The name Frisii for the people who lived along the southern coast of the North Sea is ancient — very ancient. It dates back to Late Antiquity. Today, we call them Frisians. Roman and Greek historians, as well as bureaucrats, recorded the tribe’s name nearly two millennia ago. Because of this, modern Frisians carry oneContinue reading “A Severe Case of Inattentional Blindness; the Frisian Tribe’s Name”
Tag Archives: mud
From Patriot to Insurgent: John Fries and the First Tax Rebellions
On the Facebook page ‘Frisian Americans‘, the question popped up regarding the role certain Frisians played in the Whiskey Rebellion in Pennsylvania in 1794. We checked, and the short answer is: none. The Whiskey Rebellion was a revolt of the so-called Pennsylvania Dutch farmers resisting the taxation of whiskey. It was crushed — without iceContinue reading “From Patriot to Insurgent: John Fries and the First Tax Rebellions”
Walfrid, You’ll Never Walk Alone
This blog post is not about Aindreas Ó Céirín (1840-1915), better known as Brother Walfrid from Ireland and who founded the Scottish football club Celtic. No, this blog post is about the original, the one and only. The Frisian named Walfrid. Who was murdered by a bunch of roaming Vikings in the late tenth century.Continue reading “Walfrid, You’ll Never Walk Alone”
A Wadden Sea Guide and His Twelve Disciples — Hiking on the Sea
For those outdoor enthusiasts who consider hiking the mudflats of the Wadden Sea, it is essential to know that this is not just a worldly journey but a spiritual one. The entire Frisia Coast is, in a way, a spiritual belt, protecting the southern coast of the North Sea against northern darkness, according to earlyContinue reading “A Wadden Sea Guide and His Twelve Disciples — Hiking on the Sea”
Shipwrecked People of the Salt Marshes
Tidal marshlands and Frisians, a dual entity. The Chauci and the Frisians — referred to by the Romans as Frisii or Fresones — had learned to adapt to an unprotected yet strangely hospitable salty world: a vast, treeless expanse of tidal marshlands. No rocks, no forests, scarce fresh water, and regularly flooded by a cold,Continue reading “Shipwrecked People of the Salt Marshes”
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 tidal marshlands of Frisia. Conversely, most aquatic life cannot handleContinue reading “Giants of Twilight Land. Creatures of the Rim”
Racing on the Wadden Sea with a Silt Sled
The mudflats of the Wadden Sea seem endless. But what do you do with them? How do you give meaning to mud? Sure, one cubic meter of mudflat holds millions of diatoms, thousands of small crabs, mussels, snails, and worms. For birds, all this frutti di mare is like ordering à la carte. Birds areContinue reading “Racing on the Wadden Sea with a Silt Sled”
What’s Hip and Happening on the Grasslands?
How do Frisians spend their time off? Frisians in the Netherlands must have plenty of it, as job prospects are among the lowest in the country. In addition, those who do have a job do not lose precious hours to traffic jams every day, unlike people in the cities further south. Inhabitants of the provinceContinue reading “What’s Hip and Happening on the Grasslands?”
Walking on the Sea. Experience It! (With Care)
Mud flats are treacherous. Yes, the Wadden Sea stretching along the coasts of Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands is UNESCO protected. We support that. But when hiking the Frisia Coast Trail and you go walkabout on its flats at low tide, do so with the utmost care because UNESCO does not give you protection. “ItContinue reading “Walking on the Sea. Experience It! (With Care)”
Frisia Coast Trail 