Shipbuilding from its beginnings. Vol. 1 (of 3)Konijnenburg, E. van (Emile)
History
Shipbuilding from its beginnings. Vol. 1 (of 3)
Konijnenburg, E. van (Emile)
Shipbuilding -- History; Ships -- History
The Salians, the strongest of the Franks, remained in the country of
the Batavi while the Chamavi, another of their tribes, settled on the
North of the Rhine. The Salians and Batavi soon consolidated into a
single tribe. Then when the Romans retired in 402, during the reign of
the Emperor Honorius, the Francs started again on their route toward
the South and invaded North Brabant.
The Saxons who, as already mentioned, had probably started the Franks,
inhabited the country lying between the Ems and the Elbe, consequently
the North of Germany. They settled in the East of our country and,
later, extended their influence northwardly.
The Frisians, who are generally spoken of in connection with the
Saxons, were able to hold their ground between the Weser and the Zwin
(Zeelandisch Flanders). Their King, Radbout, carried their domination
to the South of the Rhine and pushed on even so far as Cologne where he
was defeated by Charles Martel.
If Holland was called Frisia (or Friesland) in the Middle Ages, only
as far as the mouth of the Meuse, it is related, on the other hand,
that Saint Amand preached the Gospel to the Frisians of Zeeland. This
tradition is confirmed by Prof. ~Fockema Andrea~, who has shown that
the Frisian law of 800 was applied from the Weser to the Zwin and the
Frank law as far as the Ems, that is to say: the Chamavi inhabited the
Veluwe to the East of this river; consequently Utrecht belonged to
Frisia.
It is also said, in connection with the struggle of the Frisians
against the Franks, that Utrecht was situated on the frontier of
Frisia.
In a word, the Netherlands were inhabited originally by Celts whom
the Germans drove toward the South. Later, they were able, with the
assistance of the Romans, to hold their ground to the South of the big
rivers of the country. The first Germans in Holland were the Frisians.
They occupied the coast from the Weser to the Zwin and, at a few
points, established themselves among the Celts.
Thus it is that Frisian types of vessels are found from Denmark to
Flanders and that they penetrated as far as Utrecht and along the tidal
rivers.
The Chamavi, the first Franks, very probably occupied the Veluwe and
the Betuwe as for as the Singe and the Ems.
Later, the Franks, settled North Brabant and penetrated into Zeeland,
Utrecht and South Holland. As a matter of fact, we have already been
impressed at meeting, in our country, with types of boats of the Lower
Rhine not only along the Rhine and its tributaries, but even in the
heart of South Holland and in the North-West of North-Brabant.
The Saxons, who were the last to arrive, settled in the East of the
country and spread gradually into Groningen and Friesland. It is there
that the slender Overijssel or Saxon types are met with.
Types of vessels, just like the styles of dwellings, languages and
costumes, have certain relationships with the first inhabitants of
countries.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account