The much-celebrated Frisian Freedom refers to the period roughly between 1250 and 1500, when the Frisian terrae (‘lands’) — bearing beautiful, exotic names like Drechterland, Vier Noorder Koggen, Westergo, Oostergo, Humsterland, Hunsingo, Fivelingo, Rheiderland, Emsingo, Federgo, Norderland, Harlingerland, Wangerland, Östringen, Rüstringen, Wursten, and Butjadingen — were small, self-governed communities. A string of so-called marsh republicsContinue reading “Did the Proverbial Two Captains on the Same Ship Make the Frisians Free?”
Tag Archives: salt marsh
Between Leffinge and Misthusum — Understanding the Basics of Terps
Man-made hills to dwell upon. Long thought of as typically Frisian, but they are anything but unique. Consider the Kincaid Mounds of the Mississippian people along the Cumberland and Mississippi rivers in the United States. Or the lomas (‘hills’) deep in Bolivia’s Beni district, raised above the Amazon’s seasonal floodwaters to provide ground for livingContinue reading “Between Leffinge and Misthusum — Understanding the Basics of Terps”
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”
Golden Calves, or Bursting Udders on Bony Legs?
Beauty is the best guarantee for quality and success. At least, this is how farmers in the province of Friesland thought of dairy cattle for (too) long. The better the exterieur ‘exterior’ of a cow, the better its milk yield. Velvety hide, size, expressive head, straight back, strong legs, sharply defined black and white spottedContinue reading “Golden Calves, or Bursting Udders on Bony Legs?”
A Croaking Ode to the Haubarg by the Eiderstedter Nachtigall
Haubargs. Cathedral-like farmsteads with hipped roofs soaring up to twenty meters high, icons of the Eiderstedt peninsula in the region of Nordfriesland. These monumental farms embody the peak of the friesische Großhäuser building tradition — yet also its end. This tradition, characteristic of the marshlands along the southern North Sea coast from Amsterdam to Husum, flourishedContinue reading “A Croaking Ode to the Haubarg by the Eiderstedter Nachtigall”
The Many Faces of Friesland, Including That of a Coast Trail Bastard
May 8, 2021. Visual artist, photographer Arie Bruinsma approached one of the Frisian bastards. Arie explained to him that his wife Cynthia and he were working on a new project, namely It Gesicht fan Fryslân ‘The Face of Friesland’. It had to be a compilation of 111 portraits of known, lesser-known, and unknown Frisians. OfContinue reading “The Many Faces of Friesland, Including That of a Coast Trail Bastard”
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”
Joan of Arc, an Inspiration for Land Wursten
In the year 1500, a girl by the name Tjede Peckes was born in the hamlet of Padingbüttel in the region of Land Wursten on the eastern banks of the River Weser. It was a salt marsh area the Wurstfriesen (‘Wurst-Frisians’) had managed to embank and cultivate. For centuries, they had enjoyed living in aContinue reading “Joan of Arc, an Inspiration for Land Wursten”
To the End Where It All Began: the Ribbon-Like Town of Ribe
Let’s go to the omega. To the end of the Frisia Coast Trail. To Ribe in southern Jutland, Denmark. The oldest town in Scandinavia. A town located on the banks of the Ribe Å. A modest river that flows out into the Wadden Sea stoically slow, opposite the islands of Fanø and Mandø. Ribe startedContinue reading “To the End Where It All Began: the Ribbon-Like Town of Ribe”
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”
Frisia Coast Trail 