King Redbad of Frisia
ᛉ ~650CE - 719CE ᛣ
Redbad came into power after the death of his long lived predecessor, Aldgisl. Aldgisl had fought against the Franks during his reign and had been successful. He had even given asylum to a Christian monk that fled England and was also no friend of the Franks. Some of Aldgisl’s royal court had even converted, but the Old Whip, as Aldgisl’s name is translated, did not.
After the Old Whip likely died of natural causes at age 74 in the year 680, Redbad, who may have been his son, but at least from an elite Frisian family, was crowned.
Like Aldgisl, Redbad fought many battles against the Franks, but with much less success. This led to his defeat by Pepin in 695 at Dorestad. The Franks then claimed territory up to the Rhine River.
Redbad and Pepin made peace through a union of Redbad’s daughter and Pepin’s eldest son. This peace lasted almost twenty years until Pepin’s death in 714, wherein there was some chaos amongst the Franks. Redbad took advantage of this and successfully won back Frisian lands and cities. Redbad handed heir and another son of Pepin, Charles Martel, known for his crusades, Martel’s only defeat at Cologne. Redbad banned Christianity and destroyed Christian churches while raising an army with the intent of invading Frankish lands. Before he led that invasion, he died in 719 on the island later to be called Heligoland or holy land known for being a sacred island upon which the God Forseti is honored.
Redbad’s memory still haunted the Franks as they rumored he was asleep with his army in a mountain, where ravens circled. The story says that when the ravens stopped circling, he would awaken and exact vengeance on the Franks.
Redbad is known for his false baptism. He had one foot in the baptismal font and paused to ask if he would meet his ancestors in the heaven the Christians had preached about so often. The monk Wolfram is said to have replied that since they had not converted that they would spend all eternity burning in Hell. Speaking of Redbad’s noble ancestors as if they were nothing more than common thieves enraged Redbad and he warned Wolfram to leave and stay out of his sight on Earth, in Heaven or in Hell.
Staying true to his Gods and Ancestors while fighting for his Folk’s independence, King Redbad has earned our respect and a place as a Heathen honored hero for the month of August. We celebrate his deeds on the 9th of August. Honor him with your loved ones, share his stories and commitment to his Gods and Ancestors. Show us your celebrations so we can build upon such legendary memories.
There are a plethora of articles to site that tell the tales of Redbad, and even a feature length movie, “Redbad”. Another tale for another time about Forseti’s connection to Frisia is worth a gander, too. All in all, the Frisians have a unique culture amongst the Germanic peoples and a rich history of standing up for themselves and their past.
King Redbad’s Day of Remembrance is August 9th.
By Goði Shea McCurdy