Redbad

Redbad

Redbad (or Radbod) was the king (or duke) of Frisia from c. 680 until his death in 719.

In the 7th century Aldgisl king/duke of the Frisians welcomed Christianity into their land.

There were two Christian Churches at the time. The Roman Church started by Constantine which crowned kings in exchange for their benefaction and the Church appointed by Christ professing the "perfect law of liberty".

Redbad attempted to extirpate the religion of the people and free the Frisians from subjugation to the Frankish Merovingian kings.

In 689, however, Redbad was defeated by Pepin of Herstal in the battle of Dorestad and compelled to cede control of Frisia Citerior to the Franks.

A bishop from Rome, Boniface, (Wulfram or Vulfran), a monk and ex-archbishop of Sens, of the Church of Constantine, attempted to convert Redbad.

Redbad was nearly baptized into that church but supposedly refused when he was told that unless he did he would not be able to find any of his ancestors in Heaven after his death.

He proclaimed he preferred spending eternity in Hell with his ancestors than in Heaven with a "pack of beggars" which is how he saw the church of Rome.

Much of these conflicts during that period were over free trade and the control of trade routes.