The history of the Lowlands
Part 1
Ancient Holland
Before the start of the era, the Netherlands was part of the Roman Empire.
The northern border was the river Rhine. North of it tribes were independent.
After the year 400 AD, the Romans retreated and the German and Celtic tribes
settled down in these regions. After the collapse of the Roman Empire, the southern
Netherlands came under the authority of the Franks. The Northern-Lowlands remained
"Fries" (Frisia). See later
The Lowlands in the dark ages
Centuries after the Romans left this region, in the so called Dark Ages,
mighty landlords ruled over Europe, Kings, Dukes, Counts and Bishops. Where
they came from and how they came to power nobody knows but one thing is for
sure, the strongest had the most power over the weakest (the inhabitants of
the Countries) and these "new" Nobles ruled over the people as their "leaders"
(dictators) and they suppressed the people using strong armies with Knights
if necessary.
The power of the Roman Catholic Church became very dominant in those days.
The Pope and his Bishops were powerful persons who used religion to manipulate
the people. Nobility worked together with the Church and in favor for their
help to suppress the people they were appointed as the "leading class" and divided
Europe in Counties and Duchies. Castles were build to protect Nobility from
foreign threats and to separate them from the common people. The so new originated
Nobility nominated within their "class" Kings and Emperors as their leader.
The Church was on his turn rewarded by the Nobles with Dioceses and the Nobles
established Abbeys and Monasteries to control the people.
So, the strongest in every territory became the Nobles of today and took
a title for themselves with the agreement of the ruling King, complete with
family-shield. The Roman Catholic Church agreed also with their power and had
thus the opportunity to keep the people religious and dumb.
There is an old saying that still stands today :
The Bishop says to a politician " Keep them poor then we will keep them
dumb".
During the middle-ages the Lowlands were shaped by a group of autonomous
Duchies like Gelre, Brabant, Limburg and Flanders and Counties like Holland,
Zeeland and Frisia, and last but not least Dioceses like Utrecht, Luik (Liege),
Keulen (Koln), Aken (Aachen), Metz and others.
There is sometimes confusion about the name of the Lowlands. People call
it the Netherlands or Holland, but it was originally not the same. The only
thing these Counties had in common was that they were situated in the so called
"Lowlands" they were no more then a "Vassal" state, to the Kings of Germany
(the Roman Empire) and the Kings of France and later the Habsburg Empire.
In the middle ages the area that later became The Netherlands was owned by
several Counts. The first Count mentioned in the Northern Lowlands was Count
Gerolf of Frisia, he lived from about 845 - 883. Until the 11th century Holland
was simply called Frisia (Friesland). Other neighboring Counties, Duchies and
Dioceses were Gelre, Henegouwen, Burgundy, Flanders, Kennemerland, Rhineland,
Kleef (Cleve), Brabant, Luxembourg, Utrecht, Luik (Liege), Keulen (Koln), Aken
(Aachen), Metz and others.
Little is know about the 8th - 11th century in the "Lowlands" but the Counties
had a lot of struggles with each other like everywhere in Europe in the Dark
Ages. Most conflicts in those days were struggles for dominion over strategic
spots, mostly in the neighborhood of great rivers or strategic heights.
Most of the Counts of Holland, and other Counties in Europe, took part of
the "Crusades" to the "Holy land" in the 9-13th century because the Roman Catholic
church in the person of the ruling Pope ordered them to do so in return of which
they should get power over the lands. Many were killed during these events and
other struggles between the Counties, Duchies and Dioceses. But when they survived
and returned from the "Crusades" they could Count on a County somewhere in Europe.
These struggles and wars between the Counts, Dukes, Kings, Emperors, Bishops
and Knights against the local people would last until the 18th century before
the Countries were formed as they are today with a more or less kind of democracy.
Because of that, the people tried to defend themselves and built walls around
their cities to prevent "strange" Nobles and their armies to come in. So were
born the stronghold-cities in Europe and the Lowlands.
