#frisia

[vintagegermany]

North Frisia, Germany 1890s

[veiligplekje]

Cranberry harvest on Terschelling, the Netherlands

[mothmiso]

Waddeneilanden (2) (3) (4) by Jeroen Hillenga

Via Flickr:

(1) (2) (3) Ameland (4) Engels gras     

[tinyuglyworld]

Costumes from different areas of Western Germany. Scanned from a magazine about the Federal Republic of Germany, ca. 1970s-80s

Left to right: Schwarzwald, Upper Bavaria, Schwalm-Eder, Heligoland (North Frisia)

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

Redbad, the last pagan king of Frisia (Northern Netherlands) refused to convert to Christianity because "preferred spending eternity in Hell with his pagan ancestors than in Heaven with his enemies."

Based.

[ochipi]

Archaeological things that made me happy 2

The Wijnaldum Fibula, a bow brooch from Great Frisia, was found plowed to bits. Metal detectorists and archaeologists spend years searching the fields of Wijnaldum trying to complete the brooch and to the world’s (and my) joy, the brooch was reassembled to its most complete form in 1500 years.

The garnet inlay originates from India, and two Dirham coins were found, signifying long distance trade with the East.

Just for the fun of it, can you spot Wotan’s face in the garnet inlay?

[merovingian-marvels]

Dorestad Fibula

The Dorestad Fibula (brooch) was found in the Dutch village Wijk bij Duurstede, the successor of the Early Medieval Emporium Dorestad.

Dated between 775-800, this brooch is classified as Frisian. Decorated with gold, garnets from East Asia, pearls, enamel and glass, this brooch belonged to an exceptionally rich merchant.

The brooch depicts the tree of life with leafs and fruits. The green inlay portray stylized bird heads.

RMO Leiden, Netherlands

Object nr. F1978/1.1,

Found in Wijk bij Duurstede-Utrecht, Netherlands.

[priestess-of-the-north-west]

It's great to be able to show that runes were being carved in the Netherlands. This is one of the 23 currently known Frisian rune findings: the Westeremden (a location in the North-East of the Netherlands) yew stick, found in 1918 and dated 5th-8th century.  It can be seen in the Groninger Museum. 

Made of Yew (Dutch: Taxus, or IJf) which is not a tree that generally could be found in this area. The inscription reads like a blessing or spell for luck/happiness. To me, this is Frisian galðr:

ophæmujiBAdaæmluþ wimœBæhþuSA iwioKuPdunale:

(Source: de Gruyter.)

Elmar Seebold (in 1990) reads:

ophæmu givëda æmluþ: iwi ok upduna (a)le wimôv æh þusë

Tineke Looijenga (in 1997) reads:

op hæmu jibada æmluþ : iwi ok up duna (a)le wimœd æh þusa

(Source) Interpreted as something like:

luck (amluþ) stays (gibada) at home (op hæmu); and (ok) at the yew (iwi) may it grow (ale) on the hill (up duna); Wimœd has (æh) this (þusa)

Modern Frisians translate it into:

op de boerderij (heem) blijft voorspoed; laat het groeien bij de ijf (taxus) op de terp; dit is (eigendom) van Wimoed (Source.)

Interestingly, this 5th-8th century Frisian Futhorc differs slightly from the more commonly known elder Futhark. (Context: the Elder Futhark in the Scandinavian areas transitioned towards the Younger Futhark in the 7th-8th century).

Here are a few interpretations by different writers:

By Parsons.

By Grimmsma.

By Terpen en Wierdenland.