Het Oera Linda-boek. Falsificatie of mystificatie?

Abstract

G.T. Jensma, De gemaskerde God. François HaverSchmidt en het Oera Linda-boek

Walter Prevenier, The Oera Linda book. Forgery or hoax
The manuscript of the Oera Linda book first appeared on the scene in 1867. It professed to date from the 13th century and presented an account of Friesian history from 557 BC to 1256 AD. Goffe Jensma argues convincingly that the manuscript is in fact a forgery written in pseudo-Runes on paper produced after 1850. It is also evidently a hoax, devised to gain sympathy for a certain approach of 19th century religion. Jensma identifies no less than four authors: the intellectual writer Piet Paaltjens (the pseudonym of François Haversmidt), the material scribe Cornelis Over de Linden, the translator, and the editor Eelco Verwijs. Jensma is not totally convinced that the philologist Verwijs, who came from Holland, intended to make a fool of the chauvinistic members of the Friesian Academy, who believed the text to be authentic. Instead, he viewed the Oera Linda more as a playful parody on the fantastic historiography about the Friesian past written by 16th century Friesian humanists.

This review is part of the discussion forum 'De gemaskerde God' (G.T. Jensma).