This is a list of historically verifiable monarchs of Frisia, whether they were called chieftains, counts, dukes or kings. The earliest dynasty was established by the chronicles of Merovingian kings of the Franks, with whom they were contemporaries. In these contemporary chronicles, they were styled dux, a Latin term for leader which is the origin of the title duke and its cognates in other languages (duc, duce, doge, duque, etc.). They were independent until the death of Radbod at the earliest.
After coming under Frankish rule, Frisia was governed by counts. The power of these counts was very limited due to the decentralized nature of the region specifically due to the terrain. Following the Treaty of Verdun and Treaty of Meersen the Frisians east of the Vlie came under the rule of the Saxon kings of East Francia, The Saxon counts that formally owned parts of Frisia generally held little power in the region and relied on local nobles to exploit the territory in exchange for power and protection. The Frisians were ruled by Frana and Skelta, members of the local nobility that were sometimes elected but most times appointed by counts. about halfway into the 12th century, with the declining power of counts and the increasing autonomy the Frana and Skelta were replaced with the Grytmen in middle Frisia or Redjeva further east of the Lauwers. The Grytmen were ultimately turned into Mayors by Thorbecke in 1851.
Note that the house and several members of the house of Frisia may be mythological, many people have claimed to be descendants of historical figures and many people have tried to create a continuous dynasty, rather than accepting that most likely a lot of historical figures were unrelated perhaps elected rather than inheriting titles. It has also been suggested that there were several smaller Frisian kingdoms, rather than one large kingdom.
After the Migration Period, the Frisian Kingdom emerged around 600 AD, north of the Frankish Kingdom. The Frisians consisted of tribes with loose bonds, and were not the same Frisii from Roman times. Under Redbad the Frisian kingship reached its maximum geographic development, covering most of the area of what is now the Netherlands and the coast in northern Germany. In 722 the Frisian land west of the Vlie (what is now Holland, Utrecht and Zeeland came in Frankish hands. In 734, in the Battle of the Boarn, the area west of the Lauwers (nowadays Friesland) resulted in a Frankisch victory and the end of the Frisian kingdom. Only the Frisians east of the Lauwers (Groningen and East Frisia) remained independent. In 772 they lost their independence as well.
disputed; attested only in a small number of Merovingian-style golden coins and sometimes considered merely a Frankish moneyer;[1] his connection to other members of this list is entirely conjectural
After Poppo's defeat all of Frisia became part of the Frankish Empire. During the 15th century Frisian historians invented a series of monarchs, three of which stand out. The name Gondebald or Gondebuef is derived from the 12th-century Historia Caroli Magni. Here he is introduced as a Christian king, who fell at Roncevalles and was buried in a collective mound in Belin-Béliet. He plays a role in Hainaut-Bavarian historiography, because his name was linked to claims regarding the Kingdom of Friesland. Aldgisl II and Redbad II are doubles of Aldgisl I and Redbad I.
734–741, Aldgisl II, loyal Christian vassal of the Franks, brother of Poppo
749-775?, Radbod II: according to some fictitious chronicles he grew up in the court of the King of Denmark, possibly Harald Wartooth
Radbod II participates in the Saxon rebellion but is defeated, he is thought to have fled back to Denmark, aftwer which the Kingdom of Frisia was dissolved
Frankish Frisia: counts and dukes
Division of Frisia by the Lex Frisionum
Poppo's defeat generally marks the conquest of Frisia by the Franks, following the defeat Frisia is divided in three parts:
West Frisia, the region from the Scheldt to the Vlie roughly the modern region of Holland conquered in 719
Middle Frisia, the region from the Vlie to the Lauwers roughly the modern territory of the province Fryslân conquered in 734
East Frisia, the region from the Lauwers to the Weser conquered in 775
In 775 the Franks under Charlemagne took control of what remained of the Frisian territory (East Frisia) and incorporated it into their kingdom. Counts appointed by the Frankish rulers were:
Godfrid was ambushed and killed, count Gerolf is believed to have been one of the nobles involved in the attack as he is rewarded shortly after with most of Godfrid's domain: the coastline from Vlie to Meuse and upriver the Gaue Nifterlake, Lek & IJssel and several properties in Teisterbant
-885-, Gardulf, mentioned together with Gerulf the younger and plausibly related
921–945, Reginbert, Ruled in Franeker the traditional seat of government for Westergo and likely family of the Reginingen that held considerable property across Middle Frisia and the west Frisian Islands
945–966, Gerbert, son of Reginbert
In 775, Charles the Great made Frisia officially part of the Frankish Kingdom. The wars ended with the last uprising of the Frisians in 793 and the pacification of them. Counts were appointed by the Frankish monarchs. However, Danish Vikings raided Frisia in the end of the 9th century and established Viking rule. After the division of the Frankish Kingdom in West Francia and East Francia, they gained more autonomy.
