Remnants of old history

Early European history is not documented very well. Among the sources we count Beowulf, which clearly is a work of fantasy (just) like the History of the High Kings, but is supposed to be based on true historic facts.

Other sources are mainly Danish in origin; among these are the “Snorri’s Edda’s” and the Latin text of the ”Saxo Grammaticus” The historic truth of Beowulf is mainly based on these sources as there are many similes between them; the same characters are centred on the stage.


One of the characters mentioned in many sources is King Hengest is even associated with the “Courts of King Arthur”, according to Roderick Robertson.

However, I found a surprising note in “De ontwikkelingsgang der Nederlandsche letterkunde.” (1) who posed that the origin of all of these texts, including the “Nibelungenlied” was not to be found with the Danes, nor the Saxons but in Friesland.

All these texts seem to have incorporated a fragment of a lost poem now known as “the Finnsburg Fragment” (2)

Finnsburg, or Finneshâm was the home of Finn, who is assumed to be one of the first Frisian kings, before Radbod and Hrodbed and was slain in by King Hengis in 445, a year after the Fight at Finnsburgh. However, very little is know about this mysterious character from Frisian history. (according to other sources this was in the 7th century)

According to the English, Finnsham should be a village near Norfolk, however, I found that it could well be the Frisian town Wijnaldum . The eldest reconstructable form is Winwaldaheim. which means "home of the Mighty Win" Following the older pronounciation shifts it would be the home of the mighty Finn.

There are more parts supporting the evidence that kernel points from Beowulf and the Widsith (Traveling Stories) have originated in Frisia. However, I need some more evidence, translate some other sources etc. before I am 100% sure of it, and you'll need a lot more evidence too I think.

But anyway, I think this will be a major project, so please bear with me












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(1) J. te Winkel, 1907. (P 120 – 130)
“De ontwikkelingsgang der Nederlandsche letterkunde.(Deel 1: Geschiedenis der Nederlandsche letterkunde van Middeleeuwen en Rederijkerstijd (1))”
(The development of Dutch literature, part 1 History of the Dutch literature from Medieval times to that of the rederijkers)

(2) The fragment in Beowulf is usually referred to as “the lay of Finn”