Brothers Halbertsma

[17] They were sons of the baker and small-time merchant[1][18][17] Hidde Joasts Halbertsma (1756–1809)[1][19] and his wife Ruerdtsje (or Riurtk)[17] Tsjallings Binnerts (1767–1809).

[24] As Justus acted as editor for Eeltsje's work for his entire life, their poetry and prose were strongly connected from the very beginning and for the most part published together.

[9] After the death of all three Brothers Halbertsma, their short fiction and poetry was gathered under the supervision of librarian and archivist Gerben Colmjon and bookseller and historian Wopke Eekhoff.

[33][34] In 1871, it was published by the firm of J. de Lange in Deventer, under the title of Rimen en Teltsjes ("Rhymes and Tales").

[35][26][18][29][34] This work is now thought of as the national book of Western Frisian literature,[26] and although the literary value of this collection was later disputed by some critics,[36] it is undeniable that Rimen en Teltsjes and its predecessor De Lapekoer fan Gabe Skroar played a role of crucial importance in the development of a new literary tradition after Frisian had been used almost exclusively as a spoken language for three centuries.

"[38] As of today Rimen en Teltsjes still occupies the first slot in the ranking of Western Frisian literary classics.