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Frisian and Free: Study of an Ethnic Minority of the Netherlands
Book by Mahmood, Cynthia Keppley
- GenresAnthropology
111 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 10, 2017
from terps to TV
One of an immensely long series of ethnographies published over a period of at least 30 years, FRISIAN AND FREE has the positive feature of not conforming to the strict pattern which informed many of the earlier studies. The author chose her own 'slant' on Frisian society. Her question is "is there such a society?" I am not the person who can provide readers of this review with a definitive answer. But, along with the author herself, I have to ask if a separate language and a basketful of customs (disappearing by 1988), folktales, superstitious beliefs, architectural quirks, local games, and a putative personality create a separate identity. Sometimes they do, and sometimes they don't. I think it comes down to "if you think it's so, it's so". If the people---the Frisians of the northern Netherlands in this case---themselves are unsure, then what conclusions can we draw ? The author does not draw many. She bravely tries to tie the topic of Frisian identity to a wider European ethnic scene. Can we compare Frisians, who did not have a separate kingdom and who closely resemble the more numerous Dutch, to peoples like the Scots or Catalans who have long independent histories ? Or to the Lapps (Sami) of northern Scandinavia, whose looks and whose way of life long differed completely from their neighbors ?
This is a short (106pp.) study without pretensions of being comprehensive. Like others in the series, there is little connection to anthropological theory. We find some interesting photos, charts and some basic maps. While anyone interested in Friesland (and who cannot read Dutch or Frysk) would well benefit by reading Mahmood's study, I think the questions of ethnic identity in the modern world have been discussed more deeply and more extensively elsewhere. And what has happened since 1988 ? The author could not tell us, naturally, but it's an interesting question. I myself traveled in Friesland in 1990 and agree with the author that it is a beautiful, interesting place, not much thought about in the world. It deserved a longer, more in-depth book.
One of an immensely long series of ethnographies published over a period of at least 30 years, FRISIAN AND FREE has the positive feature of not conforming to the strict pattern which informed many of the earlier studies. The author chose her own 'slant' on Frisian society. Her question is "is there such a society?" I am not the person who can provide readers of this review with a definitive answer. But, along with the author herself, I have to ask if a separate language and a basketful of customs (disappearing by 1988), folktales, superstitious beliefs, architectural quirks, local games, and a putative personality create a separate identity. Sometimes they do, and sometimes they don't. I think it comes down to "if you think it's so, it's so". If the people---the Frisians of the northern Netherlands in this case---themselves are unsure, then what conclusions can we draw ? The author does not draw many. She bravely tries to tie the topic of Frisian identity to a wider European ethnic scene. Can we compare Frisians, who did not have a separate kingdom and who closely resemble the more numerous Dutch, to peoples like the Scots or Catalans who have long independent histories ? Or to the Lapps (Sami) of northern Scandinavia, whose looks and whose way of life long differed completely from their neighbors ?
This is a short (106pp.) study without pretensions of being comprehensive. Like others in the series, there is little connection to anthropological theory. We find some interesting photos, charts and some basic maps. While anyone interested in Friesland (and who cannot read Dutch or Frysk) would well benefit by reading Mahmood's study, I think the questions of ethnic identity in the modern world have been discussed more deeply and more extensively elsewhere. And what has happened since 1988 ? The author could not tell us, naturally, but it's an interesting question. I myself traveled in Friesland in 1990 and agree with the author that it is a beautiful, interesting place, not much thought about in the world. It deserved a longer, more in-depth book.
November 4, 2019
I read this short anthropological study desiring to learn more about my Frisian ancestry (I have a distinctly Fisisan surname). I found Mahmood's analyses of the Frisian people - their history, culture and sense of identity - to be both informative and engaging. It is her affection for, and first-hand experience of the Frisians, teamed with her objectivity as an anthropologist that balanced this book perfectly for me.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews