<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">=========================================================================</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">L O W L A N D S - L - 28 February 2008 - Volume 01</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">-------------------------------------------------------------------------</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Please set the encoding mode to Unicode (UTF-8).</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">If viewing this in a web browser, please click on</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">the html toggle at the bottom of the archived page.</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">=========================================================================</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">From: </span><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="HcCDpe"><span class="EP8xU" style="color: rgb(121, 6, 25);">Roger Thijs, Euro-Support, Inc.</span> <span class="lDACoc"><<a href="mailto:roger.thijs@euro-support.be">roger.thijs@euro-support.be</a>></span></span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Subject: </span><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="HcCDpe">LL-L "History" 2008.02.27 (03) [E]<br><br></span><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" id="1es1" class="ArwC7c ckChnd">
<div bgcolor="#ffffff">
<div><font size="2">In Antwerp the Hansehuis is no more.</font></div>
<div><font size="2">A similar 16th century storehouse that survived is the
Hessenhuis.</font></div>
<div><font size="2">cf. <a href="http://www.hessenhuis.org/faq.html" target="_blank">http://www.hessenhuis.org/faq.html</a></font></div>
<div><font size="2">Itis now turned into an exhibition center, cf.</font></div>
<div><font size="2"><a href="http://www.hessenhuis.org/" target="_blank">http://www.hessenhuis.org/</a></font></div>
<div><font size="2">Some history about it on:</font></div>
<div><font size="2"><a href="http://antwerpen.citysupport.nl/id/126" target="_blank">http://antwerpen.citysupport.nl/id/126</a></font></div>
<div><font size="2">with apparently a historical link to the
Hanze.</font></div>
<div> </div>
<div><font size="2">Regards,</font></div>
<div><font size="2">Roger<br><br>----------<br></font><br>
From: <span class="HcCDpe"><span class="EP8xU" style="color: rgb(121, 6, 25);">Diederik Masure</span> <span class="lDACoc"><<a href="mailto:didimasure@hotmail.com">didimasure@hotmail.com</a>></span></span><br>
Subject: <span class="HcCDpe">LL-L "History" 2008.02.27 (01) [E]</span></div></div>
</div><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
>>Ron wrote: </span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">>></span><font style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" face="Arial">I wonder if some of you have knowledge of historic sites in any of the other cities. <br>
<br>I guess that most of you know about Bryggen in Bergen, Norway... <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryggen" target="_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryggen</a> <br>Famous touristic site nowadays! <br><br>Greetings, <br>
Diederik, Bergen<br><br>----------<br><br></font><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
From: Tom Mc Rae <<a href="mailto:t.mcrae@uq.net.au">t.mcrae@uq.net.au</a>></span><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="HcCDpe"><span class="lDACoc"></span></span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
Subject: re Hanse in Scotland</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="HcCDpe"><br></span><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Hi Ron, you mentioned </span><span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; cursor: pointer; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1204218738_0">Edinburgh</span><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">.</span><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
Offlist I find this interesting as I had no idea the Hanseatic tentacles had spread into <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1204218738_1">Scotland</span>.</div>
<div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">There is a myth that Henry St Clair of Orkney ( and Roslin) sailed his galleys on a long voyage and discovered America.</div><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
Over the years the local crew has evolved into fugitive <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; cursor: pointer; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1204218738_2">Knights Templar</span> who would not have known an oar from a mason's</div>
<div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">square. In recent years members of the American branch of Clan Sinclair made a pilgrimage to Nova Scotia and built a cairn</div><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
at Henry's alleged landing site. Utter twaddle.</div><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">It is known that he made a long voyage somewhere and very soon after his return was killed with many others when</div>
<div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">his
Orkney base was raided. Some claim by the English although a voyage up
the Scottish Coast in rickety ships, and the fact there was</div><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">peace between the two nations at the time, makes this unlikely.</div><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
My
far out theory is that Henry was after something much more concrete
than finding new lands so sailed in search of Mediaeval gold</div><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">in
the form of salt cod the source of which was strictly controlled by the
Hanse. He found that source and also the huge amounts of pure sulphur</div><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">from
Icelandic volcanoes, dodging Hanse patrol ships and returning with his
cargo to home base. The raiding party would have been</div><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Hanseatic
in origin main aim being to kill all who knew their secret which they
jealously guarded. There was at least one incident</div><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">of a <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; cursor: pointer; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1204218738_3">Bristol</span> merchant ship entering the prohibited zone and being destroyed. </div>
<div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Could a Hanse agent in Orkney have passed on the news or could the news of Henry's discovery reached <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1204218738_4">Edinburgh</span> via Roslin</div>
<div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">and then to the <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1204218738_5">Lubeck</span>
or other Hanse base ? We will never know the truth but it's intriguing
