Jitske Digging into Her Family History

In early October, ‘22, Jitske was digging into her Frisian family history as part of an artistic research. First visit was the archive where the archaeological finds of her grandpa, Ealse, are stored. Ealse dug up archeological finds on his farm land, pieces of old Roman pots and plates, but also arrow heads and sometimes jewelry and more. His children used to help him on Sundays.

After seeing the pieces he dug up neatly stored in the Frisian archive, Jitske also felt the urge to touch the earth in the same spot where her family had lived for generations, just like her pake. But her way of archeology and unfolding history is to work on a fairy tale book and illustrated record about her grandfather and his work and his relationship with the land and a wild swan he befriended. She says, “This project will also support my own grounding. Ancestors, here I come!”

The Wadman family farm in Tytsjerk as seen from above. This is where Ealse, Janke, and the swan lived.

As Jitske put it, “This project is in close contact with dear poet, writer, teacher, Nynke Passi, who has beautifully written down the fairytale that actually happened on the farm: the friendship between my grandfather and a wild swan, ‘Oom Ealse and the Swan.’ Trough her work we got in touch some years ago and entered a dream stream..”

That is very true, and the project seems to be picking up a new momentum. Jitske is back in the Northern parts of the Netherlands, her inspiration and home, and diving in head-first. I also have more time to focus, because the MFA in Creative Writing I have been launching the past two years finally has feet and a good team behind it. This gives some room to breathe.

We are so excited to dig in together.

Jitske at the historical archive with a plate her pake dug up and glued together. He spent his Sundays doing archeological digs.