Roman Mystery in The Netherlands

Moderator: MOD_nyhetsgrupper

Svar
Leo van de Pas

Roman Mystery in The Netherlands

Legg inn av Leo van de Pas » 26 nov 2006 22:52:09

I am working with someone on the improving and adding to the biographies on genealogics. In Dutch we found a small aspect in regards to a specific Dutchman who died in 1523 "Tijdens zijn leven kwam opeens voor de laatste keer de Brittenburg voor Katwijk boven water." Roughly: During his life, suddenly the Brittenburg near Katwijk emerged out of the water.

I had not heard of the Brittenburg before. I believe about 1401 there was a flood in Zeeland which drowned a village and for a very long time the church spire could be seen under water.

I did a Google on Brittenburg and an amazing story appeared.

In 1401 there was a peace treaty between the people of Leiden and the Count of Holland, to commemorate this the Willem van Hildegaersberch wrote a poem in which an explanation is given to the keys in the coat-of-arms of the city of Leiden, as well as mention of the "Burg at Bretten".

In 1490 a book was published which mentions the "Burg te Britten", being at that time visible in the sea.

In 1520 after a storm a ruin was revealed together with stones on which descriptions were visible, silver coins and other utensils. The sea reclaimed the ruin but remained visible on an irregular basis.

Fascinated by this, someone made a drawing of the ruin when again visible and cartographer Ortelius, receiving the drawing in 1566, made an etching which was quite detailed.

In 1701 again parts became visible however by 1750 most of the ruin had again disappeared.

I think it was Suetonius who told a story about the Emperor Caligula who had an army at the beach to attack the sea. Then he ordered his men to collect seashells as that was the booty he took from the sea. To commemorate his victory he ordered a tower to be build. When people came to investigate the story of the Brittenburg, the people of Katwijk told them that their fishing nets regularly were caught behind stones and at some places were able with sticks to touch some of the stones which were part of "Kalla's Tower". Their using that name (Kalla/Caligula) was used as an indication that the locals of Katwijk had been there since Roman times, however this is very much doubted.

Many have wondered what the Brittenburg was, and questioned the Roman origins. However, Roman traces can be found there up to the year 270. Strangely the towers of Brittenburg were double round, while Roman towers were square about a century later (after 270?) round towers appeared. Because of this it was asked whether the ruins were really the ruins of the Roman city of Lugdunum which is shown on Roman maps. Cities in those days did have round towers.

In the middle of the map (made in 1566) is shown a 'horreum' a storage place for grain. The river Rhine was the route for transporting grain to England.

Prints were made to show what happened to some parts of the ruin. Locals took stones, 'tufsteen' made of a 'vulcanic natural stones' from Germany. Then the sea reclaimed by washing away the sand under the foundations making the building sink further and further. About 1800 the beach extended and covered the ruins even further under meters of sand.

Hope this is of some interest.
With best wishes
Leo van de Pas
Canberra, Australia

Svar

Gå tilbake til «soc.genealogy.medieval»