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”
Tag Archives: Romans
A Severe Case of Inattentional Blindness; the Frisian Tribe’s Name
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”
Pagare il Fio. How the Romans Fared in the Wet Woodlands and Salt Marshes
Pagare il fio is Italian for ‘paying the penalty,’ though literally it means ‘paying the fee,’ a phrase inherited from the northern peoples — the so-called Barbarians — who toppled the Western Roman Empire. The English word fee comes from Old English feoh, which survives as fee in Mid-Frisian, vee in Dutch, and Vieh inContinue reading “Pagare il Fio. How the Romans Fared in the Wet Woodlands and Salt Marshes”
Frisian Mercenaries in the Roman Army. Fighting for Honour and Glory
After the Roman Empire had incorporated a big chunk of the British Isles in the first century, the empire needed a military force to defend their northern limes (‘border’). Like elsewhere, they made use of mercenaries. Many Frisians, (still) living along the coast of present-day the Netherlands, joined the Roman army as mercenaries to fightContinue reading “Frisian Mercenaries in the Roman Army. Fighting for Honour and Glory”
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”
Medieval Migration Law. A Matter of Liability
Hwasa thene vthemeda husath ieftha howath ieftha oppa sinne werf set, sa skel hi thes wachtia, hwetsa hi deth. Who receives a foreigner in his house or in his court or seats on his yard, shall be responsible for all that he does. This is codified law from around 1250, known as the Brookmerbrief. LiterallyContinue reading “Medieval Migration Law. A Matter of Liability”
Frisia Coast Trail 