The Frisian land north of Kennemerland and west of the Vlie, behind its lakes and bogs, which has fought off the counts of Holland for generations: Floris III burned Winkel and Nieuwdorp in 1180, the Frisians raided Akersloot in 1182, Texel and Wieringen submitted about 1184, and in 1195 some West Frisians joined William's attack on Kennemerland.
In 1200 the West Frisians govern themselves.
Who holds it
- Name
- No single holder: the West Frisian lands and their judges
- Title
- The land's own assembly and judges
- Confidence
- low
Leading families that winter are not pinned.
Overlord
Claimed by the count of Holland (and by the bishop of Utrecht under the grant of 1064)
How things stand that morning
Self-governing; Holland's claim is not enforced. No campaign is recorded for 1198-1199, so no raiding belt is drawn, but the frontier north of Alkmaar is hostile.
Law and courts
The land's own law (the Seventeen Statutes, compiled about 1080, and the general Frisian landrights, with the land's own statutes) declared by the asega, the law-finder, in the land's courts; the elected judges called redjeven and the written land-laws of each terra appear in the thirteenth century (not pinned for 1200). Church courts of the bishop's synod (send) through the provosts.
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: Wagenaar and the Holland chronicles for the wars; the West Frisian institutions are known from later evidence.
Primary sources for Holland
Chronicles, registers, sagas and inscriptions written in or near 1200 that cover this entry. Each has its own page with editions, translations and where to read it.
- Annals of Egmond (12th century to about 1205). The house annals of Egmond, the counts of Holland's abbey, and the main native source for Holland around 1200. Read online
- Chronicle of the abbots of Wittewierum (Bloemhof), Emo of Wittewierum (from 1219 to 1237, continued by Menko to 1273). The chronicle opens only in 1204 with the founding of Emo's Premonstratensian house in the Groningen Ommelanden, so it has nothing for 1200 itself. Read online
Sources and studies
- J. Wagenaar, Vaderlandsche historie II, ch. XXII (DBNL)
- West Friesland (region) (en.wikipedia)
- Loon War (en.wikipedia)
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.