More Flying 'Dutchmen'. Learnings from a simple innkeeper

On the first of February 2020, one of the Frisian bastards of the Frisia Coast Trail tramped the trail section from the town of Bad Nieuweschans to the small village of Termunten. It is a hike of thirty kilometers along the southern shores of the Dollart Bight. The day before, in the evening, the bastard arrived at a bed & breakfast called Kanonnier, meaning 'gunner' or 'bombardier'. The conversation with the owner brought the bastard from Bad Nieuweschans, to the city of Bremerhaven, to the region of ‘t Bildt in the province of Friesland, to the city of Grand Rapids in the United States, and even into space. Let’s go to the beginning, to the outer northeast of the province of Groningen.

Bad Nieuweschans in the province of Groningen is the most north-eastern town in the Netherlands. A border town with Germany as well. The suffix -schans ‘sconce’ reveals its origin is a military one. Nieuweschans, called Nij Schaanze or simply Schaanze in the Low-Saxon language (Nijeskâns in the Mid Frisian speech), is a fortress built in the year 1628 during the independence wars of the Dutch Republic. The part bad does not refer to being evil but to its spa baths or thermen. This thanks to mineral-rich spring water. So, 'bath new-sconce' is a town that combines business with pleasure. Some seventeenth-century historic reminders of its military past can be found in the town, and are worth a look.

It was quite late in the evening when the Frisian bastard arrived, because the train had to stop its service at the town of Winschoten. A car accident further down the railway track was the cause. Waiting for the alternate bus in the evening in January was, surprisingly, not too bad. The weather was extremely mild. Almost fifteen degree Celsius around seven o'clock in the evening. It was January 31, midst of winter! While waiting for the bus the bastard informed with a text message at the owner of Kanonnier if it was possible still to have something to eat this late. “No problem,” he replied without a word too many. At nine o'clock the bastard arrived at the bed & breakfast.

The bastard turned out to be the only guest. Interior of the establishment was a crossbred between a pub and a restaurant. Behind the taps stood the owner. A tall and big man. Bit bold, with a large moustache. He watched sports on the huge screen on the wall. In our blog post Grassland Conversation. Where less is more we explained the basics how to (not-) talk and behave if you want to interact with people of the flat grasslands. Well, Bad Nieuweschans is part of these grasslands. The owner, therefore, hardly noticed the bastard entering his premises. Only giving a glimpse at first. Recognizing the grassland conventions, the bastard immediately slowed down in all his adopted city behaviour and talking. He put his backpack on one of the many empty barstools. The owner, motionless with both arms resting on the taps in front of him, kept staring at the loud television screen.

“Here’s your key. I can do some fries,” the owner opened the conversation after the bastard had put his phone and reading glasses on the counter. “That’ll do,” the bastard replied. “If you've something to go with it, would be appreciated,” the bastard asked with the most casual tone of voice he could produce. “I've meatballs ready,” he said, offering no choices. “And a lager, please,” replied the bastard without confirming the meatballs. The bastard put off his jacket, grabbed another barstool and sat down at bar. He could have walked to the dining area for more privacy, but this, avoiding the interaction, would have been perceived as rude and skittish. The owner switched to a news channel. Lot to do about the impeachment of Donald Trump, and about the Brexit. All far away world politics. For now.

After the owner had served a big plate with fries, lots of mayonnaise, and a meatball with mustard, the conversation continued. Slowly, with many silences, of course. The bastard precisely timed the moment to drop he was originally from the port of Harlingen. So, from the north as well. On the western edge of the north. Doing this too early in the conversation would have been regarded as being too eager, as trying too hard to close the gap. Northern convention is that one must connect in these talks on its own merits without offering one’s northern credentials right from the start.

After knowing the bastard originated from a port town at the Wadden Sea, the big man with moustache told he used to work in the harbours of the city of Bremerhaven in the ‘70s. “There was a lot work there to be done, back then,” he explained. Bremerhaven, a port at the mouth of the River Weser at the Wadden Sea as well, although infinitely much bigger than the port of Harlingen. At the shipyards the big man used to work together with a guy from the province of Friesland. "His name was Eppie Louwsma," he told the bastard. This friend, as the bastard understood he was, came from the region ‘t Bildt in the province of Friesland which is quite close to the port Harlingen. “Come to think of it,” the owner continued, “his cousin was Jack Lousma, who was an astronaut in America. The bastard had never heard of this Jack Lousma person before.

Whatever this Jack, the bastard loved the whole story. It illustrated how people of the coastal zone between Harlingen in the west and Bremerhaven in the east, used to be connected via the sea. The Wadden Sea. And who knows, they still are. Check also our blog post Yet Another Wayward Archipelago—the Wadden Sea about this common (landscape) culture.