The oldest cities in the lowlands were
Dordrecht,
Delft, Leiden, Haarlem in Holland, Middelburg, Veere and others in Zeeland,
Ghent, Brugge and Brussels in Flanders, Maastricht in Limburg and Keulen, Aken
and others in Germany.
Holland used to be an independent Count(r)y. It had a Count, it's own coin
(until the 19th century, made in
Dordrecht !),
it's own measuring units and time. You could compare it with Great Britain,
Germany and Italy. Also Countries that were not always unified like they are
today. Great Britain consist of Wales, Scotland, England and a part of Ireland.
Germany consisted of many former kingdoms in it and so did France, Spain and
Italy.
With the above story in mind we will have a closer look at the first Counties
of the Northern-Lowlands.
Frisia 313 BC - 916 AD
the following is taken from
Compendium of world history
by Herman L.Hoeh
KINGS OF FRISIA
----- In 321 B.C. a line of princes migrated via India to the area of northern
Holland and northwestern Germany under their leader Friso.
Friso descended from Ragan or Reu (Gen. 11:19) according to "La Grande Chronique
... de Hollande, Zelande" etc., p. 28. Friso was an adventurer in the service
of Alexander the Great. After being released from service, he came with a group
of settlers from the river Indus to Europe. There he gained power (313) over
the local counts by means of intrigue. A descendant, Friso, became king in 287,
commencing a secondary line of rulers.
| Name of King |
Length of Reign |
Dates |
| Friso I |
68 |
313- 245 |
| Adel I |
(94) |
245- 151 |
| Ubbo |
(80) |
151- 71 |
| Asinga Ascon or "Black Adel" |
(81) |
71 BC- 11 AD. |
| Diocarus Segon, joint during imprisonment of his cousin by Duke
of Brabant. |
(35) |
A.D. 11- 46 |
| Dibbaldus Segon |
(39) |
46- 85 |
| Tabbo |
(45) |
85- 130 |
DUKES OF FRISIA
| Ruler |
Length of Reign |
Dates |
| 1. Asconius |
43 |
130- 173 |
| 2. Adelboldus |
14 |
173- 187 |
| 3. Titus Boiocalus |
53 |
187- 240 |
| 4. Ubbo |
59 |
240- 299 |
| 5. Haron Ubbo |
36 |
299- 335 |
| 6. Odilbaldus |
25 |
335- 360 |
| 7. Udolphus Haron |
32 |
360- 392 |
After this Frisia again becomes a kingdom.
SECOND GROUP OF KINGS OF FRISIA
| Name of King |
Length of Reign |
Dates |
| 1. Richardus Uffo |
43 |
392- 435 |
| 2. Odilbaldus |
35 |
435- 470 |
| 3. Richoldus |
63 |
470- 533 |
| 4. Beroaldus |
57 |
533- 590 |
| 5. Adgillus I |
82 |
590- 672 |
| 6. Radbodus I |
51 |
672- 723 |
| 7. Adgillus II |
14 |
723- 737 |
| 8. Gondobaldus |
12 |
737- 749 |
| 9. Radbodus II |
26 |
749- 775 |
Frisia, which had already been conquered by the Franks, was made an integral
part of the Frankish realm in 775 by Charlemagne. From that time on it was ruled
by dukes appointed by the Franks. King lists are derived from "Hamconius" and
"Oera Linda Boek." -----
The above rulers and the timeline is not proven but still possible.
The County of West Frisia 775 - 916
Most details of the Counts were gathered by the monks of the Abbey of Egmond
(West-Frisia). Dutch historians generally regard Counts as mythological. From the time of
about 600, names and dates can be considered reasonably reliable.
Among the records of the abbey of Egmont is a document by which the emperor
Arnulf gave to a certain Count Gerolf the same land between Swithardeshage and
Kinhem, afterwards held by Dirk I.
It is generally assumed that this Gerolf was the father of Arnhulf, otherwise
their deed of gift would not have been preserved among the family papers.
Little is known about the first Counts but some are mentioned :
