See also Article Friesland (region)

The Frisians are a Germanic people belonging to ethno-linguistic terms westique branch. This people has probably formed late ⁱⁿ the second century AD, and could be mistaken, originally, with its closest neighbors: the Angles , the Jutes and the Saxons.

In the eighth ^century, the Anglo-Saxons on the island of Britain retained the memory of this common origin: it was, according to the Venerable Bede , the factor that triggered the sending of Christian missions on the continent English Germanic ^seventh until 'in the ninth ^century.

All the ethnic groups mentioned above inhabited in Roman times the northern plain of Germany (current Lnder of Schleswig-Holstein and Lower Saxony ), part of the Netherlands and the peninsula of Jutland in Denmark. If one refers to the Roman conquest of Britain or acts of piracy committed in the early ^fifth century on the northern coast of the Roman Empire Continental (the saxonicus litus ), we must believe that these people had facing the sea and practiced long coasting along the shores of the North Sea. Language Frisian (probably closely related to that of former Belgian), survived: it is now a minority language spoken in the region of the Netherlands which have constituted the cradle of the ethnic Frisians: the province of Friesland (Friesland), while the Netherlands is mainly derived, meanwhile, the Frankish , the language of the Franks , introduced by them ⁱⁿ the fifth century.

Roman period

Distribution of the Germanic peoples in the ^first century AD. AD

The curls are cited by Julius Caesar in the Gallic Wars , where the Roman general shows his interest in race horses have become famous as the "curls" and wearing combat riders in this region. The Roman Empire recognizes the Frisians crafts, including military, higher than their neighbors siblings or Belgian. The weapons forged in Friesland are being sold on markets in the North Sea that govern the Frisians master when the Roman armies penetrated into northern Europe. It was at this time that the sea is called Frisian Wed. Established outside the original boundaries of the Roman Empire, the Frisians were among peoples subjected to tribute under the imperium of Augustus (pre -14 ) pressed by the demands of primipilaire Olennius, they revolted under the imperium of Tiberius in 28 (Source: Tacitus , Annals, IV). Their victory at the Battle of wood Baduhenne allowed them to live "free" on their land until ^mid-third century, Rome had abandoned extend his empire beyond the Rhine.

To 250 , probably as a result of rising waters, the Frisians had to abandon their land protected by flood "mounds" within the continent they are difficult to reach due to movements of other Germanic tribes, they harassed with Saxon maritime borders of the Roman Empire where they eventually settle, particularly in the maritime Flanders , in Kent and along the coast of the North Sea in Britain island , where cohorts of auxiliaries of the Roman army were already established (to Cuneus Frisiorum Vinoviensium and Cuneus Frisiorum Vercoviciensium). This was stirred by the significant political crisis of the ^mid-third century, including Gaul and of Britain: several coins struck under the imperium of Caesar brief Posthumus ( 260 - 261 ) and decorated with a galley show the importance at that time the Roman maritime defense against these hackers.

In the early ^fifth century, Frisian pirates led expeditions of plunder on the coast of the North Sea to the English Channel, that's when some of them had to form at least temporary facilities on the southeast coast of the island of Britain , later participated in the massive invasion of this province by the Anglo-Saxons (source: Procopius of Caesarea ), invasion that historiography traditionally placed to 450.

The Middle Ages

As for the Frisians remained on the continent (north-east of the Netherlands and north-west of present-day Germany), they soon ran into the hands of the Franks : they converted to Christianity from the baptism of Clovis ( 481 or 486 ) were established in what is now Belgium. After the Frisians content, they extended their realms in Germany and tried to submit the pagan Frisian.

Become dangerous neighboring kingdoms Merovingian after Clovis had submitted the Rhine Franks , Frisians took advantage of disorders related to estates at the time of the first Merovingians. ^I. Thierry (c. 485 - 534 ) and braved the imposed a tribute ( 515 ). But these Gentiles spread to the west around Utrecht , the Dorestad and into Flanders Marine ( Westhoek French ) whose first name was Frisia.

Thereafter and during the whole of the Merovingian period, the Frisians took advantage of the struggles that mobilized the military capabilities of the Frankish kingdoms in order to retain their independence in 716 , the mayor of the palace Neustrian Ragenfred them even asked for a truce to defeat the ' Austrasia.

In the early ^seventh century, while the wealth of the Franks was essentially earth, merchants and pirates curls maintained relations with the Scandinavian world and controlled most of southern coasts of the North Sea: the latter was known for this reason under the name "sea Frisian" and areas dominated by the Frisians then formed a "great Friesland '(Magna Frisia), extending from the Scheldt to the Weser and unknown pretty much as soon as one moves away from the coast and rivers.

