24 March 2016

PDF opinion De Haan Hettema 1871 Leeuwarder Courant

Leeuwarder Courant, 5 Sept. 1871;
author Mr. Montanus de Haan Hettema (link to PDF)

OUD FRIESCH HANDSCHRIFT, 
in het bezit van den Heer C. OVER DE LINDEN te Helder.

 Bij mijne tehuiskomst van mijn jaarlijksch uitstapje, op den eersten Augustus, vond ik, onder andere, op mijne tafel, "Verslag omtrent een overoud Handschrift bij het Friesch Genootschap, uitgebracht door Dr. J. G. OTTEMA"; op den omslag vond ik mijn naam. Ik begreep dus dat mij dit door den verslaggever ten geschenke gegeven was.

 Als uitgever van de tot nu toe bekende Handschriften in de Friesche Taal, van de OUDE FRIESCHE WETTEN, die ik met uitzondering van het Asegabuch, dat ik evenwel te Oldenburg doorbladerd heb en de Willküren der Brocmänner, — alle in het oorspronkelijke bij de uitgave gebruikt heb, trok dit verslag, na het gelezen en herlezen te hebben mijne bijzondere aandacht, zoodat ik den Heer O. bij brief van 6 Augustus in de eerste plaats voor het geschenk mijnen dank betuigde en verder vroeg, om, zoo mogelijk, dat Handschrift in het origineel ter inzage te mogen hebben.

 Dientengevolge had ik het genoegen den Heer O. den volgenden morgen bij mij te zien, die mij te kennen gaf, dat dit Hs. reeds weder in het bezit van den Heer C. OVER DE LINDEN was, en hij dus niet in de gelegenheid om aan mijn verzoek te voldoen; doch dat hij daarvan photographiën had laten maken; dat, indien ik daarvan inzage wilde nemen, ik die ten zijnent kon zien.

 Naar aanleiding hiervan begaf ik mij den daarop volgenden morgen naar den Heer O., alwaar ik, toen die photographiën gezien heb, terwijl de Heer O. tevens de beleefdheid had mij eenige passages uit zijn afschrift voor te lezen en mij nader, omtrent zijne zienswijze, in dezen in kennis stelde.

 Dat men nu in den tijd van twee uren, die wij daarmede doorbrachten, de zaak niet anders dan zeer oppervlakkig konden nagaan en die bijeenkomst mijne belangstelling nog meer had opgewekt en er verder over had nagedacht, verzocht ik den Heer O., bij schrijven van 11 Augustus, om zijn afschrift eenige dagen ter inzage te mogen hebben en ook de photographiën, waarop het Alfabet van dat Hs. gevonden werd.

 Den 13 Augustus ontving ik op den mijnen dit antwoord:
"dat hij aan mijn verzoek niet wel zonde kunnen voldoen, als zelf dagelijks met niets anders bezig zijnde. Dat, zoo ik nadere kennis met den aard van het schrift en de algemeene regelen van de spelling wilde maken, dat er dan drie gephotografeerde bladzijden verkrijgbaar zijn bij Mejufv. Matthijssen."
  Er bleef mij dus niets anders over, indien ik iets naders van het Hs. met betrekking tot de oudheid en de taal wilde weten (de inhoud van het geheel is tot nu toe een geheim voor mij), dan mij bij die Dame te vervoegen, door wier bezorging ik eenige dagen later die drie gephotografeerde bladzijden ontving.

 Mijne beschouwingen zijn dus op die drie bladzijden gegrond.

 Volgens het Nieuws van den Dag van 23 Augustus 1871 en volgens de Leeuwarder Courant van den 27 Augustus 1871, die het uit de Bildtsche Courant heeft overgenomen, zoude de Heer G. COLMJON, Archivaris van Friesland, dit Hs. voor ONECHT houden, hoofdzakelijk op grond, dat de stijl veel te nieuwerwetsch is.

 Uit het verslag van Dr. O., waarvan een uittreksel in het Bijvoegsel van de Leeuwarder Courant van 29 Augustus 1871 voorkomt, zie ik, dat Dr. VERWIJS van oordeel was, dat het een stuk van groot belang kon wezen, bijaldien het niet een ondergeschoven en met bedriegelijke oogmerken verdicht geschrift was, waarvoor hij vreesde.

 Dr. O. zegt in dit Verslag, dat hij, toen hij het afschrift inzag, in het onzekere was; doch toen hij facsimilés van een paar fragmenten, en later het Hs. zelf onder de oogen kreeg, het eerste gezicht daarvan hem terstond gerust stelde omtrent de oudheid van het geschrift. Verder zegt hij van dit schrift, dat het met geene bekende lettervormen overeenkomt, het meest op het Grieksche schrift, zooals het op monumenten of in de oudste handschriften voorkomt, gelijkt, en tot den vorm van het lapidair- of steenschrift behoort.

 De eerste twee Geleerden hebben zich om het schrift niet bekommerd, hetgeen men, mijns inziens, in de eerste plaats had moeten doen, omdat het schrift den tijd, waarin het kan geschreven zijn, nagenoeg bepaalt.

 De derde, Dr. O., heeft evenwel laten blijken, dat hij het voor zeer oud aanziet en brengt het tot het jaar 1256.

 Het komt mij voor, dat geen hunner het Hs. met genoegzame oplettendheid gelezen heeft, althans niet, wat ik op de drie photographiën vind. Het is daarom dat ik gemeend heb die drie bladzijden hier vertaald te moeten geven, en tevens mijne opmerkingen daarbij te voegen:

 Zij luiden als volgt:

 Bl. 45. "Wat hier onderstaat is van de wanden van den Waraburch afgeschreven."

 Hierop volgen drie cirkels naast elkander met eene loodrechte lijn doorsneden en door twee schuinsche in zes gelijke vakken verdeeld. Om de eerste staat boven aan een stip, vervolgens nevens het midden van ieder vak eene letter, aldus: W. R. A. L. D. A.; om de tweede, op gelijke wijze, T. A. N. F. A. N. G. (de ng als eene letter), om de derde T. B. I. J. I. N. Hierna volgt met eene nieuwe regel:
 "Wat hierboven staat zijn de tekens van het wiel. Dat is het eerste zinnebeeld van WRALDA, ook van het aanvangen of het begin, waaruit de tijd kwam. Dat is de KRUIJER, die eeuwig met het wiel moet omlopen. Daarvan heeft FRIA het standschrift gemaakt, dat zij tot haren text (tex) gebruikte. Toen FASTA Eeremoeder was, heeft zij er het run of loopend schrift van gemaakt. De witte koning, dat is zeekoning, GODFREIATH de Oude, heeft daarvan afzonderlijke getalnamen (cijfers) gemaakt. Beide voor staand en loopend schrift. Het is daarom niet te druk, dat wij er jaarlijks een feest wegens vieren, wij mogen WRALDA eeuwig dank toe wijden, dat hij zijn geest zoo zeer in onze Edelen (voorouders) heeft laten varen. Onder haren tijd heeft FINDA ook een schrift uitgevonden, doch dat was zoo hoogdravend en vol met vrissels en krullen, dat de nakomelingen de beteekenis daarvan spoedig verloren hebben. Daarna hebben zij ons schrift geleerd, met name de FINNEN de TIJRIERS en de GRIEKENLANDERS, doch zij wisten niet goed, dat het van het wiel gemaakt was en dat het hierom (bl. 46) altijd, met de zon om geschreven moeste worden. Daar te boven wilden zij dat hun schrift onleesbaar zoude wezen voor andere volken, want zij altijd geheimen hebben. Dusdoende zijn zij erg van de wijze geraakt, dermate dat de kinderen de schriften van hunne ouden nauwelijks lezen konden, terwijl wij onze alleroudste schriften even vlug lezen kunnen, als die welke gisteren geschreven zijn.
 Hier is het standschrift, daaronder het loopend schrift, verders de getalnamen (cijfers) op beiderlei wijzen."

