Frisia Coast Trail.com

When re-enactors bring early-medieval Frisia to life, they are often seen wearing a small iron hammer on a leather cord around their...

This is not a blog post about the current agriculture and nitrogen debates between the government in Brussels and farmers in Flanders,...

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...

About 2,000 years ago, a tragedy unfolded. A sixteen-year-old girl, who had suffered from scoliosis during her young life, was killed. Her red hair was shaved off on one side, she was stabbed at the base of her neck on the right shoulder, and strangled with a woollen rope. After this, she was placed in the bog. It all happened near the Celtic fields in what was then the territory of the Old Frisians, near the current village of Yde in the province of Drenthe. It was not inves

In 2004, archaeologists made a remarkable discovery at the early medieval burial ground of Solleveld, just south of the city of The Hague: a boat grave. It lies almost exactly two hundred kilometres in a straight line due east across the North Sea from the legendary ship burial at Sutton Hoo. With this extraordinary find, the Netherlands joined the select group of nations known for ship burials—a distinction not to be taken lightly. National pride soared. The discovery also e

The Hunchback II, Jawlensky The 'First Lady' of the village of Grou in the province of Friesland, the Netherlands, also named Grytsje of Grou. Archaeologists found her in January 2018, in the village of Grou at Halbertsmaplein Sq. Her grave is dated mid-eighth century. She received the title First Lady because until this find, it was not known people lived at Grou at all in the Early Middle Ages, already. Grou is situated in the center of the province of Friesland, on former

High in the majestic Alps, in Switzerland’s Bernese Oberland, many men, women, and children have witnessed the dreadful sight of dead Frisians marching home under the cover of darkness. The path they follow is known as The Frisians’ Way , a ghostly route linking the Haslital —the Hasli Valley in the Bernese Oberland—to the distant shores of the North Sea, once the heart of ancient Frisia. The dead do not speak the word ‘friend’ and simply enter when they want to pass through

Master blacksmith Wayland is well known from Germanic mythology. According to legend, he was imprisoned on a small island at sea but escaped using wings of his own making. Saxons, Anglo-Saxons, Norwegians, Icelanders, Goths—in fact nearly all early Germanic peoples—preserved stories or artifacts relating to Wayland. Even the Franks did. All except one: the Frisians. And yet, as it turns out, Frisia may possess the oldest claim of all. Several early-medieval gold solidi  beari

The hearth was, in pre- and early medieval times, the Holy of Holies. The heart of the family. Where you would lay back and groove. Groove on the sound of the endless rains on the thatched roof, or on the sound of seawater at your feet below. Splashing against the grassy slopes of your house platform. A lifted place that was warm and soulful, filled with good spirits and minds. But how did those early Frisians manage to keep evil spirits, vile creatures, and sickness at bay?

The monk Ecgberht of Ripon was the driving force behind the Christianization of the defiant heathens of Frisia. From the influential monastery of Rath Melsigi in Ireland, he launched wave after wave of monks, priests, and other clergy toward the Frisian coast. Among his spiritual soldiers were the monks Willibrord and Adalbert. After receiving their education at Rath Melsigi, both were fired off as well, and landed on the windswept beaches of Frisia. Their spiritual D-Day wa

Liudger succeeded where other evangelists failed. He finally managed to convert the pagan Frisians to Christianity, because he “spoke their language”. Did he really? A very thorough study from Hinne Wagenaar reveals quite a startling truth about this Frisian apostle. Some time ago I stumbled upon an article from Hinne Wagenaar, called " Liudger, apostle of the Frisians ". A question in Cameroon sparked his interest in this Frisian apostle. As a professor in theology he was

This blog post is not about the Westfrisian writer Hendrik Jan Marsman (1937–2012), better known by his pen name Bernlef . Nor is it...

“I can not live without the company of my forefathers” , Redbad said in an interview in 718. In 2018 this sentence caused turmoil in the social media and the European Union. Having such an impact 1300 after your death deserves some further investigation, we believe. This article is about a medieval king, freedom of religion, Google Ads, movie trailers, ancient scriptures, paganism, Zuckerberg, censorship, a candid bishop, Frankish kings, freedom of speech and social media.

Ever heart of Aldgisl ? Even if you did, you probably have a hard time separating fact from fiction. For a fact it is the first king of the Dutch lowlands known to have lived. But is Redbad his real son? Follow us in our deep dive into ancient historical sources. Recently King Redbad became a hot topic. In the summer of 2018 a movie about this Frisian king will hit the silver screen in the Dutch cinemas. Redbad is the direct successor of Aldgisl. He repeatedly ended up figh

Why in heaven’s name should a terp be constructed in the Andes? To be more precise, the location for this terp is at the remote, archaeological Inca site Choquequirao in Peru. The answer to the question is not too difficult. The idea was inspired by the monument at the Tsjitsma terp near the village of Wijnaldum in the province of Friesland, designed by architect Nynke-Rixt Jukema. Preparations for the construction of a terp at the Inca site Choquequirao have started already.

In contrast to today’s Sunday rest, for centuries the island of Walcheren was a pagan stronghold and a safe haven for Vikings with their...

Exactly a year ago Hans van der Togt, a former Dutch television presenter of the game show Wheel of Fortune, told in the talk show Pauw abou

Your mother-in-law probably chased your tail during life. But do not be so sure you are free once she is gone. If you are looking for...