European Kingdoms

Kings of Frisia (Ubbo) / Frisavones (Netherlands) (Low Countries)
Incorporating the Frisavones

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The coastal area of today's upper Netherlands sits between the Scheldt estuaries of the south-west and the mouth of the Weser, in today's Germany in north-western Europe and not inside the Low Countries. There exist several Frisian chronicles, epic sagas, and myths when it comes to the history of Pre-Roman Frisia, which attempt to cover the earliest foundation events in Frisian territories.

It was in the second half of the fifteenth century AD that a so-called Gesta group of legends surfaced, right around the time at which emerged the first stirrings of Dutch independence. The assumption has been made that these texts link back to a lost common source which probably was written between AD 1300-1340 in the Old Frisian language.

The Historia Frisae is perhaps closest to that originating source, ending its history in the year 1248 and probably being written down in its known form around the middle of the fifteenth century. However, the 'oldest' and most important document is the famous but controversial Thet Oera Linda Bok (The Oera Linda Book - see feature link for the general story). Written in Old Frisian it tells the 'history' of the Frisians of Fryasland (Frisia).

To even further muddy the scant historical notes for this period, a 1756 work by Bernard van Mourik was entitled Postical History. This was written before the fabricated Thet Oera Linda Bok, but appears to be written in much the same style, providing a list of legendary 'Ubbo' rulers of the Frisians along with potted biographies for each of them and providing dates which are unlikely in their length. All names from this work are shown below with a lilac backing.

More historically, it was during this period, as noted by Tacitus, that the Frisii were already located to the west of the Lacus Flevo (the former Zuiderzee, now IJsselmeer in the north-western Netherlands), making them the most westerly of the Germanic peoples of the north of Europe, and occupying areas which certainly were not originally Germanic-speaking in terms of occupancy.

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(Information by William Willems and Peter Kessler, with additional information by André Kloer and Edward Dawson, from the Alan Bliss/JRR Tolkein examination of the fragment known as The Fight at Finnesburg, from Histories, Annals, Tacitus, from Postical History, van Mourik (1756), from Frisii and Frisiavones, in Palaeohistoria, M C Galestin (University of Groningen Press, 2007), from Biografisch Woordenboek der Nederlanden, Adolf J van der Aa (1852, in Dutch), from Submerged Forests, Clement Reid (1913), from The Mesolithic Settlement of Northern Europe, Grahame Clark (1936), from Frisian Chronicles, from the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, from Frisia Coast Trail, from Genealogie Online, from Geneanet (in Dutch), from From Goddess to King, Radford Anthony, from A History of Ancient Europe (California, 1997), from Thet Oera Linda Bok (The Oera Linda Book), from Redbad, Koning van Friesland, Julius De Goede (2020, in Dutch), from Biografisch Woordenboek der Nederlanden, Adolf J van der Aa (1852, in Dutch), from Rediscovering the past, Old Frisian borders and early kings of Frisia, Luc Vanbrabant (Academia.edu, 2020), from Rollo, From Danish Flanders to Normandy, Luc Vanbrabant (Version 2022, Academia edu), from Chronyk van Friesland, Ocko van Scharl et al (Leeuwarden, 1597, in Dutch), from Frisia, Martinus Hamconius (circa 1609/1620), and from External Links: The Works of Julius Caesar: Gallic Wars, and The Natural History, Pliny the Elder (John Bostock, Ed), and Oer Linda Studies: Genealogy of Frisian Kings (Fryskednis Blogspot).)

AD 58 - 70

Uncertain, possibly confused with the many legendary Ubbos.

AD 58

The lower Rhine has recently been cleared out by Rome to serve as a buffer zone between the empire and tribal Germania. The Frisii are under the mistaken belief that they will be exempt from any retaliation by Rome if they reoccupy this area. They begin to cultivate the land but Rome demands that they immediately vacate it.

Sections of the lower Rhine were cleared by Rome in AD 58 in order to create a buffer zone between the empire and the barbarians on the other side of the Rhine

They send two princes to Rome to please their case - Malorix and Verritus - and when he finally sees them, Emperor Nero grants them Roman citizenship but does not grant their request to keep the land.

fl 58

Frisii prince sent to Rome.

fl 58

Frisii prince sent to Rome.

In the end it takes the arrival of a Roman cavalry expedition to sweep them out. Then the homeless Ampsivarii tribe petitions Rome to be able to settle the area but this attempt also fails.

Both names of the princes, Malorix and Verritus, are Celtic, not the Germanic which should be expected of the Frisians. 'Malorix' breaks down as the name 'Malos', which means 'slow', plus 'rix', which means 'king': literally 'King Slow' but perhaps with a more subtle actual meaning, 'patience' perhaps).

