LOCATION: The Netherlands (province of Friesland); Germany; Denmark;North America
POPULATION: 643,000 in Friesland; 50,000 in the North Frisians Islands
LANGUAGE: Dutch;Frisian;English;French;German
RELIGION: Protestant; Mennonite
INTRODUCTION
Frisians, who live in Friesland, a northern province of the Netherlands, value their independence as a unique ethnic group. The only Dutch province to retain its own language, Friesland resisted foreign domination for much of its history, and some Frisians still harbor dreams of regaining their political independence some day. They have their own flag, coat of arms, national anthem, and national drink. However, Friesland shares the basic Dutch struggle to protect its land from the sea. Like other low-lying parts of the Netherlands, it owes its existence to the resourcefulness of its people in fending off the perpetual threat of flooding. Frisians began building the "Golden Hoop" of dikes to extend the length of their coastline as long ago as ad 1000, draining their land with that most quintessential of Dutch symbols-the windmill.
There is archaeological evidence of Frisian culture as early as 400 to 200 bc. The Frisians traded hides to the Romans during the 1st century ad but successfully fended them off when they demanded tribute payments, forcing the Romans to retreat from the region by ad 70. The Frisians' political and territorial power peaked between ad 700 and 900, before the Franks—a Germanic tribe that had resided in Friesland since ad 350—consolidated their control of the region. The Franks brought Christianity to Friesland, although it took several centuries for the new religion to become well established, and even then a body of pre-Christian beliefs survived, intertwined with the symbols and observances of Christianity. During the Middle Ages, many of the scattered Frisian farms were consolidated into villages, and the region's 11 cities, independent of county control, were established.
Continuing their independent tradition, the Frisians resisted domination by the Saxons in the 14th and 15th centuries under the rallying cry, "Free and Frisian, without Tax or Excise." Friesland was one of 17 provinces making up the Low Countries (the Netherlands together with present-day Belgium and Luxembourg) that rebelled against Spanish rule in the mid-16th century, acknowledging William of Orange as their leader. In 1579, under the Treaty of Utrecht, Friesland joined with six other northern provinces—Holland, Zeeland, Groningen, Overijssel, Gelderland, and Utrecht—to form the "Seven United Provinces," the forerunner of the modern Netherlands. The Dutch became a leading commercial and colonial power in the 17th century, establishing settlements and colonies in both the Eastern and Western hemispheres. While Holland's strong economic position made it the dominant member of the union, Friesland maintained a high degree of regional autonomy.
Weakened by naval wars with Britain, the Dutch were defeated by the French revolutionary armies in 1795 and remained under French rule through the Napoleonic period. Supporting the House of Orange, led by King William I, Friesland became part of the kingdom of the Netherlands, which was established at the Congress of Vienna in 1814. (The Netherlands originally included Belgium, which broke away in 1830 to establish its own kingdom.) In the 20th century, the Netherlands remained neutral in World War I and declared neutrality in World War II but was invaded by the German army. The Dutch resistance, in which the independent-minded Frisians played an active role, incurred heavy losses, and the country suffered severe repression until it was liberated by Allied forces in 1945.
LOCATION AND HOMELAND
Friesland is one of the northernmost provinces of the Netherlands. It is bounded on the west and north by the Wadden Sea (Waddenzee), on the east by the provinces of Groningen and Drenthe, on the south by the province of Overijssel, and on the southwest by the Zuider Zee (Ijssel Meer). The province has an area of 3,357 sq km (1,297 sq mi), most of which is below sea level. Four of the five Wadden Islands also belong to Friesland. The people of this land, which was reclaimed from the sea some 2,000 years ago, have waged a continuous struggle against storms and flooding. A landmark in that struggle is the 20-mile-long Friesland dike, built in 1934, which connects the province to Noord-Holland to the west and encloses the waters of the Ijssel Meer, essentially turning it into a lake. In addition to the waters of its long coastline, Friesland has some 30 other lakes. The region's soil is a mixture of sand, clay, and peat.
As of 2005, Friesland had a population of 643,000. Frisians are an insular, self-reliant people, proud of their ethnic heritage, which some claim is unique to the Netherlands. Most native Frisians remain in the province throughout their lives, and many can trace their ancestry 200 years or more.
Frisians live in other parts of the Netherlands, as well as in Germany, Denmark, and North America. In Germany, most Frisians live in Lower Saxony, which is near the Netherlands, or in Schleswig-Holstein, which is near Denmark. The Ost-friesland Islands are made up of seven islands (Borkum, Juist, Norderney, Baltrum, Langeoog, Spiekeroog, and Wangerooge). Located in the North Sea, they are popular vacation spots and are home to a national park. The Ostfriesland Peninsula is near the Netherlands border and the Jadebusen Bay. The capital is Emden. Off Schleswig-Holstein, the North Friesian Islands (Nørd Friesische Insel) are home to 50,000 Danes.