The big man and the bastard also came to talk about living here in remote and isolated Bad Nieuweschans. From what the bastard understood, only during summer, B&B Kanonnier had some guests. Mainly cyclists visiting the Dollart Bight area. He also explained it was quite lonely because he was all on his own. He always had to be present at his B&B, six days in the week, and seven if he had guests. A thing he wished for was that once in a while he could go to a football match of his favourite club FC Groningen. But buying a ticket and hiring someone to take care of the B&B cost too much. Ticket and hiring personnel maybe 200 euros in total. So, the big man was confined to his private prison.

After a few more beers the bastard grabbed his pack and jacket, and went upstairs to his room. A very basic but clean room with two beds. Before falling asleep, he googled who this Jack Lousma is and if he really exists. He does. Jack’s father emigrated from the province of Friesland to the United States. Jack himself was born in the city of Grand Rapids in the state of Michigan in the year 1936. For NASA he made two voyages into space, including space walks, and stayed there in the big nothing for ca. 1,600 hours in total.

Jack Lousma's nickname is the 'Flying Dutchman'. Just like that other famous Flying Dutchman, the seventeenth-century sailor Barent Fockesz, check our blog post History is written by the victors—a story of the credits, it is good to know this modern Flying Dutchman is, in fact, also a Flying Frisian. The same goes for the current Dutch gymnast Epke Zonderland. He won the Olympic Games, and many times the World and European Championships on the high bar. His nickname is the Flying Dutchman, too, in spite of being Frisian.

Next Morning

Breakfast was served at half past eight the next morning. That was the earliest possible time for the owner. The big man had to get fresh bread at the bakery before. As the big man explained, the bakery would not be open yet before. “How sweet, he is really taking care for his only guest,” the bastard thought.

The hike was in windy and drizzly weather. Leaving the town of Bad Nieuweschans, the trail immediately crosses the German border via a slim, white drawbridge over the canal Wymeerer Sieltief. A sign explains the bridge, called the Noaberbrug, was used by Jewish refugees during the Second World War. To flee from Germany into the remote north to the Netherlands, when this small country was not occupied by the Nazis, yet. From the bridge, the hike continues up north along the east bank of the River Westerwoldse Aa, all the way to the sluices and water pumping station at the hamlet of Nieuwe Statenzijl. There, crossing the border again back into the Netherlands. From Nieuwe Statenzijl, skirting the tidal marshlands, the trail follows the southern shores of the Dollart Bight in western direction to the old wierde, also called a terp, of the old village of Termunten.

Kiekkaaste, hamlet of Nieuw Statenzijl, province Groningen

An old local legend about how the Dollart Bight came into existence is the following:

When the heathen King Radbod, king of Frisia and nicknamed the Enemy of God, was travelling from the village of Farmsum to that of Termunten to cross from there the lower reaches of the River Ems to the county of Ostfriesland, he became bored. Radbod spoke to his snow-white horse and said: "We'll jump it." Without hesitation the stallion took a run and flew across the broad river. Enormous chunks of earth were removed, such was the force with which the horse set off for the jump. These great holes filled themselves with water from the Wadden Sea. This is how the Dollart Bight was created, and why it has the shape of a horseshoe. The spot of the display of strength is named Hengstegat 'stallion's strait' ever since (Savelkouls 2016). And yes, Jolly Jumper would have been a fitting name for Radbod's horse.

A similar saga with comparable ingredients exists concerning Charlemagne. When this infamous ruler of European history was looking for drinking water for his army and placed his spurs firmly in his horse's flanks, the animal kicked so hard on a rock that its footprint stayed in it. At the same spot, fresh water welled up from the soil (Van der Tuuk 2024).

Today, in the region of Ostfriesland, east of the River Ems, the saga exists that when it thunders and storms over the Dollart Bight, you might see King Radbod on his horse crossing the bight; the Wild Hunt of Radbod. Find in our blog post In Debt to the Beastly Westfrisians more sagas about King Radbod. This manifestation of King Radbod on his horse during storms and thunder is, in fact, a variant of the Wild Hunt or Wilde Jagd in Germanic mythology, led by the god Odin or Woden.

Below a saga from Ostfriesland where it is an English king who storms over lands.

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The Wild Huntsman — When, on dark autumn nights, the storm reigns over the low lands, when the trees drive the clouds swiftly across the land and the rain soaks the fields, one may sometimes see the Wild Huntsman and his ghostly party storming past. In the region of Ostfriesland, this nightly rider was given many names, yet they all trace back to the name of the East-Frisian King Redbad, who became the leader of the Wild Hunt.