Many Belgic groups showed marked Germanic influences, so were they Celts with German words and warriors, or Germans with Celtic words and warriors? The truth probably lies somewhere in between

Verritus is 'truth' in Latin. Perhaps his actual name is the Celtic 'Veritos', which means 'earth', possibly after some minor deity. The Romans clearly adopt the name as their familiar word for truth. 'Truth' in Celtic seems to be 'viro' ('wiro'), the same word as 'man'. In any case this is strong evidence for Celtic influence, if not outright intermixing with border Celts or Belgae amongst the Frisians and their splinter tribes.

69 - 70

Gaius Julius Civilis leads a Batavian insurrection against a Rome which is distracted by the events of the 'Year of the Four Emperors'. They are supported by the Bructeri, Canninefates, and Chauci, while the Sinuci are also mentioned as a people who live in the region (although their involvement in the revolt is uncertain).

The tribes send reinforcements, and Civilis is initially successful, with Castra Vetera being captured and two Roman legions being lost. But to illustrate the dual nature of Chauci policy towards Rome, both they and the Frisii have auxiliaries who are serving with the Romans.

The Gaulish and Germanic Batavian revolt of AD 69-70 was a major contributor to the instability experienced in the Roman empire during the 'Year of Four Emperors'

A cohort of these are trapped and burned at Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensis (modern Cologne). Eventual Roman pressure, with aid from the Mediomatrici, Sequani, and Tungri, forces Civilis to retreat to the Batavian island where he agrees peace terms with General Quintus Petilius Cerialis.

It is around this period that the little-known Sinuci are mentioned by Pliny the Elder and also by Tacitus. Pliny places them between the Frisavones and the Tungri (the latter occupying the former territory of the Eburones). The Frisavones receive two mentions by Pliny and one by Tacitus, and they are usually equated to the 'Lesser Frisians' of the subsequent Offo period of Frisian history.

70 - ?

Likely a confusion with Udolf Haron of about 240.

98

In his work on 'Greater Germania', the Roman writer Tacitus locates the Frisians to the west of the Lacus Flevo (the former Zuiderzee, now IJsselmeer in the north-western Netherlands and north-western Germany), with early groups of Saxons on their eastern flank, along with the Chauci.

An illustration depicting the Teutones wandering in Gaul, part of a large-scale migration from modern Denmark into northern Italy in the second century BC

To the south-east are the Chamavi and Bructeri, to the south the Batavi and the little-known Canninefates, while to the north-east, across the Elbe, are the Aviones and Reudigni.

fl c.90s?

Confused with Adelbold of about 186? Also see 290s.

fl c.100?

An AD 1756 work by Bernard van Mourik entitled Postical History lists a series of legendary rulers of the Frisians, each of whom has a suspiciously long period in command. At least four of them are also placed in the early first century AD as late Frisii tribal leaders.

None of the names can be corroborated in history, but the last of them is alleged to shake off Roman controls at just about the same time as a historically-confirmed major internal rebellion distracts the emperors.

This vast map covers just about all possible tribes which were documented in the first centuries BC and AD, mostly by the Romans and Greeks, and with an especial focus on 52 BC (click or tap on map to view at an intermediate size)

? - c.120

Prince or duke of the Frisians.

c.120 - 173

Son. Prince or duke of the Frisians.

c.120

The legendary figure of Asconius calls himself 'hertogh' (duke) of Frisia. He has four sons: Adelbold, Titus Bojocalis, Richold, and Radbold. The first two spend four years at the court of Rome's Emperor Antoninus Pius and succeed their father.

c.173 - 187

Son. Prince or duke of the Frisians.

c.187 - 240

Brother. Prince or duke of the Frisians.

c.240 - 286

Son of Richold. 'Leader of the Frisians'. Repeated about 360.

286

Carausius, a commander of low birth who had been impressive under Maximianus' command, is suspected of collusion with raiding barbarians. When Maximianus orders his execution he proclaims himself emperor and seizes the provinces of Britannia.

Shown here are two sides of a coin which was issued during the reign as emperor of Britannia of Carausius, forced to rebel in the face of charges of colluding with pirates

According to the Postical History by van Mourik (1756) it is now that the Frisians 'bravely raised their heads, shaking off the Roman yoke' under the leadership of Udolf Haron.

Surrounding groups join in the general removal of Roman controls and then seemingly join the Frisians to become amalgamated into their cultural identity. At his death Udolf's line of legendary Ubbo kings is succeeded by the first of the Offo kings in West Frisia.