955–994, Ekbert the one eyed, inherits frisian lands likely through his maternal grandmother Reginhilde, possible sister of Reginbert and mother of Matilda of Ringelheim
994-1024-1030?, Wichmann III & ekbert, sons of Egbert the one eyed
Otto III failed to establish his rule in Frisia, and the land reverted to the bishop of Utrecht. Utrecht and Holland fought over the rights to Middle Frisia, and from 1165 administered it in condominium. With the Hollandic counts and Utrecht biships failing to agree under whose authority the Frisians would fall, they were left to rule themselves.
1203?-1222, William of Frisia, in 1178 William's brother Baldwin becomes bishop of Utrecht while his other brother Dirk VII is Count of Holland so Holland and Utrecht agree to make William ruler of Middle Frisia, his power in Frisia fades after his victory in the Loon War and his descendants would not inherit it. Many Frisians followed William in the Fifth crusade as documented in De itinere Frisonum.
After Radbod II east Frisia is firmly in the hands of the Frankish kings, they divide the region in at least two parts. how the region between the Lauwers and the Eems is defined remains unclear. the western part of East Frisia was centered around the mouth of the Eems roughly corresponding to Emsgau and Federgau. While the eastern part was centered around the mouth of the Wezer encompassing Rustringen, Astergau, the Nordendi and the Wangerland, assumed to be the county of Riustringen that Harald Klak received.
Rough outline of the four counties of Frisia east of the Vlie
Not much is known about the region following the Brunonen, it eventually joins into the Upstalboom treaty. The city of Groningen, at the time in Drenthe becomes very powerful. It quickly becomes an important member of the free Frisian lands and towards the end of the 14th century comes to rule over the Ommelanden.
Groningen joined the other six provinces in Februari 1595 and formed the seventh province of the Seven Provinces
The house of Calvelage likely never stepped foot in east Frisia and lost their belongings when the region entered into the Upstalboom treaty, continues in Potestaat of Friesland
Dux should not be confused with Duke, the Frisian Dux was a military commander responsible for the defence of the Frisian territory, particularly against the Norse raiders.
867–870, Ubbe Ragnarsson, sources mention him as Dux Frisonum, the timeframe corresponds roughly with Rodulf Haraldsson’s presence in Frisia which has led people to believe they are the same person
A description of a course at the University of Amsterdam states ""One of the characteristics of Frisian historiography and literature from the Middle Ages up to the nineteenth and twentieth century is the existence of a comprehensive corpus of fantastic, apocryphal and mystified historic works, which deal with the origins and identity of the Frisians. Well known examples are medieval myths of origin like the Gesta Frisiorum or the Tractatus Alvini, sixteenth-century humanistic scholarly books by e.g. Suffridus Petrus, Ocko van Scarl en Martinus Hamconius and nineteenth-century forgeries like the Tescklaow and the infamous Oera Linda Book."[2]
The 17th century chronicle Frisia seu de viris rebusque illustribus, by Martinus Hamconius, purported to list the ancient kings of Frisia, beginning with Friso who had allegedly migrated from India during the time of Alexander the Great. A 19th century work, the Oera Linda Book (authorship uncertain but generally considered to be a hoax), embellished these stories further by describing an ancient and glorious history for the Frisians extending back thousands of years, during which time they were supposedly ruled over by a line of matriarchs known as folk-mothers, founded by the eponymous goddess Frya, ancestress of the Frisians.
According to the Frisia seu de viris rebusque illustribus (and Merovingian chronicles).
Finn (Frisian) c. 400. Finn, son of Folcwald, is a legendary figure mentioned in the Beowulf. He was killed by Hengest, who later migrated to Britain and founded the Kingdom of Kent. For monarchs prior to Finn, the later Frisians developed a rich store of legend and myth.
Richardus, Uffo, 392-435 (? Finn Folcwalding)
Odilbaldus, 435-470 (? Sibbelt)
Richoldus, 470-533 (? Ritzard)
Beroaldus, 533-590 (? Audulf)
Adgillus I, 590-672 (Aldegisel, ?-680)
Radbodus I, 672-723 (Radbod I, 680-719)
(Poppo, 719-734) (not listed in the rebusque)
Adgillus II, 723-737 (Aldegisel II)
Gondobaldus, 737-749 (Gundebold, or Aldegisel III)
^Grierson, Philip (1973–1974), "Korte Bijdragen: A New Audulfus Frisia Triens", Jaarboek voor Munt- en Penningkunde(PDF), vol. 60/61, Amsterdam: Koninklijk Nederlands Genootschap voor Munt- en Penningkunde, pp. 153–156.
^Historical Frisian Literature: Fakes and Forgeries, myths and mystifications in Frisian Literature Universiteit van Amsterdam(in Dutch)
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