 Hier volgt nu het staandschrift, waarvan iedere letter in de bovenvermelde cirkel WRALDA is afgeteekend en onder ieder dezer letters de loopende schriftletter, terwijl in het midden onder aan deze bladzijde wederom de cirkel WRALDA geplaatst is. Op bladzijde 47 begint het staande cijferschrift, en daaronder wederom de cijfers van het loopend schrift en dan volgt er:

 "Dit staat op alle Burgten geschreven," — en verder begint het aldus met de beschrijving van het land:
 "Voor dat de slechte tijd kwam, was ons land het schoonste in de wereld. De zon rees hoger en er was zelden vorst en de bomen en heesters (treion) groeiden vrolijk en aangenaam (froegda and nochta), die nu verloren zijn. Onder (among) de graszaden hadden wij niet alleen koorn, haver (liaver, hiaver?) en vruchten, (blide Angs, blad, bled, vrucht), maar ook tarwe (swete, lees: wete, weit, tarwe), die gelijk goud blonk, en die men onder de zonnestralen bakken konde. Jaren werden niet geteld, want het eene jaar was even aangenaam als het andere. Aan de eene zijde werden wij door de zee van WRALDA besloten, waarop geen volk, behalve wij, varen mochte noch konde. Aan de andere zijde werden wij door het brede Twiskland omheind, waardoor het volk van FINDA niet dorste, van wege het dichte woud en wegens het wild gedierte. Naar het oosten (bij morne) paalden wij over het uiteinde van de Oostersche Zee. Naar het westen (bij evind) aan de Middelzee. Terwijl wij, behalve de kleine, wel twaalf groote aangename loopende stroomen hadden, ons door WRALDA gegeven, om ons land gezond te houden en om ons strijdbaar volk den weg te wijzen naar zijne zee. De oevers dezer loopende stroomen werden allengs allen door ons volk bezeten."
 — Tot dusverre de drie photographiën.

 Laat ons thans eens eerst het stand- en dan het loopend schrift beschouwen.

 Hiervoor hebben wij gezien dat FRIA het standschrift en FASTA het loopend schrift heeft uitgevonden en GODFREIATH, de oude, de staande en loopende cijfers. Het Alfabet heeft niet 34 maar 32 letterteekens, en volgen daar aldus:

 A. Ao. Ae. h. Oa. O. U. UU. Oe. E. EE. I. J. IJ. Y. B. P. T. Th. D. F. V. R. N. Ng. M. L. G. K. S. C. X. De cijfers, 0. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

 Wanneer men nu een cirkel gemaakt heeft en daarin een loodlijn en twee schuinsche, links en rechts doorloopende lijnen plaatst, dan krijgt men in dien cirkel eene verdeeling in zessen; langs dezen loodlijn kan men de letters E. EE. I. J. IJ. Y. B. P. T. D. F. R. L. G. K en S, door altijd op die lijnen en op den cirkel te schrijven, vormen en wanneer gij in dien cirkel eene dwarslijn, in plaats van den loodlijn, met de beide schuinsche plaatst, de letters A. h. Oa. V. N. Ng M. en X. De o is de cirkel, de drie u, een halve liggende en c een halve rechtstaande cirkel.

 Behalve de h. Th en F, zijn het alle onze tegenwoordige kapitaal-letters, doch in een verminkten vorm; terwijl de drie A geen dwars-streep hebben en door het onderste van de zes vakken gevormd wordt; de Ae heeft eene verlenging van den tweeden stijl der A, tot halver wege van zijne lijn. De Ao daartegen op gelijke wijze aan den eersten stijl. De h. is daaraan gelijkvormig, maar verlengt zich tot aan den rand van den cirkel, langs die lijn. De Oa bestaat uit den cirkel, waarin de A. onder op de lijn. De uu is de u met een stip daarin en de Oe is de U met een loodlijntje in en op het midden. De EE. is van achter gesloten, terwijl de Grieksche E. open is. De Th. is de straks vermelde h., waaraan zich boven een gebogen dwarslijntje bevindt. De F. bestaat uit eene regte lijn, waardoor in 't midden een streepje schuinsch rechts loopt. De Ng. is de N. op welke een gebogen streep de opening sluit. De G. is een omgekeerde D. De S. is de links geplaatste Z met een schuinschrechts lijntje op de middelstijl. De X. heeft den vorm von een Andreaskruis. De W., zooals wij gezien hebben, ontbreekt hier, doch komt als onze gewone kapitale W. in den tekst voor. Tengevolge van het insluiten van de letter in den cirkel en langs de lijnen hebben geen dier letters voetstukken, zoodat zij er alle als verminkt uitzien, en die zonder twijfel door een boekdrukkersgezel voor defecte kapitalen zullen worden aangezien.
 Zien wij nu het standschrift in, waarmede dit Hs. geschreven is, dan ontdekken wij, dat dit Alfabet door den schrijver niet altijd gevolgd is. Zoo vinden wij de M en N. daar, in plaats van met gebogene, met schuinsche lijnen. De K en voornamelijk de R zeer verminkt. De Z. dikwils zonder het schuinsche lijntje, ook wel misvormd en op eene S. gelijkend. Het hoofd van de P. driehoekig. De V. dikwijls voor de U gebruikt, en de punctuatie zeer slordig en meermalen misplaatst.

 Wij, die meenen eenigzins met de Geschiedenis van het letterschrift, bij de verschillende volkeren van den ouderen tijd in gebruik geweest zijnde, bekend te zijn, moeten verklaren zoodanig geschrift nimmer te hebben aangetroffen en met recht zegt dan ook de Heer O. in zijn verslag, dat het met geen bekende lettervormen (van den ouden tijd) geheel overeen komt.

 Wij houden dus dit Alfabet voor eene uitvinding van dien schrijver en alleen door hem gebruikt. Doch de vraag blijft nu nog overig tot welken tijd kan dit geschrift gebracht worden.

 Deze vraag is m. o. zeer gemakkelijk te beantwoorden; omdat dat antwoord duidelijk in het loopend schrift van FASTA en GODFREIATH, (twee even als FRIA verzonnen namen), gevonden wordt. Het heeft mij zeer verwonderd dat geen der hiervoor genoemde Heeren dit heeft opgemerkt.

 Zien wij nu dit loopend schrift in, dan ontdekken wij terstond, dat het een schoonschrijver was, zoo sierlijk en net zijn die letters en geheel overeenkomende met ons tegenwoordig gebruikt wordend letterschrift. Alleen de E. th. F en Ng. hebben een verdraaiden vorm. Dit schrift kan dus niet vroeger dan uit het begin der achttiende eeuw NA CHRISTUS zijn.

 Dat ik het papier, waarop het Hs. geschreven is, hier niet beoordeel, is zeer natuurlijk, want ik heb het Hs. niet gezien. Mocht ik naar de photografiën oordoelen, dan zoude ik het er voorhouden, dat het zeer dik papier zal zijn; omdat ik er eenige vlekken op vind, die aan de andere zijde niet zichtbaar zijn, althans heb ik daarvan op de volgende bladzijden geen spoor gevonden, dat bij dun papier het geval had moeten zijn.

 Wij hebben nu het uiterlijke van het Hs. beoordeeld, en het er voorgehouden, dat het de proef van oudheid, die men daaraan tracht te hechten, niet kan doorstaan. Laat ons nu eens zien wat de inhoud is.

 Het stuk is in de Friesche Taal geschreven; eene onderscheiding tusschen oud-Friesch en Land- of Boere Friesch ken ik niet. Ik kan alleen eene oudere en nieuwere spelling van die taal, want de uitspraak van het Friesch is nagenoeg nog dezelfde als voor eenige eeuwen, hetgeen dan ook de wereldberoemde taalkenner de Deen Professor R. Rask in zijne Friesche spraakleer heeft aangetoond, door ons de klanken van het Friesch in de Hss. voorkomende, te geven, zoo als die taalkundig behooren uitgesproken te worden, en die thans nog nagenoeg dezelfde zijn.

 Wat nu de spelling in dit stuk voorkomende betreft, deze is, in mijn oog, veel meer overeenkomstig de oudere en zeer regelmatig, en veel beter en regelmatiger, dan van hen, die thans de taal schrijven; zoodat het te wenschen ware, dat men in de hoofdzaak die spelling overnam, dan zoude er meer eenheid in die spelling komen en het oorspronkelijke van de taal, beter dan nu, bewaard blijven. Thans schrijft men het met Hollandsche klanken, en in den hedendaagschen Hollandschen schrijftrant. Doch dit is niet te verwonderen. Geen der latere schrijvers in die taal, Gijsbert Japiks en de Gebroeders Halbertsma niet uitgezonderd, hebben zich volstrekt niet om de spelling van het in de Hss. voorkomend Friesch bekommerd. Alleen T. R. Dijkstra en voornamelijk de te vroeg ontslapen, H. S. Sijtstra waren het, die het spoor der ouden zoo veel mogelijk trachtten te volgen, en de waarde van die spelling niet uit het oog verloren.

 Bovendien vinden wij reeds in onze photografiën eenige thans niet algemeen meer bekende woorden, die in het overige van dit geschrift wel zullen voorkomen en daardoor onze Friesche Woordenschat zouden kunnen aanvullen.

 Ik beschouw het dus in de eerste plaats van belang om dit stuk in den Frieschen tekst door den druk bekend te maken; maar ook in de tweede plaats, — als men volgens het verslag den inhoud aanneemt, die zoo wel uit een Godsdienstig, als uit een Geschiedkundig oogpunt niet van belang ontbloot schijnt te zijn, — dat er dan ook eene Hollandsche vertaling bijgevoegd worde, om ook niet-Friezen met diens inhoud bekend te maken. Ik geloof evenwel, dat het het beste zal zijn, bij uitgave, er geene uitleggende noten bij te voegen, om den druk minder kostbaar te doen zijn en ieder er zelf over laten oordeelen, en dat men alleen onder aan de bladzijden aanteekene, welk Friesch woord men oordeelt in den tekst bedorven te zijn, de tekst evenwel te laten zoo hij is.

 In de Friesche tekst zoude men voor de Ae eene a met achteroverliggend streepje daarboven, voor de Ao een vooroverliggend streepje (accent), en voor de Oa eene O met een kapje ^ er boven kunnen nemen en overigens de gewone letters gebruiken.

 Wellicht zal men in dit werk ook op eene geheimzinnige wijze den naam van den schrijver kunnen vinden. Dat hij meer dan een dagelijksch mensch was, een geleerde en zeer goed met het Friesch bekend, zal wel niemand betwijfelen.

 Het ware dus te wenschen, dat voornamelijk de Leden van de verschillende Friesche Genootschappen, door inteekening eene zoodanige uitgave hielpen bevorderen, en buiten hunne gewone contributiën daarvoor een penningske over hadden, opdat zij niet in naam, maar inderdaad toonen, dat Friesland hun na aan het harte ligt.

 En hiermede neem ik afscheid van de Heeren LIKO OERA LINDA en HIDDO OVERA LINDA, en neem de vrijheid de KRODER als Krotos of de Schutter, in den dierenriem te plaatsen.

 Leeuwarden, 1 September 1871.
 De HAAN HETTEMA.

23 March 2016

VAMPÍRA ~ leeches

title unknown, by Mihály Munkácsy (between 1882-1887) for Russian tsar Alexander III

[034/32] MINNO writes about HELLÉNJA (MINERVA)
MEN SEG VS
HVAT IS THJU BITJVTENISE FON THI NACHT.ULE.
THÉR IMMER BOPPA THIN HOLE SIT.
IS THAT LJUCHT.SKVWANDE DJAR ALTOMET THET TÉKEN
THINRA KLÁR.SJANHÉD.

but tell us
what is the meaning of the night-owl
that always sits upon your head;
Is that light-shunning animal the symbol
of your clairvoyance? 
NÉAN ANDERE HEL.LÉNJA HI HELPTH MY HÜGJA
THAT.ER EN SLACH FON MÀNNISKA OVIR JRTHA OMME.DWÁLTH.
THÉR EVEN LIK HI IN KÀRKA ÀND HOLA HÉMA.
THÉR AN TJUSTER FROTA. THACH NAVT AS HI.
VMB.VS FON MÛSA ÀND ÔRA PLÀGA TO HELPANE.

No, answered Hellénja; he helps me remember
that a kind of people roams about the earth
who, like him, live in temples and holes,
who grub in the twilight, though not as he,
to deliver us from mice and other plagues,
MEN RENKA TO FORSINA.
THA ÔRA MÀNNISKA HJARA WITSKIP TO RÁWÁNE
TILTHJU HJA THAM TO BÉTRE MÜGE FÁTA
VMBER SLÁVONA FON TO MÁKJANDE
ÀND HJARA BLOD UT TO SÛGANE.
ÉVEN AS VAMPÍRA DVA.

but to invent wrencs (tricks)
to rob the wits of other people,
in order to take advantage of them,
to make slaves of them,
and to suck their blood
like leeches (vampires, 'belly-worms') do.
taken from p. 34-35 of original manuscript

Dr. Ottema noted about VAMPÍRA in (1873) "Geschiedkundige aanteekeningen en ophelderingen bij Thet Oera Linda Bok", p.6:
"In German, vampyr is still commonly used next to blutigel ('bloodsucker', leech). The word is purely Frisian and composed of vam (wan) and pyr that is worm; the literal meaning is thus; an evil or dangerous worm. The Dutch language has the expression: I don't want to be the kwade pier (evil worm)." (my translation)
I rather think VAM means belly, so VAM-PÍR is a belly-worm or thick worm, as opposed to the regular slim worms:

wamb, womb - Old English (belly, bowels, heart, uterus)
vomb - Old Norse
wambe - Old Frisian
wamme - Middle Dutch
wam - Dutch
wamba - Old High German
Wamme - German (belly, paunch)
wamba - Gothic (belly, womb)

early 20th C. cartoons that give voice to healthy feelings about the described parasites

21 March 2016

"De Deventer Courant en het Oera Linda Boek" ~ Ottema 1876

De Deventer Courant en het Oera Linda Boek
author Jan G. Ottema; published Leeuwarden, H. Kuipers, 1876
This is a reply to Vitringa (1874) Naar aanleiding van Thet Oera Linda Bok which was translated into German 1875 by Hermann Otto as "Historische Skizzen auf Grundlage von Thet Oera Linda Bok".

Translated from page 12 (original Dutch text see below):
The writing of Dela-Hellenia [OLB p.134-141]0 is one of the most remarkable parts. I named her Burgh-maiden or Mother of the Geartmen. That these Geartmen, named Patalians by the Greek writers, had a Mother (in dialects pronounced: Moer), appears from Quintus Curtius Rufus; Book IX, chapter 8, line 28: "Rex erat MOERIS" (their king was Moeris). For he read from the Greek historians: ΑΥΤΩΝ ΕΒΑΣΙΛΕΥΣΕ ΜΟΕΡΙΣ, and he translated εβασιλευσε as rex erat (was king), not considering that βασιλευειν (to rule) can also be said of a woman. It is unclear from whom Curtius has this information; Ptolemy, Megasthenes, Nearchus or Hephaestion. Perhaps the latter noted, that the Patalians for important matters sought Moderis réd (advice, consent or command of the Mother), and assumed, that Moderis (or Moeris) was the name of the one (unknown to him) with the highest authority, which made him write ΜΟΕΡΙΣ as as if it were a name. This is how Curtis got his "rex Moeris", unknowingly and unconsciously saving for us the memory of a Mother of the Geartmen.
Instead of "they were ruled by Moeris", it may indeed have to be re-interpreted as "they were ruled by a Mother".
Original text of translated parts:
Het geschrift van Dela-Hellenia is een van de merkwaardigste stukken. Ik noemde haar Burgtmaagd of Moeder bij de Geertmannen. Dat die Geertmannen, bij de Grieksche schrijvers Pattaliers genoemd, eene (verkort Moer) hadden, blijkt uit Curtius Lib.IX.c.8. Eorum rex erat MOERIS. Hij las namelijk bij zijne Grieksche berichtgevers: ΑΥΤΩΝ ΕΒΑΣΙΛΕΥΣΕ ΜΟΕΡΙΣ, en vertaalde ἐβασίλευσε door , niet bevroedende dat βασιλευειν ook van eene vrouw kon gezegd worden. Het blijkt niet bepaald van wien Curtius dit bericht heeft, Ptolomeus, Megasthenes, Nearchus of Hephaestion. Misschien wel de laatste heeft opgemerkt, dat de Pattaliers bij alle belangrijke zaken (raad, goedvinden of bevel) inwonnen, en gemeend, dat (Moeris) de naam was van die met het hoogste gezag bekleede (hem onbekende) persoon, en zoo heeft hij ΜΟΕΡΙΣ als eigennaam geschreven. Op die wijze is Curtius aan dien rex Moeris gekomen, waardoor hij onwetend en onbewust voor ons de herinnering aan eene Moeder bij de Geertmannen bewaard heeft.