Long ago—so the tale is told in the area of Norderland—one could ride with horse and carriage from Frisia to England. There lived King Ridewold. He came from England in his carriage to these coastal lands. But his enemies dug up the road, so the king could only return to his country by swimming.

He commanded the coastal people to repair the road. But the sea was rough and seemed to spell trouble, so the coastal people held back, leaving their spades idle. Then the king ordered the people of the low lands to build a new dike, so that he could henceforth cross dry land. And so it happened. The king set off on his journey, and wherever a stream blocked his way, he, mounted high on his steed, thundered through it with wild force.

And thus King Ridewold still storms, even today, on dark, bleak autumn nights across the dike to the east, spreading fear and dread among the people.

Note that in the region of Ostfriesland, Ridewold is regarded to be Redbad and also named Robolius. According to this saga, Ridewold can be spotted, riding a snow-white horse, raging with his wild army during bad weather between Christmas and Epiphany, or Three Kings’ Day. Ridewold would hunt from his lair on the former Wadden Sea island of Bant near that of Ameland, crossing the Dollart Bight to the headland called die Knock at the southwestern edge of the region of Krummhörn. Especially children should stay away from the street and not look up to the sky, otherwise risking a kick from a hoof of Ridewold’s stallion.

Yet another regional saga tells that King Radbod often stayed on Nesterland, a former island in the Dollart Bight near the city of Emden, instead of the former island of Bant. A way that led from the town of Campen to that of Hinte and formerly continued to Emden is named after King Radbod and still bears the name, namely 'Kûn Reppers weg'.

Wiersma 1934, Siefkes 1963, Kuhn & Schwarz 2018

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Frisians, mathematics, and astronomy

The town of Franeker in the province of Friesland is the tiffany's of Frisians obsessed with astronomy and deep space. In this charming town you can find the tiny but truly unique Eise Eisinga Planetarium Museum. Eise Jeltes Eisinga, a wool carder, built between 1774 and 1781, in his living room an orrery. The amazing thing is it still works, it never stopped, and it is still accurate! With this it is the oldest working planetarium of the world. In the year 2023, the Eise Planetarium was listed as a UNESCO world heritage site.

Eise Eisinga Planetarium Museum, Franeker, province Friesland

Franeker is also the birthplace of another Frisian astronomer, namely Jan Hendrik Oort (1900-1992). He is famous in his world and discovered among other the Oort Cloud.

Then we also have to mention the famous sixteenth-century astronomer Jemme Reinerszoon (1508-1555) alias Gemma Frisius from Dokkum. More Frisian astronomers are: pastor David Faber (1564-1617) alias David Fabricius from Esens, Sybrandt Hansz. Cardinael (1578-1647) from Harlingen, minister Johannes Fabricius (1587-1616) from Resterhafe, cartographer Nikolaas Kruik (1678-1754) alias Nicolaus Cruquius from the Wadden Sea island of Vlieland, philosopher Johannes Phocylidus Holwarda (1618-1651) from Holwerd, lightning rod developer and telescope builder Arjen Roelofs (1754-1828) and his two brothers Pieter and Albert from Hijum, Adriaan van Maanen (1884-1946) from Sneek, Herman Zanstra (1894-1972), Willem de Sitter (1872-1934) from Sneek, too, and Pieter Oosterhoff (1904-1978) from Leeuwarden. Albeit not a Frisian but also from the Wadden Sea region, is astronomer professor Kees de Jager (1921-2021) born on the Wadden Sea island of Texel. And, because he is a Nobel Prize winner for his research on superconductors, we like to list also Heike Kamerlingh Onnes (1853-1926) from the town of Groningen.

As to why Frisians—or people from the Wadden Sea region for that matter—are so much into astronomy, mathematics, and physics, has been debated for centuries. Of all the telescope engineers in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries in the Netherlands, two-third originated from the province of Friesland (Zuidervaart 1995). In the eighteenth century, it was broadly being suggested Frisians had a specific talent or nature for mathematics and astronomy. For physical sciences in general. Among other, it was Adriaan Gilles Camper (1759-1820), curator of the Academy of Franeker, who suggested this. Also, the non-biased Frisian writer Waling Dykstra (1895) suggested this special interest of Frisians in astronomy, mathematics, and physics.

A more sound explanation than deviate DNA combinations, however, is that in the early modern period in the province of Friesland, a fine network existed to learn astronomy and mathematics, including an academy c.q. university, that of Franeker, which distinguished itself in these study areas compared to other universities in Europe. In addition, non-students could also receive lectures in mathematics at Franeker University (Dijkstra 2021). It is no coincidence that door meten tot weten, which translates to 'measuring is knowing,' was Heike Kamerlingh Onnes' motto.