nonetheless and my hypothethis is more plausible than the</div><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">America idea.</div><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">As a masonic historian I have written a fair bit discrediting silly theories involving <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1204218738_6">Knights Templar</span>, the St Clairs, and their Collegiate</div>
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Chapel at Roslin. Unlike </span><span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; cursor: pointer; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1204218738_7">Dan Brown</span><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">, Baigent, etc I lived just a bike ride from Roslin and grew up versed in the local lore. </span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<ul style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><ul><li> Subsidiary <i>Kontore</i>:</li><ul><li>Berwick upon Tweed</li><li><span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1204218738_8">Boston</span></li>
<li><b><span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1204218738_9">Edinburgh</span></b></li></ul></ul></ul> <p style="margin: 0px; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<font style="font-family: Helvetica; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;" size="3">Regards</font></p> <p style="margin: 0px; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<font style="font-family: Helvetica; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;" size="3">Tom Mc Rae</font></p> <p style="margin: 0px; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<font style="font-family: Helvetica; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;" size="3">Brisbane Australia</font></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><font style="font-family: Helvetica; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;" size="3">Oh Wad Some Power the Giftie Gie Us</font></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><font style="font-family: Helvetica; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;" size="3">Tae See Oorsel's as Ithers See Us</font></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><font style="font-family: Helvetica; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;" size="3"><span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1204218738_10">Robert Burns</span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br><font style="font-family: Helvetica; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;" size="3"><span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1204218738_10"></span></font></p>
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">----------</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">From: R. F. Hahn <<a href="mailto:sassisch@yahoo.com">sassisch@yahoo.com</a>></span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Subject: History</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Thanks, guys!</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Roger </span><i style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">et al.</i><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">, it would be useful to just know where the old Hanseatic sites used to be, even if the buildings have disappeared. (We could do this in the manner of "... where today's ... stands ... at the corner of ... and ..."). It would be great to gather that sort of information.</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">For lists of Hanseatic towns and their groupings please go here: </span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanseatic_league">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanseatic_league</a></span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">(Scroll down to "List of former Hansa cities.")</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">The original and central "circle" is the "Wendish and Pomeranian" one to which the pivotal cities Lübeck, Hamburg, Rostock, Stettin (Szczecin) and Stralsund belong. It's name gives away that the region was still perceived as Slavonic at the time ("Wendish" being an old word for "Western Slavonic" or "Slavonic under Germanic domination").</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Again, I think it would be really terrific if we collected and published some information about Hanseatic sights and sites for the various cities, even if it were "only" presented in list form. I think this would be tremendously useful for history buffs, be they traveling or not. Hanseatic cruises and tours are now tourism venture on the post-Cold-War Baltic Sea coasts. However, they take folks only to the more "spectacular" and "developed" places. I am not aware of any such thing or even any real site mapping with regard to areas west of there, including Britain.</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Of course it isn't the only such thing, and some might not like the mercantile "imperialist" aspect of it. But whichever way you turn it, the Hanseatic Trading League did more than spread out its greedy tentacles. It set or reset a common, connecting theme in the region with which we deal. This did not only involve spreading Saxon language and culture far and wide but it also absorbed language and culture from various regions and took them back to what is now Northern Germany. Furthermore, it is a case of a once proud and confident language and culture that after its golden age found itself dominated by once foreign powers and consequently fell into relative obscurity and largely lost its ethnic identity. </span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">The case of Frisian is similar, though minus the "imperialist" aspect. It would be interesting to come up with a mapping of and listing of sites of communities that used to be Frisian-speaking in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany, and perhaps Britain (and also of Frisian communities elsewhere). This would be another terrific project, especially if we linked this with the "new" language varieties of those places and looked at the possibility of Frisian substrata features (such as possibly the falling diphthongs we discussed recently). Something like this could be done at the cultural end of things as well, such as Frisian customs and styles surviving in communities in which Frisian is no longer spoken.</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Such projects would be very, very much in keeping with the uniting scope and mission of Lowlands-L. In other words, this is where we could "shine" and perhaps make unprecedented contributions, even if we began in a very modest way.</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Please think about it.</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Regards,</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Reinhard/Ron</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">