 800: Frisians lived on terps  Frisian trading routes  Part of an Old Frisian lawbook  Frisian soldier with lance (1350) |
<< Long long ago, Frisians lived on terps. Because of the water they could sail with ships. >> << With their ships they went to sell and buy goods. So they became the greatest traders of Northwest Europe. So the Frisians became very wealthy and ate good meals. Because of that, they grew tall and were good soldiers.>> << You cannot force a trader, because then he sails with his goods in the ship. Therefore the Frisians were free and they had democratic laws. Later on trade disappeared and the Frisians became farmers. Therefore they had to build dikes to protect their fields.>> << You can easier seize a farmer than a trader; so soldiers started to dominate. Democracuy disappeared and their was much fighting. Parties tried to obtain help from outside and so in the year 1498 Dutch troops came onto Friesland. Freedom was gone and after 1530 nothing was written in Frisian. |
 Ship on old coin  Rich ornament from a terp  1200: Frisians lived behind dikes |