Maybe—we humble hikers of the Frisia Coast Trail add to the explanation of Dijkstra—it has to do even more with the unique maritime cultural history of the Frisians. Frisian mariners dominated the sea trade in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea for many centuries and, in the early modern period, the whaling in the Arctic. Navigating those seas could only be done with a thorough knowledge of the moon and stars in the sky and of mathematics. In our blog post Happy Hunting Grounds in the Arctic, we described the unique and refined system of private sea navigation schools that existed in the region of Nordfriesland during the early modern period. But also in the Netherlands, on several of the Frisian Wadden Sea islands and in the port towns of Harlingen and Delfzijl, sea navigation schools existed early. The study of astronomy and mathematics belonged to the core of these navigation schools. This aspect of the regional maritime culture might be the deeper, underlying reason why the Frisians, both amateurs and scholars of the academy of Franeker, distinguished itself in, especially, astronomy and mathematics.

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Note 1 — Besides Jack Lousma, more Americans of Frisian descent travelled through space. They were David Leetsma (born Muskegon, 1946) whose ancestors came from the village of Tzummarum in the province of Friesland, and Shannon Mathilda Wells Lucid (born Shanghai, 1943) whose ancestors came from the villages of Lioessens and Ferwerd in the province of Friesland. Lucid also holds the record for being the most days in space, both men and women. Chew on that guys!

Lastly, the first Dutch astronaut was Wubbo Ockels. From October 30, till November 6, 1985, Wubbo stayed in space as crew of spaceshuttle Challenger. When you track down his family tree, his ancestors of paternal line originate from the province of Groningen, and before that from the region of Ostfriesland. We are just saying...

Note 2 — Molecular biologist, writer and businessman Glen de Vries 'the Frisian', born in Hampton Township in the state of New Jersey, travelled to space with rocket company Blue Origin in October 2021. Here he stayed for about ten minutes, after which they 'dropped' back to earth. Only a few weeks after his space adventure, Glen de Vries died in a small airplane crash at the age of only 49.

Note 3 — At the hamlet of Nieuwe Statenzijl you can go to the hide called the Kiekkaaste which translates in the Low-Saxon speech (i.e. Grunnings) as 'looking-out cabinet'. It is placed on the tidal marshland of the Dollart Bight and managed by the trust Het Groninger Landschap. It is very scenic!

Note 4 — In this post we offered and new explanation as to why Frisians were so in to astronomy, physics, and mathematics. Of course, this preference might also have to do with the slightly autistic and linear trait of the Frisians? 😉—check our blog post Giants of Twilight Land. Creatures of the Rim. Door meten tot weten, remember!

After all, it was a Frisian from, yet again, the town of Franeker, surveyor Johannes Sems (1572-1635), who drew in the year 1615 the first dead-straight territorial border of the world (Freriks & Storms 2022); the so-called Semslinie ‘Sems’ frontline’. It was a thirty-four-kilometer-long, straight line marking the border between the provinces of Groningen and Drenthe, starting at the village of Wolfsbarge and terminating at the village of Ter Apel. A wet frontline cutting through the back then inaccessible, smelly swamps and black moors.

Suggested music

Silver Connection, Fly Robin Fly (1975)

Schilling, P., Major Tom (Coming Home) (1983)

Lenny Kravitz, Fly Away (1988)

Suggested hiking

Whether hiking or cycling, you can make the round trip around the Dollart Bight following the Internationale Dollard Route. Check the site www.dollard-route.de both in the German and Dutch languages.

Further reading

Dijkstra, A., De Hemelbouwer. Een biografie van Eise Eisinga (2021)

Dirks, C.H., Geschichte Ostfrieslands. Von der Freiheit der Friesen bis zu Deutschlands witzigstem Otto (2023)

Dykstra, W., Uit Friesland's Volksleven. Van vroeger en later (1966)

Freriks, K. & Storms, M., Grensverkenningen. Langs oude grenzen in Nederland (2022)

Haan, de P. & Huisman, K. (eds.), Gevierde Friezen in Amerika (2009)

Kuhn, A. & Schwarz, W., Norddeutsche Sagen, Märchen und Gebräuche. Aus Mecklenburg, Pommern, Sachsen, Thüringen, Braunschweig, Hannover, Oldenburg und Westfalen (2018)

Savelkouls, J., Het Friese Paard (2016)

Siefkes, W., Ostfriesische Sagen und sagenhafte Geschichten (1963)

Tuuk, van der L., De Saksen. Middeleeuwse geschiedenis van de Lage Landen (2024)

Wiersma, J.P., Friesche sagen (1934)

Zuidervaart, H.J., Speculatie, Wetenschap en Vernuft. Fysica en astronomie volgens Wytze Poppes Dongjuma (1707-1778), instrumentmaker te Leeuwarden (1995)