‘The law of all Frisians’

Law as an Instrument of Community Building in the

Medieval Frisian Coastal Area

Han Nijdam

Negative Positive enslavement freedomwooden neck band golden necklacehairdo unspec. hair shavennaked dressedlow highlawless having lawwithout honour with honour********************************North SouthRedbad CharlemagneVikings, Danes Frisianspagans Christiansklipskelde huslotha

Totius Frisie seal (1338)

Wall painting, 13th century

Bartholomeus Anglicus (ca. 1203 –1272)

Nearly all men wear their hair shaven all round. They see this as a symbol of status. The higher their status, the shorter they have their hair cut. The Frisians are a free nation, not subdued to anyone outside their own people. They risk their lives in defence of their freedom and they would rather die than having to suffer the yoke of thralldom. It is therefore that they reject knightly dignities and they do not allow anyone to establish himself as higher in status because of these knightly dignities. They subject themselves, however, to judges whom they choose annually from amongst their midst. These judges control and administrate all public affairs.

More Old Frisian material at:

www.fryske-akademy.nl/tdb

See also:

www.hisgis.nl