13 March 2016

Ancient law against usury

"Ob Jud ob Christ - ein Schuft der Wucherer ist"
(whether Jew or Christian, the usurer is a scoundrel)
German medal 1923

an old word for (excessive) growth, profit, interest, usury:

wocor - Old English
wōkrs - Gothic
wuohhar - Oud High German
wuocher - Middle High German
Wucher - New High German
wōker - Old Frisian
wuoker - Old Dutch
woeker - Dutch, Frisian

~ ~ ~

Page 20-21 of manuscript


THÉRA THAM TO MÀRKA KVME 
NE MÜGON NAVT NI WOKERJA.
Those who come to the market 
are strictly forbidden to commit usury.

KVMATH THÉR SVM.
SA IS.T THÉRA FAMNA PLICHT
HJAM KÀNBÉR TO MAKJANA INVR THÀT ÉLLE LÁND.

If any should come,
the maidens are obliged
to make them known through the whole land,


TILTHJU HJA NIMMERTHE KÉREN NAVT WRDE TO ENG AMPT
HWAND SOKA HÀVATH EN GÍRA.LIK.HIRTE.

that they will never-ever be chosen for any office
for such have a
vulture-like heart.

VMBE SKÀT TO GARJA SKOLDE HJA ELLA VRRÉDA
THÀT FOLK. THJU MODER. HJARA SIBBEN
ÀND TO THA LESTA HJARA SELVA.

To accumulate wealth, they would betray all;
the folk, the Mother, their siblings (or: relatives)
and ultimately themselves.


Marinus Claeszoon van Reymerswaele (c.1490–c.1546)
"Two tax collectors" (c. 1540)

04 March 2016

Hoax-theory claims debunked

The Oera Linda Book has been discussed in a thread at unexplained-mysteries.com. From its start in June 2010 till now (March 7, 2016), there have been 18,609 posts. No definite proof for OLB being a19th century fabrication, or against its authenticity as a 13th century copy of older originals has been posted, so far.

Some of the most common arguments that have been given, will be summarised and refuted in this post:

1. A linguistic study would have proven OLB to be fake.
2. OLB would contain modern words and syntax.
3. The paper would have been made in the 19th century.
4. OLB would contain etymologies and historic claims that can't be true.
5. Over de Linden's account of how he had obtained the manuscript varied, indicating he lied.
6. The creators would have been convincingly unmasked in 2004.

VERITAS TEMPORIS FILIA (Truth is Daughter of Time)
betw. 1576-1628 by Jan Collaert (Antwerpen) after Jan v.d. Straet (Florence)

 1. A linguistic study would have proven OLB to be fake.

The main misunderstanding is, that language must have 'evolved' (or degenerated) in a linear or exponential way and that the oldest (accepted) sources are a reflection of spoken language. The development may in fact rather have been cyclic; After many wars, including the violent and destructive christianisation process, language might actually have regenerated, specially the written form. Words and expressions that may have been used in small circles only for a long while, may have become more common again later. Post-christianisation written language may in time have gradually become more a reflection of spoken language, rather than a Latin inspired attempt to reproduce (or manipulate) it.

Hoax theorists usually refer to "De onechtheid van het Oera Linda-Bôk, aangetoond uit de wartaal waarin het is geschreven" (The falseness of the Oera Linda Book, as proven by the the gibberish in which it was written) by J.B. Vinckers (1876, Netherlands).

First of all, it is suspect, that the alleged evidence was never translated (not even a summary) from Dutch, although there has always been some international interest. But this on itself does not yet prove that the evidence is worthless.

The author appealed to ridicule and emotional, strong language to make his points. His work did not lead to general consensus, but since the press took his side, opposing views were silenced and opponents intimidated. This also does not mean that he did not also bring forth any good arguments.

J.B. Vinckers
Exemplary quotes (translated):

"this monstrous absurdity" ~~~ "linguistic madness"  ~~~ "hundred times more scandalous [...] than essay in a foreign language by a student, who dares to step on the slippery ice of a final exam without any linguistic preparation." ~~~ "The language in which this product was written, is a most detestable mishmash, gibberish, made by someone not ignorant in other topics, but absolutely unaware of the primal grounds of the linguistics of related German languages in general, and of the Old Frisian language in particular; a gibberish, nothing better than Negro-English; a gibberish, that makes the OLB to a disgrace in the line of most weighty remains of the Old Frisian language." ~~~ "A miserable hodgepodge of old and young, such a misfit of babel, that on every page, no in every line of the 126 printed pages, reveils its fake birth to the eye of the specialist through indisputable proof."

"I was recently informed that the late Mr. De Haan Hettema also declared the language of the OLB to be Frisian, older than that of the Old Frisian laws!! It's almost incredible."

M. de Haan Hettema
That De Haan Hettema (1796-1873) was indeed a specialist of Old Frisian - much more so, in fact, than Vinckers (1821-1891) - is demonstrated by this selection of publications by him:

1830 The Emsiger (Old Frisian) Landlaws of the year 1312
1830 Short guide to Old Frisian
1832 Friesche Spraakleer (study of Frisian oral language), with R. Rask
1832 Frisian Dutch dictionary
1834 Jurisprudentia Frisica, or Frisian law studies. A manuscript from the 15th Century. Part 1
1834/35 Idem - Part 2
1835 Idem - Part 3
1841 The Fivelingoër and Oldampster Landlaws. An Old Frisian Manusctript from the 14th Century
1846 Old Frisian Laws - Part 1 (Hunsingoër regt. Rustringer regt. Broekmer regt. Emsiger regt; 1st and 2nd codex)
1847 Old Frisian Laws - Part 2-1 (Jus municipale Frisonum)
1851 Old Frisian Laws - Part 2-2 (Boetregisters. Geestelijke regten. Willekeuren. Lex Frisionum)

(Vinckers' main argument will be summarised and refuted here.)

A. Hübner (1885-1937)
(1934, Germany) A. Hübner "Hermann Wirth und die Ura-Linda-Chronik" (Hermann Wirth and the OLB)


[A part about Hübner will be added somewhere else.]

At least some 'critics' in National-Socialist Germany saw in the OLB "... a political danger, as it suggests that Slavics would have lived in current eastern Germany, before the Germanic peoples." (translated from "Buchfieber – Zur Geschichte des Buches im 3. Reich" by G. Simon e.a., p.21)

This alone would have been enough reason in 1934 to suppress public discussion about the OLB.


2. OLB would contain modern words and syntax.

Two examples of words that would be too modern for OLB to be authentic are BEDRUM (p.82/21; bedroom) and SKELTA BI THÉR NACHT or SKELTA.BI.NACHT (p.53/28 and p.66/2; Dutch 'schout-bij-nacht': rear-admiral).