Evangelism and conquest of Friesland

It is with the Christian missions undertaken from the Merovingian period as the Frisians came true in history.

The Merovingian period

The Life of Saint Eloi mentions that he (d. 660 ), who was previously an adviser of kings Clotaire II and Dagobert ^I. , began to convert some Frisians established on the Belgian coast from the diocese of Antwerp (after 641 ), whose efforts had little success is likely, given subsequent events. Another missionary honest attempt to evangelize the Frisians for five years, from 657 to 673 : St. Vulfran (Source: Vita Vulfranni).

Ultimately, the Christianization of the West Friesland was the result of Anglo-Saxon missionaries, supported and relayed by the military honest. It lasted from the end of the Merovingian period until the late ninth ^century.

Following Wilfrid of York who spent the year 678 on the Frisian coast after a shipwreck, the English monks went to the mainland to convert their pagan brothers remained from the late seventh ^century and the first half of the eighth ^century. They spoke a language close to that of the Frisians, this did not prevent them from resisting eagerly with the religion of their enemies. Thus, two missionaries appointed Hewald were martyred in Friesland in the fall 690 (source: the Venerable Bede , Ecclesiastical History of the English people).

Meanwhile, the French began the military conquest of Friesland. The Frisians were submitted for the first time in the reign of Radbod by Pepin of Herstal : the mayor of the palace Austrasian then founded the bishopric franc of Utrecht , at whose head he placed the English missionary Willibrord (d. 739 ) in 696. The Frankish aristocracy was divided land of the Frisians in several key areas, but this aroused undue political resistance Frisian.

After Pepin died, the Frisians were temporarily freed from the yoke Austrasian after concluding a peace agreement with the Neustrians and following the victory of the latter on Austrasians.

However, Charles Martel , son of Pepin, shortly after the faced and defeated again Radbod in the wars he waged to restore the power of the Franks at the borders of their kingdom ( 717 - 719 ).

Carolingian period

Although I really started ⁱⁿ the seventh century, the evangelization of the Frisians period lasted until the Carolingian : incorporated into the empire of Charlemagne , Friesland became a county fair after 785.

Until 754 , the efforts of the English missionary Winfrid, that is to say, St. Boniface , led to the conversion of many Frisians without Friesland was Christianized, however. The business of the latter in particular encountered hostilities between Radbod and Charles Martel (c. 715 ), and the unpopularity of the Frankish power. Having evangelized the Bavarians and Thuringia , in turn Winfrid undergoes martyrdom at the hands of the Frisians in Dokkum , near Groningen , in 755.

The annexation of East Frisia (the area extending from the Zuiderzee to the mouth of the Weser ) by the Franks was not gained, apparently, that after 782 or 785. At this date last Widukind , the resistance leader of the pagan Saxons submitted himself to Charlemagne. Nevertheless, the political situation remained tense for several more years for the Franks.

The Chapterhouse partibus Saxons, who established the division of Saxony was conquered by Charlemagne in 787 , led the uprising against the Saxons, the Franks. At the invitation of the Saxons, Frisians remained pagan rose in turn. They also suffered bloody reprisals of the Frankish army.

The Frisians in the Middle Ages

After becoming a county fair, Friesland became part of Francia median after the Treaty of Verdun ( 843 ), before being integrated into East Francia ( Germany ) and become part of the Holy Roman Empire.

After having maintained for several centuries of trade relations with the Vikings of Denmark , to Sweden and Norway , the Frisians were unable to contain the attack of the Danish who saw them excellent weapons manufacturers. Frisians, who lived for some time under Danish rule after the collapse of the Carolingian power ( 879 - 882 ), then became the subjects of the Saxon king Henry I the Fowler in 925.

Divided into several political entities after a period dominated by the imperial bishopric of Utrecht , a large part of Friesland fell increasingly under the domination of the counts of Holland from the ^twelfth century until the fourteenth ^century: it this time that the Netherlands it gradually imposed as the dominant language.

Chronology of the "kings" Frisian

The "kings" of the Middle Ages curls are known thanks to the English church historian Bede (d. 735 ).

• Eadgils (? - 677 )
• Radbod ( 679 - 719 )
• Hrodbad ( 719 - 734 )

See also

• Frisiavons

Bibliography

• Riche, Pierre, The Carolingians, a family that made Europe, Paris. ( ISBN 2-012788513 )
• The Vikings, Science & Vie, 2006.

External Links

• Revolt of the Frisians in 28 , in the Annals of Tacitus : translation in French on the site of the BCS (University of Laudun)
• The Frisians and their history in Language Planning in the world , by Jacques Leclerc at the site of the University of Laval in Quebec.

• Portal of the High Middle Ages

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