Aldgisl

Aldgisl (also Aldgillus, Aldegisel or Aldegisl ) (*, ? † 680 ) was the first historically verifiable rulers of the Frisians. He lived in the second half of the 7th century, at the time of the Frankish king Dagobert II, with whose people, the Frisians was still in peace and independently of them lived. In the literature Aldgisl is called a king ( rex ).

The territory of the Frisians extended at this time over a wide stretch of coastline on the North Sea of Bruges, via the Rhine-Meuse delta to the Weser. The core area was located between the present IJsselmeer and the Ems. Aldgisl probably resided in Utrecht or Dorestad.

Aldgisl housed in winter 678/79 Wilfrid, the Anglo-Saxon bishop of York, when he traveled to his removal from the United Kingdom to the Pope Agathon to Rome. Aldgisl was not hostile to Christianity and allowed Wilfrid to preach in Friesland. Wilfrid is therefore regarded as the first missionary of the Frisians. Successor Aldgisls was Radbod.