Unlike Son — Un Saint Frison en France
The Battle of Tours in 732 was a turning point in the wars against the Umayyad Caliphate. The Caliphate was one of the biggest empires in history, but it lost this battle. At the confluence of the rivers Clain and Vienne, the Franks, led by statesman majordomo Charles Martel, only just managed to defeat theContinue reading “Like Father, Unlike Son — Un Saint Frison en France”
Frisia Coast Trail 