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. A balancer on a slack rope of religion, trade, land, water, Holland and Frisia”
Tag Archives: religion
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 told the famous story of the two Frisian kings who travelled to Rome 2,000 years ago, to get a meeting with the Emperor. In this post the tables have turned. This time, almost two centuries ago, a delegate fromContinue reading “A Dutch king once yelled: “Je suis Frison, et je suis plus têtu que vous!””
Late 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 “Late Little Prayers at the Lorelei Rock”
Don’t believe everything they say about sweet Cunera
Imagine. One day your husband brings home a young 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, startsContinue reading “Don’t believe everything they say about sweet Cunera”
From Patriot to Insurgent: John Fries and the Tax Rebellions
On Facebook page ‘Frisian Americans‘ the question popped up what 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 ice, by the youngContinue reading “From Patriot to Insurgent: John Fries and the Tax Rebellions”
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. Hamlet Friezenwijk is located near the scenic village of Heukelum in the region Batavia (viz. region Betuwe) in province Gelderland, the Netherlands.Continue reading “Dissolute Elisabeth and Her Devil”
Walfrid, You’ll Never Walk Alone.
This post isn’t about Aindreas Ó Céirín (1840-1915), better known as Brother Walfrid from Ireland and who founded the Scottish football club Celtic. No, this post is about the original. The Frisian named Walfrid. Who was murdered by a bunch of roaming Vikings in the late tenth century. These atrocities took place in the villageContinue reading “Walfrid, You’ll Never Walk Alone.”
Like Father, Unlike Son
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 maior domo Charles Martel, only just managed to defeatContinue reading “Like Father, Unlike Son”
With a Noose through the Norsemen’s Door
Although the conversion was a slow and cumbersome process and only succeeded in-depth in the tenth century, Frisia subsequently turned into the richest ecclesiastical area of Europe. Nowhere else in Europe were there so many monasteries and churches packed together. Even though nearly all monasteries have been dismantled with the advent of Protestantism, to thisContinue reading “With a Noose through the Norsemen’s Door”
A Wadden Sea Guide and His Twelve Disciples
For those outdoor enthusiasts who consider hiking the mud flats of the Wadden Sea, it is essential to know that this is not just a worldly journey but a spiritual one. The entire Frisian Coast is, in a way, a spiritual belt, protecting the southern coast of the North Sea against northern darkness, according toContinue reading “A Wadden Sea Guide and His Twelve Disciples”
Frisia Coast Trail 