Skating in the 17th century
About skating in the 17th century we have much more information than about the previous century especially thanks to the diary of Claas Arisz Caeskoper. Bert Koene has made a very nice book about the family Caeskoper (unfortunately only in Dutch) based on this diary and other sources.
In general the people could not go very far from their house because the roads were very bad and walking took a long time. There was public transport on the larger canals by boats moved by wind or pulled by horses but also this transport was rather slow. In the winter the roads were often very bad and the canals got frozen so that the boats could not go anywhere anymore. However, in these periods there was a faster transportation namely the skate. While walking and boats were in general not faster than 4 km/hour a qualified skater could go 5 times faster around 20km/hour. This explains the popularity of skating in that time. It means that skating one can make much longer trips in a much shorter time. This is exactly what the diary of Claas Arisz Caeskoper shows. Below I will give different examples from his diary. To show the trips he made, I present the map of Holland and Utrecht around 1700. His family lived in a village Koog aan de Zaan, at the left above Amsterdam ( see the map below).
In general the people could not go very far from their house because the roads were very bad and walking took a long time. There was public transport on the larger canals by boats moved by wind or pulled by horses but also this transport was rather slow. In the winter the roads were often very bad and the canals got frozen so that the boats could not go anywhere anymore. However, in these periods there was a faster transportation namely the skate. While walking and boats were in general not faster than 4 km/hour a qualified skater could go 5 times faster around 20km/hour. This explains the popularity of skating in that time. It means that skating one can make much longer trips in a much shorter time. This is exactly what the diary of Claas Arisz Caeskoper shows. Below I will give different examples from his diary. To show the trips he made, I present the map of Holland and Utrecht around 1700. His family lived in a village Koog aan de Zaan, at the left above Amsterdam ( see the map below).
Morbid Sightseeing
One of the first trips he describes in his diary happened in January 1666. In December, the month before, a very heavy storm had destroyed a dike of the Zuiderzee close to Durgerdam. As a consequence the whole area till the Zaan was under water. Like today, people at that time were interested in looking at catastrophes but it was too far to go there by foot. In January the water in the inundated area was frozen and that offered the opportunity to have a look at the hole in the dike. Claas (16 years old) with his father (67 years old) and his uncle (68 years old) went on skates to Durgerdam to have a look. This is a form of “morbid sightseeing” on skates.
This is not the only time that he reports such sightseeing. The year 1672 is called by the Dutch historians “het rampjaar”, the catastrophic year, because France, England, Muster and Cologne attacked the Netherlands at the same time. To defend themselves against the French invasion over land, large areas of Holland and Utrecht from Muiden till the river Rhine were inundated (pink areas on the map) by opening the sluices. The inundation indeed stopped the French army. When in February the winter came this inundation offered perfect possibilities to make long trips. Claas reports that he went on skates with friends to look at the siege of Mijdrecht by the French military and that he went on skates again two days later even farther to see the Dutch army in Alphen. After that he went back to the Zaan area via
s´Gravenhage (The Hague) which is a trip of at least 150km.
His interest in these war scenes seems unlimited because also in the summer of 1673 he went with larger companies with public transport (boats) to the North see to look at the British fleet. Later he went to Den Helder in the same way to look at the fight between the Dutch and British fleet and again to Muiden for the same reason. Later he could not stay at home when a large company went by public transport to the conquest by the Dutch army of the town Naarden that was occupied by the French before. These trips by public transport (boats) were in general much shorter than the tours he made before on skates.
One of the first trips he describes in his diary happened in January 1666. In December, the month before, a very heavy storm had destroyed a dike of the Zuiderzee close to Durgerdam. As a consequence the whole area till the Zaan was under water. Like today, people at that time were interested in looking at catastrophes but it was too far to go there by foot. In January the water in the inundated area was frozen and that offered the opportunity to have a look at the hole in the dike. Claas (16 years old) with his father (67 years old) and his uncle (68 years old) went on skates to Durgerdam to have a look. This is a form of “morbid sightseeing” on skates.
This is not the only time that he reports such sightseeing. The year 1672 is called by the Dutch historians “het rampjaar”, the catastrophic year, because France, England, Muster and Cologne attacked the Netherlands at the same time. To defend themselves against the French invasion over land, large areas of Holland and Utrecht from Muiden till the river Rhine were inundated (pink areas on the map) by opening the sluices. The inundation indeed stopped the French army. When in February the winter came this inundation offered perfect possibilities to make long trips. Claas reports that he went on skates with friends to look at the siege of Mijdrecht by the French military and that he went on skates again two days later even farther to see the Dutch army in Alphen. After that he went back to the Zaan area via
s´Gravenhage (The Hague) which is a trip of at least 150km.
His interest in these war scenes seems unlimited because also in the summer of 1673 he went with larger companies with public transport (boats) to the North see to look at the British fleet. Later he went to Den Helder in the same way to look at the fight between the Dutch and British fleet and again to Muiden for the same reason. Later he could not stay at home when a large company went by public transport to the conquest by the Dutch army of the town Naarden that was occupied by the French before. These trips by public transport (boats) were in general much shorter than the tours he made before on skates.
Sightseeing
He reports several skating trips with friends and family for pleasure in 1677 (27 years old). On January 14 he went with some friends to Amsterdam. The day after he went to Medenblick with some friends to look at ships that came back from and going to the East Indies.