The Online Etymology Dictionary states that the oldest records of 'bed-room' are from around 1600, but the words 'bed' and 'room' are both much older. Why would it be impossible or even improbable that the combination might have been used earlier?

The oldest known records of 'schout by nacht' are from around the same time, early 1600, but in these records the word is not explained. Therefore it will already have been known and nobody can know for how long.

Some words exist long in oral language, before they are written down. Also, our oldest written records are only a fraction of what once must have existed.

About syntax (2012 discussion see here);

Our oldest accepted sources in what is called Old Dutch, Old German etc. were written by monks who had learned to read and write in Latin. Their earliest attempts to write in one of the many spoken dialects will have been more clumsy, than the later ones. Not only will they gradually have become better at representing individual words, also the syntax will have moved from a Latin inspired word order (aimed primarily at transferring information) to a more natural reflection of spoken language.

The dialects, some of which still exist in more rural areas, may have changed much less than the standardised languages, since they were passed on from mother to children, rather than from schools as has only happened in the last few centuries.

Icelandic is a good example of a language that has hardly changed over the last 1000 years, since the Icelanders have consciously decided long ago that they wanted to preserve their language.

The syntax of Dutch and German are very similar. It is clear that they stem from the same ancestral language, which can easily be much more than 2000 years old. In studying the age of languages, it might be much better to examine dialects, rather than old written records.

So in the end, that words or syntax would be too modern, merely is an argument from incredulity, which is a fallacy (variant of argument from ignorance):
P is too incredible (or: I cannot imagine how P could possibly be true); therefore P must be false.
Let me add that the OLB also contains many words that are still not understood, while many have been clarified only recently, in the forum-discussion that I mentioned earlier. In some cases, the syntax is very different from that of modern Dutch or German.


3. The paper would have been made in the 19th century.

Paper and ink have never been properly investigated. In 1876 a book trader and a paper maker had a look at one page and decided, based on the pattern of waterlines, that the paper had to have been machine-made and thus from the 19th century, not considering the fact that 13th century Arab paper has exactly the same waterlines.

A more recent attempt to date the paper assumed beforehand, that it had to be from the 19th century, not even considering the possibility that it could be medieval after all. The results are vague and contradicting and a final report was never published. It is clear that they did not get the results they had hoped for.

The text of the OLB could be authentic, even if the paper is modern, since it could be a copy of an older original. Even hardcore hoax-theorists admit this. But if the paper turns out to be medieval after all, it can hardly be forgery. A serious, decisive investigation should be possible with modern techniques. That this was never done thus far by the archive that guards it, is suspect.

See my video about the paper age.


Neptune mosaic (3rd C.) in Tunesia
4. OLB would contain etymologies and historic claims that can not be true.

Examples of etymologies that often are considered too 'silly' for OLB to be authentic are NÉF.TÜNIS (kinsman Tunis) for Neptune and HIMMEL.LÀJA (lead to/ lie in the heavens) for Himalayas.

To some, such suggested etymologies make sense, but even if they were made up by an ancient author and far from the 'real' etymology, it would not make OLB fake.

There exist books from earlier centuries, containing etymologies that we would now laugh about, but that does not mean that these books must be recent fabrications. So-called 'folk etymology' may very well be a phenomenon of all times.

(... add something about alleged historic anachronisms or impossibilities)


Over de Linden
5. Over de Linden's account of how he had obtained the manuscript varied, indicating he lied.

There are several conflicting versions of the story describing how Cornelis Over de Linden had received the manuscript: in his correspondence with Verwijs and Ottema, his diary and witness accounts by Jacob Munnik and Hein Kofman. (Details see here: April 2011.)

My suggestion is that he tried to cover up something that was embarrassing to him: He may have tried to get it from his relatives and in the end took it by force or without their consent. This would explain all conflicting information. They are relatively small lies that in no way exclude the possibility that the manuscript is authentic.

I want to point out here that the Over de Linden family does not have to be descendant in a straight line from the Oera Linda's who compiled the manuscript many centuries earlier. It is possible that Cornelis' forefather chose this modern version of the family name, because he was the proud owner of the manuscript and able to read (parts of) it.


6. The creators would have been convincingly unmasked in 2004.

Jensma's main suspect, poet-parson
François HaverSchmidt (1835-1894)
ca. 1867
In 2004 Goffe Jensma was promoted to Doctor at the Theological Faculty Groningen with his study about the OLB and his dissertation was published as "De Gemaskerde God". Two years later his new Dutch translation of the OLB was published. His study is not about the question whether or not OLB is authentic, but, assuming that it is fake, he theorised who could have created it and why.

Three days after Jensma's promotion, a discussion was organised where other specialists were invited to speak:

- Dr Eric Cossee, professor of Dutch church history
- Dr Marita Mathijsen, professor of Dutch language and literature
- Dr Henk Meijering, emeritus professor Oldfrisian and Oldsaxon

The next day a report appeared in de leading Frisian newspaper*, which stated:
Although the speakers without exception praised Jensma's work, he had not been able to convince any of them of his truth that François Haverschmidt is the main author of the Oera Linda-book.
And:
Emeritus professor Frisian, Henk Meijering, teasingly labelled Jensma's thesis a <scientific novel through which he had acquired his doctorate>.
* Leeuwarder Courant, Dec. 10: "Van het Oera Linda-boek, de Friese kip en de zeespiegel"



Jensma
So Jenma's work did not convince other well-informed scholars.

For Jensma's theory to be right, many people must have lied: Over de Linden, Verwijs, HaverSchmidt and all the various witnesses who confirmed to have heard about the manuscript before it should have been fabricated. Such a conspiracy is in theory possible, but not likely.

Jensma later became professor Frisian language and culture at the University of Groningen, was involved in an educational television production that included one episode about the OLB, and was supervisor of the failing recent paper investigation. He has all the while been presenting his theory as if it were an accomplished fact, despite the initial scepticism of his colleagues.

By ridiculing in strong terms people who consider the possibility that OLB might be authentic, Jensma has created a difficult situation for himself, because his scorn will fall back on his head, when he turns out to have been wrong after all. It is only human, that he will use his academic power - as long as he has any - to keep up the myth that he has reinforced.

Allegory with Truth (waerheyt), Knowledge (kennisse), Hate (haet) and Fear (vreese)
betw. 1507-1553 Netherlands by Cornelis Anthonisz./ Jan Ewoutsz.

23 February 2016

dialects and languages in maps

Left:
Language continuum: when two or more different languages or dialects merge into each other without a definable boundary.

Right:
Within the last 100 years, the increasing dominance of nation-states and their standard languages has been steadily eliminating the non-standard dialects of which these language continua were formed, making the boundaries ever more abrupt and well-defined.





1917

dialects in Frisian province of NL

Nethersaxon dialects

Flemmish


19 February 2016

Friesland, Frisians and the Frisian language

Medieval Frisian treasure
Translated from "De NSB - Ontstaan en opkomst van de Nationaal-Socialistische Beweging, 1931-1935" (2009) by Te Slaa & Klijn (p.706):

Regional commissioner Van de Weide ascertained, that Frisian students were interested in the old-Germanic culture: "The Frisian core, which indeed promotes the ideas of Prof. Wirth is also very much pro-Hitler and pro-German; in general they are hostile towards the NSB*, because they see it as too specifically Dutch, too metropolitan and not folkish; they are thus more attracted to groups like Dinaso**."
* Dutch National-Socialist Movement
** Union of Diets (Flemmish-Dutch) National Solidarists

'Open' Friesland - state-funded genocide

Below a selection of earlier posts about Friesland, Frisians and the Frisian language, now and in history.

