There are theories suggesting that the tribal name ‘Frisians’ originates from the Old Frisian word frisle, meaning ‘lock of hair’ — a term that may itself derive from Latin (Van Renswoude 2012). Compare, for instance, the French verb friser, meaning ‘to curl’. While this etymology is incorrect — the true origin relates more to haulingContinue reading “Comb as You Are, as You Were”
Tag Archives: women
“The Man Wants Another Steak!” She Snapped at the Waitress — Hiking the GR20
When thru-hiking, special encounters are part of the experience. One such encounter happened when one of the Frisian bastards completed the GR20 on the island of Corsica in the months of September and October 2018. It is a story that teaches you always to keep an open mind towards every person you meet and notContinue reading ““The Man Wants Another Steak!” She Snapped at the Waitress — Hiking the GR20″
The Chronicles of Warnia. When History Seems a Fantasy Story
The fate of tribes and their names in the age of the Great Migration, between the fourth and sixth centuries, was anything but certain. Most simply disappeared. Celtic and Germanic peoples alike faded from the stage of history — some crushed by alliances of stronger tribes, others absorbed into new tribes, and still others vanishingContinue reading “The Chronicles of Warnia. When History Seems a Fantasy Story”
A Collection of Frisian Forenames of the First Millennium
Despite the fact that some Frisian forenames still find their way into modern name-giving, like Bente, Dirk, Doutzen, Eske, Femke/Famke, Fenna, Finn, Froukje, Gemma, Hauk, Hiske, Jildou, Jitske, Sjoerd, Tammo, Treintje, Ubbo, etc., on the whole, authentic Frisian names are losing ground. It is a shame because the name-giving culture of Frisia is actually extremelyContinue reading “A Collection of Frisian Forenames of the First Millennium”
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 recounted the famous story of the two Frisian kings who travelled to Rome 2,000 years ago to seek an audience with Emperor Nero. In this blog post, the roles are reversed. Nearly two centuries ago, a delegate from RomeContinue reading “A Dutch King Once Yelled: “Je Suis Frison, et Je Suis Plus Têtu Que Vous!””
Don’t Believe Everything They Say About Sweet Cunera
Imagine this: one day your husband brings home a young, unmarried woman. A virgin, even. He simply takes her into your house, openly shows her affection — and who knows what else. But that is not all. He also gives this maiden full access to your pantry and your savings account, which she — forContinue reading “Don’t Believe Everything They Say About Sweet Cunera”
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”
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”
Harbours, Hookers, Heroines, and Women in Masquerade
Dockyards, quays, terminals, warehouses, wharves, anchorages, lighthouses, and beacons. Craftsmen, shipping companies, customs offices, pilot services, and other port authorities. Fish auctions, boarding houses, lodgings, packing sheds — you name it. Seaports exist to meet the needs of everything that arrives from the sea or sets out to it. But beyond commerce, ports have traditionallyContinue reading “Harbours, Hookers, Heroines, and Women in Masquerade”
Yet Another Wayward Archipelago — The Wadden Sea
The peoples of islands and archipelagos do not let others dictate how to live their lives. One of those archipelagos that meets these criteria as well is the Wadden Sea. For centuries, it is from here that sea explorers, tax evaders, sturdy Arctic whalers, self-righteous women, pirates, privateers, and other vagabonds have come. An archipelagoContinue reading “Yet Another Wayward Archipelago — The Wadden Sea”
Frisia Coast Trail 