Northener
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- NW Euro
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- E1b1b/ E-V22
Hypothesis: from the fifth until eight century AD Friesland was a "Nordic plant". It was some sort of outlier of the Scandinavian world.
The power configuration at that time was according to JAW Nicolay (2006):
Gudme (with star) in Denmark was that days power center (of the North).
This is partly based on the Scandic bracteate that played an important part in the confirmation of the power network (JAW Nicolay 2006):
How come?
In the aftermath of the Roman Empire the Frisian coastal area had a severe population decline. Archeologist are still arguing how fare this was the case. The communis opinion of the last few years is that the more we go to the west in the Frisian coastal area (Dutch and German) the more population decline.
The part of Friesland which was most affected was (later on) called Westergo
Some stated about Westergo in the fourth century: 'you could only hear the seagulls cry.'
But in the fifth and sixth century this changed, there was an influx of two upstreams:
a. in the first half fifth century (or earlier) of the Saxons (Chauci) and Angles;
b. in the second half of the fifth century the Southern Scandinavians.
Again Nicolay (2006):
This migrations, especially the last one, pulled Friesland in the Scandic/Germanic world. And especially the previously abandoned Westergo developed as a major stronghold of the Southern Scandinavian/ Danish world. The most Scandic related findings are to be found in this area. The Frisians began in this period for the first time to use runes etc.
See this work of Nicolay (in English) with the striking title: Odin in Friesland!
https://www.academia.edu/35420221/O...g_the_Migration_and_Early_Merovingian_periods
This break between the Frisii of the Roman period and the Frisians afterwards is still not 100% in the collective Dutch mind. In the first half of the twentieth century when Prof. Boeles did a suggestion, based on pottery, of this influxes the patriotic Frisians could keelhaul him, because this ment some sort of discontinuity in the Frisian history. But nowadays it's more and more accepted (but not overall).
Recently I have tested my (and my parents) autosomal DNA, and David of Eurogenes plots me and my father in the corner of the early Anglo-Saxons and the modern Danes (the blue crosses):
My fathers' side is mostly from the North Sea coast districts (my mother is slightly on distance, her ancestors are more from inland North Dutch). Anyhow it shows for me the deep impact of the Nordic influx on the North Dutch.
The relevance for the discussion here is that the Frisians in the fifth, sixth and seventh century AD are to bee seen in 'Southern Scandinavian' context. Until now they are in this respect (the very early middle ages) mostly seen in the Frisian context as such, not as a Danish/Southern Scandinavian derivative (what certainly was the case).
What could be the consequence of that. We can look with another eye to for example Beowulf.
Gregory of Tours (c. 538–594 AD) mentions a Danish king Chlochilaichus who was killed there while invading Frankish territory in the early 6th century. From the early republishing of Beowulf this is seen as the equivalent of Hygelac a personage in Beowulf. Hygelac, as shown by A.S Christensen, this personage in Beowulf is not to be seen as Chlochilaichus. When Hygelac is to be seen as king, or chieftain, of the Geats he was probably someone in the power networks as shown by Nicolay. When he, as part of the Southern Scandinavian power network, belonged to the Frisian allies, he could shown bravery to fight the 'enemy' : the Franks in their Rhineland territory. But that's my interpretation.
Chlochilaichus himself could indeed be the Danish king, he had a major stronghold in Friesland. From the Frisian territory Northern France is within reach. The Frisian-Frankish controversy was for centuries a major struggle. In the end the Franks were victorious. As a result of that the Frisians were pulled into a Western-European context in stead of a Nordic one.
Finn Folcwalding, the first Frisian king, is most likely a Frisian chieftain also of the Southern Scandinavian entourage, as mentioned in Beowulf 'he must honor the Danes' (the Danish king!?).
But Beowulf is in the first place not to be seen as the work of a nowadays historian. It's poetic. It aims not to be historically precise but is more a epic tale, a inspiring tale of heros from the past. De n'importe quoi if it's sixth or seventh or eight century. Some tribes were 'confused'.
May be we can look with other eyes to the work of Bede too.
In the end it stays pretty confusing the "North Sea people amalgam" was in the beginning of the middle ages such a "plate of spaghetti" that it's not always easy to pinpoint exactly.