2015

Oct.15: Joachim Hoppers (1523-1576) was a Frisian lawyer and professor who worked for the Spanish king (Philip II). He appears to have written about Frisia's ancient history, but I have not found that text yet. According to the "Chronique", he wrote that the Frisians stem from the "High-Nordic peoples or Hyperboreans" and were the first to have received the secrets of writing.
(...)
When Friso died, he left his travelling journal, contracts, his covenant with various German cities,documents about the division of Friesland, among other things. When his son Adel succeeded him, he was said to have improved some of the written laws. Winsemius (1586-1644) adds a note saying that this is questionable, as Tacitus suggested that the Germanic tribes didn't read and write.

Oct. 4: transliteration of relevant parts "Chronique van Vrieslant" by Winsemius (1622)

Oct. 1: Genealogy of Frisian kings in "Staatkundige Historie" by van Mourik (1756)

March 12: from "The Edge of the World" by M. Pye (2014)


2014

Oct. 27: Two fragments from article about this book (Pye, see right above):
... those Vikings, the Frisians before them and the Hanseatic merchants after them invented for themselves the conditions for modernity: international trade, money, credit, mathematics, law, the stock exchange, pensions and much else.
Mr Pye asks his readers to imagine a time before fixed national borders, when identity was not so much a matter of race, but of "where you were and where you last came from". The sea was a thoroughfare, quicker than rutted roads. It made it easy for "Scandinavians to be in York, Frisians in Ipswich, Saxons in London".
...
A central theme of this book is the re-invention of money and its role in the development of abstract, scientific and, eventually, secular thought. As a sea-trading people, the Frisians needed portable cash, not the gold and treasure of chiefs and kings, often hoarded and inert. They began minting silver coins, as a currency, an exchange.

Value became an idea, detached from the intrinsic nature of a thing. It could be calculated for different categories of goods, and more than that, it could be written down, arithmetically juggled, turned into ratios and equations. A new way of thinking was born, transactional and everyday, and yet with momentous philosophical implications.
2013

Oct. 30: Dr. Ottema to L.F. Over de Linden, 19-05-1877:
Concerning the manuscript it is important, specially because Suffridus Petrus, de Scriptoribus Frisiae mentions in his introduction, that Friso left several writings, one of them a travel diary and biography; that he had written them in the Frisian language and with Greek characters, and that his successors wrote just like that, until the times that the Roman script became current in Germania.

He did not mention how or where he had learned about that (as was not his habit), but he can not have sucked that out of his thumb.

Something must have come to his knowledge of Frisian notes, from the times in which the Ovira Lindas wrote, and that travel diary (about the journey from India to Friesland) may be related to Ljudgert's diary.

Informations like this from Suffridus used to be considered as fabulations, but among those fabulations there may turn out to be more truth than was presumed. It is also acknowledged that Suffridus Petrus never lied, but that he would have copied from earlier sources.
March 21: Dorestad in the 9th century was the most strategic Frisian trading centre:
Posted Image
(...)
A modern reconstruction (2012); source: Friese Graafschappen tussen Zwin en Wezer ~ een overzicht van de grafelijkheid in middeleeuws Frisia (ca. 700-1200), by Dirk Jan Henstra:
Posted Image

March 20: more maps "Tussen Zwin en Wezer"

2012

Nov. 13: transliteration of parts of frisian Chronicle by Ocko Scarlensis

March 12: translated fragments from "Het Geheim van het Oera-Linda-Boek" (the secret of the OLB) by Murk de Jong (1927).

Page 34, a quote from F. Binkes in "De Vrije Fries" (the free Frisian) #1 (1839):
"There are two kinds of people, that are most harmful for the practice of history: those who believe everything and those who believe nothing. The first present us anything they find, without sifting, ripe and green, plausible and improbable; but the second reject anything that at their own first sight seems to have no historical certainty. They cut all this out with a so-called skeptical trimming knife, that is often very blunt, or used very awkwardly by them."
To this M. de Jong adds the following comment:
The author [Binkes] does not hesitate to declare, that the unbelievers have harmed old Frisian history infinitely more than the naive believers.
On the same page dr. de Jong gives a similar quote from J.H. Halbertsma in "De Vrije Fries" #11 (1868):
"Frisian history to her great misfortune has mostly fallen in the hands of ultras, who either rigorously rejected the old sagas as worthless fiction, or accepted them as historical truth".
Page 74:
The only megalithic tomb ['hunebed'] of Friesland, that - as a memory of the Stone Age - would be much older than Adela, on the Van Swinderen estate in Rijs (Gaasterland), was destroyed immediately after its discovery in 1849, even before the archaeologist Dr. Jansen had heard about it.
And (paraphrased):
Dr. J.H. Halbertsma explained the phenomenon, that in Friesland so little antiquities are found:
The glory-addiction, that results in erecting monuments for oneself and others, was unknown to the sober and solid nature of the Frisians, as they chose to BE great, rather than APPEAR great.
2011

Dec. 7: From "De Rand van het Rijk" by Lendering & Bosman (2010), p.109
Four tribes lived in the northern coastal area. The 'minor' Frisians lived west of the Flevo-lake in what is now North-Holland, and the 'major' Frisians lived in present Friesland. [...] More to the east, the Romans distinguished the minor and major Chauks: the first tribe lived in the provinces Groningen and Ostfriesland, the second between the mouths of Weser and Elbe. The names suggest at most a political division, as the four tribes shared the same economy, that was characterised by varied agriculture and trade on distant shores.
Many Latin texts show that the Romans had much difficulties navigating the North Sea.
The Frisians must have been excellent ship builders and navigators.

Nov. 23: Old-Frisian RHYMESAGA: transcribed, translated and published by Montanus Hettema (1832)

Nov. 21: Petrus Wierdsma (1729-1811), from unpublished notes, as quoted by Montanus Hettema in his experimental Frisian-Dutch dictionary of 1832.
Nowaday Farmers-Frisian, Old-Frisian and Anglo-Saxon are in my opinion the same language, the only difference being, some changes as caused by time, as is the destiny of all living languages.
If one would compare Old-Frisian to the current dialect of the Frisian farmers, one can clearly see the similarities. The nowaday dialect is specially supported by the work of Gijsbert Japiks, who on purpose, and to save the dialect, spelled according to it and not according to the old ways. One can read his own foreword about that.
some relevant fragments from G.Th.Jensma "De Gemaskerde God" (2004; p.40-42)
According to Hettema, Newfrisian as spoken by 19th century farmers, was virtually the same language as the Oldfrisian of the known medieval lawtexts. He even dared say that this Oldfrisian was actually a much more pure variety of Frisian, than the Newfrisian of his time, because the latter had been bastardised in time by strange (Hollandic) influences. The consequence of this remarkable view was, that he wanted written Newfrisian to be based on historical Oldfrisian grammar and spelling.
The idea that languages were once more pure and had worn out in time was common in the 19th century, although of older humanist origine. Hettema shared this idea with important Dutch and foreign linguists like Jacob Grimm, Matthijs de Vries, Joost Halbertsma and Eelco Verwijs, to name just a few. (This view was abandoned later under the influence of Darwinism and other ways of thinking about evolution.)
[...]
In that time (certainly until 1875) Frisian had no certain spelling. Every writer used his own. One of them was Sytstra, who said: "To spell Frisian in strange letters is a disgrace", and he introduced an Oldfrisian spelling, the so-called 'Iduna-spelling'. The Frisians had to learn to become themselves again: Oldfrisians. [...] The introduction of the Iduna-spelling led to a readability problem, because most Frisian writers until then were used to spell phonetically, in 'Hollandic' letters. This resulted in a huge gap between spelling and pronounciation, because the latter could no longer be the criterium for spelling. Although Sytstra's spelling met with fierce criticism here and there, it was very succesful until 1862, when he and his comrade Tiede Roels Dijkstra both died.
In my opinion, the OLB-language originated from this extreme, archaizing stand. The lords purists must have been pleased, as the OLB-language is exactly what they were striving for. It's probably not a coincidence that in 1871 Hettema immediately accepted the book. Shortly before publication of the OLB, he was shown photo's of a few pages. Based on the script, he concluded that it could not be a really old text. Otherwise, he could only conclude that the language was 'the' Frisian (of all times), because the only difference he saw between Old- and Newfrisian was the way of spelling. He considered the OLB-spelling to be beautiful, fantastic, even better: "... the spelling... is, in my eyes, much more conform the old and most regular, and much better and orderly, than of those, who nowadays write the language; one would wish, that this spelling were reintroduced.

