When re-enactors bring early-medieval Frisia to life, they are often seen wearing a small iron hammer on a leather cord around their neck — symbolizing Mjölnir, the mighty weapon of the Norse god Thor. We regret to inform them that Mjölnir was not at all fashionable along the southern shores of the North Sea —Continue reading “Odin’s Ravens Ruled the Southern Shores. Not the Hammer of Thor”
Tag Archives: paganism
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”
When the Gate of Hell Opened at the Golden Necklace
When you enter the province of Friesland from the west by car via the Afsluitdijk (‘closure dam’) and continues on the A7 Hwy, you will pass a viaduct carrying the name Okkehel. If your destination is the port of Harlingen, also in the area, you might spot in its harbour bright green sloops of theContinue reading “When the Gate of Hell Opened at the Golden Necklace”
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”
Late Little Prayers at the Lorelei Rock. Reckless Rhine Skippers in Distress
On the west bank of the mighty River Rhine, halfway between the cities of Koblenz and Mainz, lies the town of Sankt Goar. Named after Saint Goar of Aquitaine, a hermit who retreated here in the sixth century. Diagonally across the river stands the famous and mystical Lorelei Rock: steep and over 130 meters high.Continue reading “Late Little Prayers at the Lorelei Rock. Reckless Rhine Skippers in Distress”
Dissolute Elisabeth and Her Devil
In the Middle Age lived a once promiscuous girl named Elisabeth. She had come to repentance, found honourable employ as a maid, and had established herself at the hamlet of Vrieswijc, modern Friezenwijk. This hamlet is located near the scenic village of Heukelum in the region of Batavia (viz. the region of Betuwe) in theContinue reading “Dissolute Elisabeth and Her Devil”
Movie Star Ben-Hur Made Peace With Frisian Raiders
Who does not know the epic movie Ben-Hur, released on the big screen in 1959? A movie in which Hollywood actor and civil rights activist Charlton Heston (1923–2008) played the role of Judah Ben-Hur, for which he was awarded an Oscar. Six years later, Heston played Chrysagon in The War Lord — a much braverContinue reading “Movie Star Ben-Hur Made Peace With Frisian Raiders”
Well, the Thing Is…
The heart of Western democracies is the joint assembly of Parliament, Cabinet, and High Councils of State. Its Celtic-Germanic origin is the thing, also called ting, ding, or þing in other writings. Today, national assemblies in Scandinavian countries still refer to this ancient tradition. For example, the parliaments of the Faroes Løgting, of Greenland Landsting,Continue reading “Well, the Thing Is…”
With a Noose through the Norsemen’s Door
Although the conversion of the Woden-devoted Frisians was a slow and cumbersome process that only succeeded in depth in the tenth century, Frisia subsequently turned into the richest ecclesiastical area of Europe. Nowhere else on the Isles and the Continent were there this many monasteries and churches packed together. Even though nearly all monasteries haveContinue reading “With a Noose through the Norsemen’s Door”
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”
Frisia Coast Trail 