LANGUAGE
Although Dutch is the official language of Friesland, as elsewhere in the Netherlands, about half of Friesland's 643,000 residents speak both Dutch and Frisian. Frisian is a Germanic language that is similar to Dutch and English. There are three Frisian dialects: Northern, Eastern, and Western. Most Frisian speakers use the language at home but speak Dutch in the workplace and other public settings. It is common to combine the two languages into a hybrid called "Town Frisian." In addition, many Netherlanders speak (or at least understand) English, French, and German, which are taught in the secondary schools. The fishing village of Hindelopen is unusual in that it has its own dialect. With a population of 900, it is believed to be the smallest town in the world to publish its own dictionary.
FOLKLORE
Friesland has a substantial body of Germanic folklore that has survived from pre-Christian times. Popular tales and superstitions feature a variety of devils, ghosts, witches, elves, wizards, and trolls, as well as female spirits who may help or harm travelers. (The dangerous ones, said to live underground and kidnap travelers in the night, are called "white ladies.") According to a popular folk belief, funeral processions should follow a winding path to confuse the spirit of the deceased so that it will not be able to return and haunt the living. For the same reason, the coffin is traditionally carted around the cemetery three times before being interred.
"The Seven Wishes" is a traditional Frisian folktale set at a time when the land was believed to be populated by Little People. It is the story of an old fisherman named Jan and his wife, Tryn. One day Jan caught a magic silver fish that promised him seven wishes, on the condition that he choose wisely. The humble fisherman's only desire was for a new boat because his old one was about to fall apart. However, his wife got carried away by greed, demanding a new house, furnishings, servants, and other luxuries. Finally, she demanded absolute power, and the fish took away everything it had given them. The old woman learned her lesson, the couple realized that what truly mattered to each of them was the other, and they contentedly resumed their modest existence.
RELIGION
In the Netherlands, 31% of the population is Catholic and 41% have no religion; however, Protestantism is the majority religion in Friesland. About 85% of Frisians belong to one of two Calvinist churches, the Dutch Reformed Church (Hervormde Kerk) or the Reformed Church (Gereformeerde Kerk), and 5% are Mennonites. Some Frisians still retain certain pre-Christian beliefs (called byleauwe) dating back to the 8th and 9th centuries.
MAJOR HOLIDAYS
Frisians observe the Dutch legal holidays—New Year's Day (January 1), the Queen's Birthday (April 30), Memorial Day (May 4), National Liberation Day (May 5), and Christmas (December 25-26)—as well as other standard holidays of the Christian calendar, including Good Friday, Holy Saturday, Easter Monday, Ascension, and Whitmonday. Easter is considered an especially important holiday. It is observed with a special dinner and an Easter egg hunt similar to those held in the United States. The Queen's Birthday is another important occasion, marked by flag displays and parades. On this day, girls wear orange ribbons in their hair in honor of the royal family, the House of Orange. Frisians, like other Dutch people, observe Christmas by attending church services. In the Netherlands, the gift giving that people in other countries associate with Christmas takes place on December 6, the day devoted to Saint Nicholas (Sinterklaes , the Dutch equivalent of Santa Claus). According to tradition, Saint Nick and his helper, called Black Peter, sail to the Netherlands from Spain to give children candy and other gifts.
RITES OF PASSAGE
Frisians live in a modern, industrialized, Christian country. Hence, many of the rites of passage that young people undergo are religious rituals, such as the sacraments of baptism, first communion, confirmation, and marriage. In addition, a student's progress through the education system is marked by many families with graduation parties.
INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS
Frisians, like the residents of the neighboring province of Groningen, are regarded as unsophisticated by Netherlanders living in the southern part of the country. Historically, their perpetual struggle against the sea has given them a strong sense of community, expressed in the concept of buorreplicht, or "neighbor's duty." Helping one's neighbors in times of trouble was so crucial to survival that it was actually codified as law under Charlemagne during the Middle Ages. This sense of communal responsibility has survived as a tradition, and relations with one's neighbors have an importance that surpasses even the ties of kinship in holding Frisian communities together.
LIVING CONDITIONS
The traditional old-fashioned Frisian farmhouse consists of modest-sized living quarters connected to a barn by a narrow section containing a kitchen, milk cellar, and churning area. The living quarters are generally divided into an all-purpose family room and a formal parlor in which visitors are received. Tile roofs have largely replaced the older thatched roofs.
Like other people in the Netherlands, Frisians have access to modern, high-quality health care, and the costs are covered by a national health insurance system. In 2008 the average Dutch life expectancy was 79.25 years. The infant mortality rate was 4.81 deaths per 1,000 live births. Privately funded home nursing care is provided for children, the elderly, and pregnant women. Frisians enjoy the same extensive road network and state-owned railroad as people elsewhere in the Netherlands and share their passion for bicycling, a favorite form of transportation among the Dutch.