Oct. 27: From "The Frisian Society as frontrunner in museological understanding - 19th Century initiatives to musealization of folks-culture in Friesland" by Ad de Jong (2002)
The braiding of the hair in Hindeloopen, according to J.H. Halbertsma a tradition that was already described by Roman writer Tacitus, and that is characteristic for the free Frisians.
[...]
In two rooms [of the Palace of Justice in Leeuwarden] the Antiquarian Cabinet of Friesland was situated... [...]
In there the traditional garments from Hindeloopen were kept, that honorary member dr. Joost Hiddes Halbertsma (1789-1869), the famous Frisian linguist and literary man, had collected and donated to the Cabinet. [...]
Collecting traditional garments was still an unknown phenomenon in the rest of the Netherlands.
Halbertsma was intrigued by the culture of Hindeloopen. [...] His first notes date from 1820. [...]
The casques from Hindeloopen [...] were so capacious, that long braids could be rolled and placed under them, so there was no need to cut the hair. Halbertsma explained: "Because of those long braids the Frisian women were not just the women of a free people, but of the most distinguished women of the Germanic races; this in contrast to the unfree, who were forced by the old Germans to wear their hair short." With this Halbertsma made a direct connection between the Frisian popular culture and the description of habits of the old Germans by Roman writers. [...]
The Frisian Cabinet received many objects from folks-culture as a gift from Halbertsma, like garments and household goods, mostly from Hindeloopen.
for longer fragment (Dutch), see Halbertsma & Hindeloopen

Sep. 5: Frisian Pleasure Garden (J. Starter, 1621); scans and poetry

July 17: The Puzzler, on 15 July 2011 - 12:10 AM, quoted and commented:
"... Their tentative existence in the 4th century is confirmed archaeologically by the discovery of a type of earthenware unique to 4th century Frisia, called terp Tritzum, showing that an unknown number of Frisii were resettled in Flanders and Kent...

The lands of the Frisii would be abandoned by c. 400 due to flooding caused by a marine transgression and laid empty for a century, when changing environmental conditions again made the region habitable. At that time settlers would repopulate the region and come to be known as 'Frisians'. Medieval and later accounts of 'Frisians' refer to these 'new Frisians' rather than to the ancient Frisii.
...
In the 3rd and 4th centuries the population of Frisia steadily decreased, and by the 5th century the population had dropped dramatically. The coastal lands would remain largely unpopulated for the next two centuries. When conditions improved Frisia would receive an influx of new settlers, mostly Saxons, and these would eventually be referred to as 'Frisians', though they were not necessarily descended from the ancient Frisii. It is these 'new Frisians' who are largely the ancestors of the medieval and modern Frisians." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frisii
I think that's interesting - it's like the ancient FRISII disappeared from history and were replaced by another form of Frisian.

This is important indeed and it agrees with something discussed earlier; Albert Delahaye's theory that the western half of present 'the Netherlands' was mostly uninhabitable because of flooding between the Roman and the Frankish occupation. That is: in most of the first millennium AD.

Some toponyms of Westfriesland are strikingly similar to ones in Westflanders and Calais region (also think of Delahayes long list of "fries-" toponyms in that region). As Joël Vandemaele argued, some of what is described in the OLB (and its language) has more continuity in Westflanders (Belgium) than anywhere in the Netherlands (e.g. supposed Frya worship and the spelling of Frya itself ~ ~ ~ more research needed as Vandemaele did not provide sources for this).

Therefore, it's likely that the most significant e-migration from "ancient Frisii" (or Fryans) from what is now North-Holland, was directly southwards, while most of the re-migration in the late-first and early-second millennium also took place from here (Westflanders, NW-France).

Whether they re-migrated to Westfriesland/ North Holland because the land became more habitable again, or because they fled from the Christenings (and just reclaimed the land), I don't know. Probably it was a combination of this.

The 'Frisians' in what is now Friesland will be a more Danish/ German mix.

There is indeed quite a cultural difference between the Dutch province of Friesland (the nowaday 'real' Frisians), and the region Westfriesland in the province of North-Holland (*).

In the OLB and in the so-called fantastic Frisian historiography, Westfriesland is much more important than in the 'official' history. Medemblik would even have been the capital of 'old-Frisia'.

There's been many ancient archaeological finds in North-Holland, dating back thousands of years, but there is indeed no continuity. Not much happened during the first millennium AD.

That's the problem, and probably the main cause of why OLB is misunderstood and not taken seriously by mainstream science in NL.

(*) I'll mention two significant differences:

1) While "Friesland" has a long tradition of (orthodox) Bible-worship, in Westfriesland the church was never very powerful and churches started closing already in the late sixties.

2) While "Friesland" always had a strong 'nobility-culture' (dutch: "adel"); inheritance of accumulating wealth and power, Westfriesland did not have this (in the last few hundred years).

While OLB at first sight might be Frisian nationalistic, it's almost the complete opposite as it will be an uncomfortable read for both Frisian Bible-worshippers and Frisian nobility.

Aug. 23: Abramelin, on 12 August 2011 - 10:45 PM, quoted and commented:
"The Firaesi (Latinization) or Phiraisoi (original Greek) are a people listed in Ptolemy’s Geography (2.10). ...
The Firaesi are not mentioned elsewhere in history"
Any kid with some knowledge of the Frisian history would see the obvious connection (Frisii = Firaesi / southern Sweden).

(added 2016 feb. 19:)
The Ancient Roman historian Claudius Ptolemy described, in his work Geographia, the island of Scandia. This island, located to the northeast of the Cimbrian penninsula (present day Denmark), is now known to be not an island at all, but rather the southern area of the Scandinavian peninsula: specifically, Sweden. The western area of Scandia was inhabited by the Chaedini; the eastern region by the Favonae and Firaesi; the northern region by the Finni; the south by the Gutae, and Dauciones; and the central area by the Levoni and Hill-Levoni. (source)
source

April 9: One of the most important reasons why OLB is rejected by most Dutch scholars seems to be that the language is relatively easy to understand.

Since the oldest known texts in Dutch, Frisian, Saxon etc. are more difficult to understand, people assume, that anything older should be even more difficult than, or more different from our 'modern' language.

What they don't realize is that while the written history (written language) had been thoroughly destroyed in a few hunderd years of cultural genocide, the spoken language may have stayed almost the same for people who did not migrate and mix too much.

In the late Middle Ages, the only people who could read and write, had learnt this in Latin (not counting the few exceptions like Liko and Hidde, who risked their lives writing in the old language).

At some point they tried to write down the commonly spoken language (that was much older than Latin), but they had no more examples, they had to construct or actually reconstruct the spelling.

So instead of the evolution of language being linear or exponential (from very primitive to very advanced), it was actually more cyclic; at some point very advanced, and then as a result of wars, migrations and mixing of cultures, it became confused and partly forgotten, while later, in times of relative peace, it was reconstructed again.

Because of the similarities in the North-European languages, we can conclude that they must have had the same (or at least a shared) origin, much older than any known written source.

Nowhere ever have I seen one convincing example of "modern Dutch" in OLB that would prove that it cannot be as old as it says it is.

