Holland means "Woodland" in old Dutch, but is also the Viking name of a region in Sweden, called "Halland". The Vikings often visited this part of Europe until the 10th century. Those that stayed in Holland kept the lion in their weapon shields. Those of Holland in the Netherlands and Halland in Sweden look very much the same as both have a climbing lion on the shield. The Viking Counts of Holland fought many wars against a part that was still called West-Frisia.

The history of Holland starts with Count Gerolf the First. He was born around the year 850. He was most likely of Viking descent. He was the first to be inaugurated as Count of Holland. It happened on a sacred tomb hill called Scepelenbergh of Huldtoneel near the village of Heemskerk.
In the Community hall of Heemskerk a stained glass window Shows Count Jan the Second of Brabant with his wife Jacoba of Bavaria during their inauguration on that hill as Count and Countess of Holland

The first written history about the Counts of Holland dated from about 1230 and was gathered by the monks of the Abbey of Egmond in West-Frisia.

Most of the Counts of Holland took part in the Crusades to Palestine between the 9th and 12th century. In which the citizens of Haarlem played such a heroic role. One of the Counts of Holland has his grave in Antakya in Turkey, where he still lays in front of the altar. The other members of the First House of Holland are burried in Rijnsburg and Egmond.