FAMILY LIFE
The nuclear family—called the gezin— plays a central role in Dutch life, in spite of the postwar increase in the number of unmarried couples living together. This trend, known as "homing," is as prevalent in Friesland as in other regions, and the divorce rate for Frisians is also on a par with that elsewhere in the Netherlands, as is the growing number of single-parent families. Instead of the elaborate church weddings of the past, many Frisians today opt for civil weddings. The average age at marriage has risen, as young people are choosing to complete their higher education before starting a family.
CLOTHING
Like other Dutch people, Frisians wear modern Western-style clothing for both casual and formal occasions. One distinguishing characteristic is their preference for wooden shoes—the modern variety, made of lightweight poplar and generally painted black with leather trim. They use them as functional footwear and not just for tourists or tradition.
FOOD
Like other Dutch people, Frisians prefer wholesome, simply prepared food, often cooked in butter. Dietary staples include seafood and dairy products, including the world-famous Dutch cheeses. Desserts are often served with whipped cream, and popular beverages include tea, coffee, and beer. The Frisian national drink is a potent, heartwarming Beerenburger, an herbal bitter. The Frisians eat a typical Dutch breakfast of sliced bread, meat, and cheese. Lunch generally consists of bread with jam and butter, cold meat, and buttermilk. A large dinner, served at about 6:00 pm, typically includes soup and a main dish containing meat and vegetables. French fries (patat frites)—typically served with mayonnaise or ketchup-are popular snacks, as are waffles smothered in whipped cream or caramel sauce.
EDUCATION
Students in Friesland, as in the rest of the Netherlands, must attend school from the ages of 6 to 16. The Frisian language is taught in public schools but not in Christian private schools. At the age of 12, all Dutch students take an exam that tracks them into a general, pre-university, or vocational school. At the age of 16, they take school certificate exams in a variety of subjects. There is a university in the capital city of Leeuwarden. Higher education is offered at 13 Dutch universities.
CULTURAL HERITAGE
The relative autonomy enjoyed by Friesland for much of its history has given its people a strong sense of ethnic and cultural identity, reinforced by the preservation of their language, folklore, and folk art. The town of Franeker houses the world's oldest planetarium, built in the 1770s by Eise Eisenga in his own home. Accurately demonstrating the movement of the planets (except for Uranus, which had not yet been discovered), Eisenga's model, which incorporates 10,000 hand-forged nails, has needed only minor adjustments since it was built more than 200 years ago.
WORK
The economy of Friesland is based primarily on agriculture, and many Frisians living in inland areas work on small family farms, raising crops or dairy cattle. The dairy, construction, and tourist industries are important employers.
SPORTS
Popular sports in Friesland include cycling, sailing, canoeing, and ice skating. Friesland is home to the famous Elfstedentocht skating race, held every five or six years, when it is cold enough for all the region's canals to freeze over. As many as 20,000 people skate a 125-mile course over the frozen canals connecting Friesland's 11 medieval towns. It is a hypermarathon that began in 1909 and has been run only 13 times since then. Another traditional sport that is popular in Friesland is fierljeppen, pole-vaulting across the canals in the warmer months. Sailing is also very popular, and skûtsje sailing is a race conducted in July and August on 65-foot sailing barges.
ENTERTAINMENT AND RECREATION
Like other Dutch people, the Frisians enjoy spending much of their leisure time partaking in outdoor activities, including camping, hiking, and a variety of sports. One pastime that is unique to Friesland is wadlopen, "mudwalking" across the salt flats and mud of the shallow Waddenzee when the tides go out. This unusual activity is enjoyed both for the vigorous exercise that it entails and for the bird watching that it allows. Wadlopen is often undertaken in organized group outings.
Socializing at the weekly livestock market in Tjouwert serves as an informal source of recreation for many Frisians.
FOLK ART, CRAFTS, AND HOBBIES
Frisian craftspeople are renowned for their tile work, pottery, and embroidery. Friesland is also noted for the unique folk art that goes into the creation of ûlebuorden, elaborately decorated barn gables that feature carved swans and holes through which owls can fly (ûlebuorden means "owl boards"). Once a functional creation, ûlebuorden are now considered decorative artifacts.
SOCIAL PROBLEMS
Frisians experience many of the social problems found in all modern, industrialized countries.
GENDER ISSUES
Women in the Netherlands, including Friesland, make up 44% of the workforce and 37% of the members of Parliament. They enjoy equal rights under Dutch law. Abortion has been legal since 1981, and it is allowed for most reasons. Since 1984, abortion procedures have been provided free of charge.
hom*osexuality is very much accepted in the Netherlands. Since 2001, same-sex couples have been allowed to marry. Today, 2% of all marriages in the Netherlands are between same-sex couples.
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—revised by C. Corrigan.