March 20: translated from website by Dr.W.Bruijnesteijn van Coppenraet, with some notes by me between [...]:
According to the usual theory, Frisia in the time of the Roman occupation was roughly the present Netherlands north of the old Rhinestream (the limes). Climatologically it was a regression period and a huge sweet water lake, Flevo or Almere [in OLB: "Flymar"], was in the centre. After the Romans left (ca.250 AD), and without doubt related to the increasing transgression, that wasted much of their lands, the Frisians moved their territory more to the in-lands: southwards with Zeeland and the river area [and Flandres?], east to the Weser (East-Friesland) and later (8th century) even up to Sleeswijk. (...) Neighbours were south the Franks and east the Saxons. The Frisians also founded a colony in Brittania, Northumberland, from where in the 7th and 8th century missionaries came to their old lands [mostly to Flandres?]. The Franks always hated the Frisians. Already ca. 574 the Frankish king Chilperik I was praised for his terror against the Frisians:

You are the terror of the far Frisians and Suevans,
who are not only unprepared for war,
but even ask for your protection.

(...)

The assumption that Utrecht already existed in the period 600-640 and was temporary in Frankish hands is based on quicksand. In 697 Frisia started to finally really fall apart and Frisia citerior, the southern part up to the Rhine, was taken by the Frankish Pepin II. Ca. 719 his successor Karel Martel crossed the old limes en marched up to the Almere. In 736 the same Karel Martel attacked the Frisians in the back with a fleet and by winning the "Borne battle" he occupied the area up to the Eems river. The remaining eastern area, already disintegrated and taken over by the Saxons, finally was taken by the Franks, together with all of the Saxon lands, between 770 and 800 by Charles 'the great'. The terms Frisia and Frisii remained in use, but now as a Christian people, submitted under Frankish rule. After a period of invasions by the Normans [attempts to free the Frisians?], the whole area of the Frisians, from Walcheren to Eems, was part of the "Imperium Danicum", the empire of the Vikings, during the second half of the 9th century, but this was under supervision of the Frankish emperor.
(...)
The highly indoctrinating traditional science, that has evolved from the primitive historiography of the late Middle Ages, often gives an unsatisfying view on the geography of our lands in the first millennium. At the other side, the vision of Albert Delahaye, who radically moved the geography to North France, is also far from satisfying. A "semi-traditional" view, that accepts that Delahaye went too far with his revision of the historical geography, but that also accepts that the Nether-lands in that area was subject to heavy transgressions and therefore mostly flooded, at least climatologically not habitable, is presented in publications by Kreijns and Pirson, Van Veen and Bruijnesteijn v.C.
March 7: Translation of IJpelaan's Frisi, Normanni and Saxoni

Feb. 12: Translation of IJpelaan's Willibrord (7th and 8th century) and 12th century forgeries of documents to claim churches, relocating Willibrord to Holland

Jan. 2: from: "Warfare in Holland 1000-1375" (English summary) by Ronald de Graaf (2004, dutch title: “Oorlog om Holland 1000-1375“)
Holland, slowly awakening under the name of Western Frisia, grew in four centuries from a little countship in the delta of the great rivers, lying along the borders of the sea, into a considerable region. In the 11th century one could not see any difference between a count and other local rulers, and the territory of the count was not entirely cultivated. The location of Holland in the centre of communication lines, was strategically favourable with a view to its own commerce and the control of alien trade.
...
In the 11th century Utrecht was very powerful. Owing to the location of the city on the crossroads of the rivers the Vecht and the Old Rhine, trading relations with England, the Rhineland and the Baltic could be profitable. In politicis, the bishops could depend on the support given by the German King. When the little Westfrisian countship strived for independence - for instance by imposing an illegal toll on passing mercantile ships to and from Utrecht - it seemed only a matter of time before the elephant had crushed the gnat. But the attackers, together with episcopal allies from Münster and Luik, lost the battle at Vlaardingen in 1018 (because of waterbarriers and panic), and a succeeding campaign in 1046. When in 1049 and 1061 two Westfrisian counts died - the first was trapped in an ambush, and the second fell in action - the end of the countship was in sight. Joined by Flemmish forces, count Dirk V had to reconquer it entirely. But he was successful. In 1101, the name 'counts of Holland' was used for the first time. During the preceding years, the subregion 'Western Frisia' was disengaged from the other part of the county. It would take tremendous efforts to get it back.
...
From antiquity on, Holland and Western-Frisia had belonged to Frisia. At the end of the 11th century, both regions apparently had grown apart, probably because around 1064 the bishop of Utrecht had driven the counts off the theatres of war in Holland. In 1132-1133 the warlike count Dirk VI decided to solve in a military way the problem of avoiding the autonomy of Western-Frisia. This was the start of a long series of bloodshed and pillage, raids and expeditions. At least twenty of these clashes emerge from the sources. They contain several constant factors. The farmers in Western-Frisia adopted a military strategy: the kind of warfare we survey with the word 'guerrilla'. They had an extra reason for fighting, because fields and pastures were drowned by waterfloods between 11-13th centuries. The Southern Sea, which drove the Western Frisians away from the Eastern, came into being in this time.

For geophysical reasons most battles were fought in the surroundings of Alkmaar. For almost 150 years Holland played into the hands of their enemies, by only attacking them when the cattle were in stables, the harvests cropped and the granary full. The knights did not dare to invade Western-Frisia, because their horses were hindered by the many ditches, brooks, lakes and wet soil. On account of these environmental factors, the Dutch were trapped in many a Westfrisian ambush.

It was not until 1282 that Floris V defeated the Westfrisians, by means of a fourfold military-strategical concept. He had castles built along the border and then launched a surprise attack over the Southern Sea. His offensive started while the cattle were in the pastures and the crops in the fields, so that most of the Frisians were needed in their farms. After winning the battle he consolidated his victory by building compulsionary castles, according to a containment plan that was developed with geometrical precision. Finally he helped his enemies in their struggle against the sea, by means of well constructed and maintained dikes as in Utrecht and Brabant. He let them have as many of their ancient rights and customs as possible.
...
The count of Holland received an official confirmation of his rights on (Eastern-) Frisia in 1165. Owing to the energetic support of both the countal and episcopal claims, Barbarossa saw no alternative and devided the region by a Salomon’s judgement. This condominium worked, as it seems, rather well between 1165-1197 and 1204-1212. Market- and tollrights and the endowment of goods and appointments were equally divided. By frana and asega the bishop exercised his power; the count worked by way of a zendgraaf, vice-comes or sherrif. Much less than in Holland and rather less than in Sealand, the local nobility in Frisia, the so-called hoofdelingen, became feudalized.

Nonetheless, they were willing to submit themselves to certain Dutch claims. Ever since the reign of Floris V, Utrecht no longer demanded its old rights persistently. In the year 1233 the Frisians in Franeker lifted the count on a shield on condition that the local nobility would not lose their allodia or receive their fiefs from him. Although they acknowledged the Dutch sherrifs, they demanded that the office be held only by people born in Frisia. The background of these conditions was their fear of being oppressed by Holland, as clearly happened - in their opinion - in Western Frisia, when Floris V erected compulsionary castles.

Jan. 30: Chronyk van Friesland (1742) transliteration of parts

2010

Oct. 16: from "The Oera-Linda-Book in Germany and here" by Dr. M. de Jong (1939):
When we don't limit our view to the controversies that kept us busy here in Holland, we must admit, that the OLB begot a significance because of the war in Germany, that no one ever could have dreamt of. In the spiritual revolution, that occurred there in the last decennia and is still unfolding, it played an important role. The OLB has been the highlight of passionate discussions about national-socialist principles and philosophy. A model for living and history, women’s place in society, democracy and authority, pacifism, the Slavic East front, racial theory and the Nordic race, even the Jewish question, were discussed. It’s a remarkable fact, that the OLB seems to appeal to profound feelings, that the German people have developped in their fight against alien influences and in favour of their own Germanic culture. Science had already succesfully resisted against the Christian-Latin historiographic image of old-Germanic civilisation’s inferiority and of the blessings brought to the supposed barbarians by the Romans and the Roman Catholic church. The aureole of great-christener Charles “the Great” faded away. People hoped to find traces of their own old civilisation, their own spiritual heritage, even an original Nordic monotheism.

This now, many believed to find, in the footsteps of Herman Wirth, together with lots of other ancestrial heritage, in the OLB, specifically in the so-called Wralda-mysticism.