New perspectives on the Early Middle Ages: 'Redbad, King of the Frisians'

In February 2027, Redbad, King of the Frisians: New Perspectives on Kingship in Early Medieval Frisia and the Development of a Coastal Identity will be published – the first comprehensive book on Redbad, King of the Frisians, and society in early medieval Frisia (c. 400–800 AD). Led by Dr Han Nijdam (Fryske Akademy), more than thirty international researchers from the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Norway and Iceland have collaborated on a multidisciplinary overview of politics, religion, the economy and material culture.

About the book

This collection of essays examines Redbad, the early medieval Frisian kingship and the formation of a Frisian identity in the North Sea coastal region between c. 400 and 800 AD. The book offers a unique, integrated perspective on both the ruler and society, by bringing together political structures, sacred kingship, law, trade, shipping, weapons, pottery, textiles, clothing, settlements, religion and burial practices. This makes it the first fully multidisciplinary overview of Redbad and his era, offering both academic depth and accessibility.

Academic value

Redbad, King of the Frisians brings together contributions from more than thirty experts from a wide range of disciplines and institutions, including the Fryske Akademy, the Fries Museum, the University of Groningen, the Ostfriesische Landschaft and the Niedersächsisches Institut für historische Küstenforschung. Through a combination of archaeological, historical, legal, material-cultural and religious approaches, the book offers a comprehensive overview of a region and an era that have hitherto been studied only in a fragmentary manner.

The book enables Redbad’s political power and sacred kingship to be situated within the broader social, economic and cultural network of the North Sea region. At the same time, it paints a picture of everyday life, from trade and shipping to pottery, textiles and funeral rituals, and shows how Frisian identity developed during this period.

Publication

The open-access version of the English-language book will be published in February 2027 and will be available online free of charge via open access. Those who prefer a physical copy can make use of the print-on-demand service via Brepols Publishers (Feb.2027).

Content of ‘Redbad, King of the Frisians’

These are the main themes and main topics (subject to change):

Introduction

I. New Perspectives on Early Medieval Kingship in Frisia

1. Early Medieval Kingship in Frisia - Han Nijdam and Diana Spiekhout
2. Sacral Kingship: A Song of Redbad and Woden - Han Nijdam, Ewoud van Aalst, Petter Jensen, Arjan Sterken, and Hilbert Vinkenoog
3. Kingship, Law and the Legal Community - Han Nijdam
4. Weaponry and Its Meanings in Early Medieval Frisia (400-800 AD) - Diana Spiekhout, Egge Knol, Ulrich Lehmann, Johan Nicolay, Han Nijdam, and Annette Siegmüller
5. Gods and Cosmology in Early Medieval Frisia - Han Nijdam, Ewoud van Aalst, Petter Jensen, Diana Spiekhout, Arjan Sterken, and Hilbert Vinkenoog

II. Archaeological Perspectives on the Development of a Coastal Identity

6. Climate, Vegetation and Plant Use in Early Medieval Frisian Landscapes - Mans Schepers, Felix Bittmann, and Daniel Hepp
7. Depopulation and Migration in the Southern North Sea Area. Towards an Understanding of Regional Variation (c. AD 250-900) - Johan Nicolay and Hauke Jöns
8. ‘Frisian trade’ and Money ca AD 650-900 - Hauke Jöns, Gilles de Langen, Katrin Struckmeyer, Selina Pohl, Kirsten Hüser and Ralf Wiechmann
9. Watercraft of the 'Frisian Realm' - Mike Belasus and Jeroen Vermeersch
10. Settlements and Houses - Jan F. Kegler, Menno Dijkstra, and Andreas Hüser
11. People and technology in Motion – Ceramics From the 4th to the 10th Century on the Southern and Eastern Coast of the North Sea. Occupation Along the Frisian Coast From a Pottery Perspective - Jan de Koning, Katrin Struckmeyer, Andreas Hüser, Martin Segschneider, Sonja König, and Ines Reese
12. Textiles and Clothing in the Early Medieval Southern North Sea Region - Christina Peek, Marjolijn Koens, and Katrin Struckmeyer
13. Burials and Burial Traditions in Frisia - Christina Peek, Menno Dijkstra, Egge Knol, and Selina Pohl