But one thing looks clear : the Frisians of the early middle ages (fifth-eight century AD), were part of the Nordic world. Only after the subjection to the Franks they became part of the West-European world.....
The power configuration at that time was according to JAW Nicolay (2006):
Gudme (with star) in Denmark was that days power center (of the North).
This is partly based on the Scandic bracteate that played an important part in the confirmation of the power network (JAW Nicolay 2006):
How come?
In the aftermath of the Roman Empire the Frisian coastal area had a severe population decline. Archeologist are still arguing how fare this was the case. The communis opinion of the last few years is that the more we go to the west in the Frisian coastal area (Dutch and German) the more population decline.
The part of Friesland which was most affected was (later on) called Westergo
Some stated about Westergo in the fourth century: 'you could only hear the seagulls cry.'
But in the fifth and sixth century this changed, there was an influx of two upstreams:
a. in the first half fifth century (or earlier) of the Saxons (Chauci) and Angles;
b. in the second half of the fifth century the Southern Scandinavians.
Again Nicolay (2006):
This migrations, especially the last one, pulled Friesland in the Scandic/Germanic world. And especially the previously abandoned Westergo developed as a major stronghold of the Southern Scandinavian/ Danish world. The most Scandic related findings are to be found in this area. The Frisians began in this period for the first time to use runes etc.
See this work of Nicolay (in English) with the striking title: Odin in Friesland!
https://www.academia.edu/35420221/O...g_the_Migration_and_Early_Merovingian_periods
This break between the Frisii of the Roman period and the Frisians afterwards is still not 100% in the collective Dutch mind. In the first half of the twentieth century when Prof. Boeles did a suggestion, based on pottery, of this influxes the patriotic Frisians could keelhaul him, because this ment some sort of discontinuity in the Frisian history. But nowadays it's more and more accepted (but not overall).
Recently I have tested my (and my parents) autosomal DNA, and David of Eurogenes plots me and my father in the corner of the early Anglo-Saxons and the modern Danes (the blue crosses):
My fathers' side is mostly from the North Sea coast districts (my mother is slightly on distance, her ancestors are more from inland North Dutch). Anyhow it shows for me the deep impact of the Nordic influx on the North Dutch.
The relevance for the discussion here is that the Frisians in the fifth, sixth and seventh century AD are to bee seen in 'Southern Scandinavian' context. Until now they are in this respect (the very early middle ages) mostly seen in the Frisian context as such, not as a Danish/Southern Scandinavian derivative (what certainly was the case).
What could be the consequence of that. We can look with another eye to for example Beowulf.
Gregory of Tours (c. 538–594 AD) mentions a Danish king Chlochilaichus who was killed there while invading Frankish territory in the early 6th century. From the early republishing of Beowulf this is seen as the equivalent of Hygelac a personage in Beowulf. Hygelac, as shown by A.S Christensen, this personage in Beowulf is not to be seen as Chlochilaichus. When Hygelac is to be seen as king, or chieftain, of the Geats he was probably someone in the power networks as shown by Nicolay. When he, as part of the Southern Scandinavian power network, belonged to the Frisian allies, he could shown bravery to fight the 'enemy' : the Franks in their Rhineland territory. But that's my interpretation.
Chlochilaichus himself could indeed be the Danish king, he had a major stronghold in Friesland. From the Frisian territory Northern France is within reach. The Frisian-Frankish controversy was for centuries a major struggle. In the end the Franks were victorious. As a result of that the Frisians were pulled into a Western-European context in stead of a Nordic one.
Finn Folcwalding, the first Frisian king, is most likely a Frisian chieftain also of the Southern Scandinavian entourage, as mentioned in Beowulf 'he must honor the Danes' (the Danish king!?).
But Beowulf is in the first place not to be seen as the work of a nowadays historian. It's poetic. It aims not to be historically precise but is more a epic tale, a inspiring tale of heros from the past. De n'importe quoi if it's sixth or seventh or eight century. Some tribes were 'confused'.
May be we can look with other eyes to the work of Bede too.
In the end it stays pretty confusing the "North Sea people amalgam" was in the beginning of the middle ages such a "plate of spaghetti" that it's not always easy to pinpoint exactly.
But one thing looks clear : the Frisians of the early middle ages (fifth-eight century AD), were part of the Nordic world. Only after the subjection to the Franks they became part of the West-European world.....
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