He reports several skating trips with friends and family for pleasure in 1677 (27 years old). On January 14 he went with some friends to Amsterdam. The day after he went to Medenblick with some friends to look at ships that came back from and going to the East Indies.
The year 1691 was comparable: February 14 Claas (41) skated with his daughter of 7 to Purmerend (and back of course). On the 15th he went with his daughters to Amsterdam on skates, The next day he skated with Marietje (19 year) to The Hague and back. The 17th he went again to Amsterdam. The next tour was with his wife (42), daughter Marietje(19) and his sister (39) to Hoorn and further with Marietje to Enkhuizen and then back together. The 22th he went in the same company to Purmerend. The next day was the last skating day. Then they went again to Amsterdam.
Business travel
Claas also tells that he went on the 13th February in company on skates to Den Helder in the top of North Holland, to inspect a ship loaded with cole-seeds for his business. They went first to Alkmaar and then continued on the "Grote Sloot" which was normally not possible. Between 10 and 11 they arrived in the "Nieuwe diep". After they had finished the business there, they went on to Den Helder, where they slept. During the night it snowed so much that it was difficult to skate the next day. They lost their way but nevertheless arrived before dark at home again.
Claas also tells that he went on the 13th February in company on skates to Den Helder in the top of North Holland, to inspect a ship loaded with cole-seeds for his business. They went first to Alkmaar and then continued on the "Grote Sloot" which was normally not possible. Between 10 and 11 they arrived in the "Nieuwe diep". After they had finished the business there, they went on to Den Helder, where they slept. During the night it snowed so much that it was difficult to skate the next day. They lost their way but nevertheless arrived before dark at home again.
An endurance test
In the winter of 1677 he did also something different than skating with friends and family for his and their pleasure. He did with some good skating friends, what we would call now, an endurance test, or maybe extreme sport. He describes the trip himself as if it was nothing special.
“With a full moon, a soft wind from the south, I, Claas Arisz Caeskoper, skated together with Meindert Arentz, Jacob Blauw and Jocob Buis away in the morning at 4 o´clock from the house of Meinderts Arentsz in Koog. With the light of the moon we skated to Haarlem (HA), from there to Amsterdam (AM) after that to Weesp (WE) and to Naarden(NA) and Muiden (MU). To continue we crossed the lake to the Island Pampus and Monikkendam (MO),from there to Edam (ED), Purmerend (PU) and Oudendijk where we took a rest for the first time. At that time it was midday, 1 o´clock.
Next we skated to Hoorn (HO) and then to Enkhuizen (ENK) and next to Medenblik (ME) and Alkmaar (AL). After that we went again back home to Koog. Passing Alkmaar it started to snow. We arrived at home at 20.30h. We passed 12 cities in one day. “
On the map we see the reconstructed route they made. This was a twelve cities tour of around 300 km in one day. This is the first known endurance test on skates as far as I know in this part of the world. Around the same time Chinese soldiers were trained to skate such distances in one day as we have reported elsewhere.
In the winter of 1677 he did also something different than skating with friends and family for his and their pleasure. He did with some good skating friends, what we would call now, an endurance test, or maybe extreme sport. He describes the trip himself as if it was nothing special.
“With a full moon, a soft wind from the south, I, Claas Arisz Caeskoper, skated together with Meindert Arentz, Jacob Blauw and Jocob Buis away in the morning at 4 o´clock from the house of Meinderts Arentsz in Koog. With the light of the moon we skated to Haarlem (HA), from there to Amsterdam (AM) after that to Weesp (WE) and to Naarden(NA) and Muiden (MU). To continue we crossed the lake to the Island Pampus and Monikkendam (MO),from there to Edam (ED), Purmerend (PU) and Oudendijk where we took a rest for the first time. At that time it was midday, 1 o´clock.
Next we skated to Hoorn (HO) and then to Enkhuizen (ENK) and next to Medenblik (ME) and Alkmaar (AL). After that we went again back home to Koog. Passing Alkmaar it started to snow. We arrived at home at 20.30h. We passed 12 cities in one day. “
On the map we see the reconstructed route they made. This was a twelve cities tour of around 300 km in one day. This is the first known endurance test on skates as far as I know in this part of the world. Around the same time Chinese soldiers were trained to skate such distances in one day as we have reported elsewhere.
His last tours at the age of 72
In January 1722 he made his last skating trips. On the 11th he skated to Westzaan, on the 13th to Assendelft and Beverwijk and on the 15th to Zaandam. After that he does not report other tours.
He died 7 years later at a very high age for that time of 79.
One could say that this is just the way of life of one person although he was most of the time doing these activities accompanied by small or larger groups of friends or family members. Thus this behavior is not unusual for a certain group of the society at that time. On the other hand this diary does not give an impression of the life of the general population in that period in the Netherlands. Therefore I will say a bit more about this person himself, his social group and about other groups in that area at that time on the next page.
In January 1722 he made his last skating trips. On the 11th he skated to Westzaan, on the 13th to Assendelft and Beverwijk and on the 15th to Zaandam. After that he does not report other tours.
He died 7 years later at a very high age for that time of 79.
One could say that this is just the way of life of one person although he was most of the time doing these activities accompanied by small or larger groups of friends or family members. Thus this behavior is not unusual for a certain group of the society at that time. On the other hand this diary does not give an impression of the life of the general population in that period in the Netherlands. Therefore I will say a bit more about this person himself, his social group and about other groups in that area at that time on the next page.