Conclusion — Shedding New Light on Redbad and the Frisians

III. Epilogue

14. Frisian Heritage, Identity and Language Today - Anne Merkuur, Simon Hallink, and Christoph Winter

Full list of authors

• Aalst, Ewoud van. MA (Fryske Akademy)
• Belasus, Dr. Mike (Niedersächsisches Institut für historische Küstenforschung)
• Bittmann, Prof. Dr. Felix (Niedersächsisches Institut für historische Küstenforschung) (redactie)
• Dijkstra, Dr. Menno (Amsterdam University)
• Halink, Dr. Simon (Háskóli Íslands)
• Hepp, Dr. Daniel (Niedersächsisches Institut für historische Küstenforschung)
• Hüser, Dr. Andreas (Museum Burg Bederkesa)
• Hüser, Dr. Kirsten (Niedersächsisches Institut für historische Küstenforschung)
• Jensen, Petter. MA (University of Oslo)
• Jöns, Prof. Dr. Hauke (Niedersächsisches Institut für historische Küstenforschung) (redactie)
• Kegler, Dr. Jan F. (Ostfriesische Landschaft) (redactie)
• Knol, Dr. Egge
• Koens, Marjolijn. MA (University of Groningen)
• König, Dr. Sonja (Ostfriesische Landschaft)
• Koning, Drs. Jan de (Hollandia Archeologen)
• Langen, Prof.em. Dr. Gilles de
• Lehmann, Dr. Ulrich (Niedersächsisches Institut für historische Küstenforschung)
• Merkuur, Dr. Anne (Fryske Akademy)
• Nicolay, Dr. Johan (University of Groningen) (redactie)
• Nijdam, Dr. Han (Fryske Akademy) (hoofdredacteur)
• Peek, Christina. MA (Niedersächsisches Institut für historische Küstenforschung)
• Pohl, Selina. MA (Niedersächsisches Institut für historische Küstenforschung)
• Reese, Ines (Ostfriesische Landschaft)
• Schepers, Dr. Mans (University of Groningen) (redactie)
• Segschneider, Dr. Martin (Niedersächsisches Institut für historische Küstenforschung)
• Siegmüller, Dr. Annette (University of Oldenburg)
• Spiekhout, Dr. Diana (Fries Museum) (redactie)
• Sterken, Arjan. MA (Radboud University Nijmegen)
• Struckmeyer, Dr. Karin (Niedersächsisches Institut für historische Küstenforschung)
• Vermeersch, Jeroen. MA (Gent University/RCE)
• Vinkenoog, Hilbert. MA (Tresoar Leeuwarden)
• Wiechmann, Dr. Ralf
• Winter, Prof. Dr. Christoph (University of Kiel)

The European funding programme ‘Interreg VI Deutschland-Nederland’ has allocated two million euros towards the realisation of the REDBAD exhibition project. In 2026, the medieval Frisian king Redbad will be the focus of large-scale exhibitions in Leeuwarden and Emden (Germany), educational programmes in both countries, an academic publication, a popular history book and a ‘role-playing game’. Co-funders are the provinces of Fryslân and Groningen and the State Chancellery of Lower Saxony.

The Fryske Akademy is coordinating the academic volume, which will be published by Brepols Publishers. Other partners in the REDBAD project, alongside the Fries Museum, include the Ostfriesisches Landesmuseum Emden, Ostfriesische Landschaft, Learning Hub Friesland, Firda Educational Institution, the Niedersächsisches Institut für historische Küstenforschung, the Mythemakers Foundation and the University of Groningen.

The exhibition ‘REDBAD: the legendary king’ at the Fries Museum in Leeuwarden promises to be a visual spectacle: the opening to the general public is on Saturday 5 September. Keep an eye on the Fries Museum website for further information.