author
Eeltsje Halbertsma
1797–1858
A doctor in Friesland by profession, he became one of the warmest and most memorable voices in early modern Frisian literature. His poems and stories helped bring everyday speech, humor, and feeling into print in a way that still stands out.
1 Audiobook
Rimen en Teltsjes
by Justus Hiddes Halbertsma, Eeltsje Halbertsma, Tjalling Halbertsma
About the author
Born in Grou, Friesland, on 8 October 1797, he studied medicine in Leiden and Heidelberg and returned to practice as a physician in his hometown. Alongside medicine, he wrote poetry and prose in West Frisian, becoming part of the gifted Halbertsma family that played a major role in the language's literary revival.
He is especially linked with the work he created with his brother Justus, beginning with De Lapekoer fan Gabe Skroar in 1822. That collection later grew into the much-loved Rimen en Teltsjes, a landmark of Frisian literature known for its lively language, humor, songs, and close attention to ordinary people.
What makes his writing appealing now is its mix of learning and warmth: he could be witty, lyrical, and deeply rooted in local life at the same time. He died in Grou on 22 March 1858, but his work remains an important doorway into nineteenth-century Frisian culture and storytelling.