Walking through Berlikum. 21st June,2005.

Today Marja and I went to the shop we mentioned in our last update, (13th Junehttp://friesianwalks.weblog.nl/wp-admin/upload.php,2005).
After having purchased a few items, we started to walk along the sideof a canaal, and I saw a old "Gevel" wharehouse, which is still in usetoday, what "Gevel" means in english I do not know.

I think it may mean the type of design the building is built, or perhaps the wooden borders around the front of the building, perhaps someone could let me know.

Here is the picture.

On our way back to the car we came to a "Gracht" and opposit us was a, dutch farm house, in the picture you will see a door on the first floor, in the middle of the building, here they used to shovel out the hay, I find this very interesting.

Then we took a route where we came across a wonderful manor house, (it brought back some memoriesof England), where I have been on Holiday.

We then passed a very intersting tree that had a hole in the trunk, it reminded me of the old buccanneers days when men used to hide things in, (perhaps their drink, or message, or stolen goods), how one's imagination can run, but all the same it is rather an exciting thought, do you not agree, and as usual we came across lovely flowers, nature once again.

Berlikum village.(Courtesy- FOTW).

Dutch: Berlikum

Friesian: Berltsum

is a village in Menaldumadeel municipality,Fryslxe2n province. Not to be confused with the former municipalityof  Berlicum in Noord-Brabant, best known for the tennisplayer Mirjam Oremans.

Berlikum's name in "stadfries"and "bilkerts" (dialect of Het Bildt  municipality): Belkum, had 2267inhabitants in 1958; 1974: 2.148.

Gardening is a specialty here, andespecially "Berltsumer spek" (= onions) is world-famous in Wier andsurroundings. For everybody knows: "Wier leit efter Berltsum" (Wier(meaning: true) is behind Berlikum) - this is said when someone tellsrather tall tales, adding: "Echt wier" (It's true!).

Berlikum was formed out of two villages: Berlikum and Tutingum, andhad the "beginning of city-rights" (whatever that means), but thesewere apparently not granted officially, so it is considered as a "vlek"(a place between a city and a village.In 1482 a community of the Brother of Common Life settled here for abrief time. This was a devotist movement, (Devotio Moderna) orginatedby Geert Groote (1340-1384) from Deventer.

The Aumale-gate reminds of Hemmema-state (forticified stately house),demolished in 1747. The fief of Nijefenne belonged to the familiesHemmema and Du Tour. Because the street through Berlikum was so long,the saying: "Sa lang as Berltsum" (as long as Berlikum) means: verylong.

Nickname:

"Hxfbniters" (dog-eaters), "Hxfbnefretters"(idem), "Hxfbntsjes" (doggies).
In 811 the Vikings attacked Fryslxe2n and demolished the town ofxdatgong (the old name of Tutingum), near Berlikum. The misery andhunger were so great, that the inhabitants had to kill their dogs and eatthem. A little statue of a "wetterhxfbn" (waterdog) is in the village-center and a house has a gablestone with a dog in a pot.

On the village-fair some people from Menaldumasked friendly: "Are dogs tasty?" - whereupon a huge battle ensued, wonneither by the "Berltsumer Hxfbnefretters"nor the "Menamer Bearen" (Boars).Members of both parties ended up in the Rasphuis and Spinhuis - ARasphuis was a prison for men, where Brazil wood had to be grinded; aSpinhuiswas for the naughty ladies, who had to spin yarn.

 

Berlikum CoA:

"In gold a turned church without spire, withthree windows and a closed door, all red; on the corners of thechurchtower a silver ball and in the tower a soundhole, in which asilver bell; on the friezeof the church a lying silver Agnus Dei, holding a diagonally placedcrossbanner of silver, with red cross. The shield covered with a goldencrown of three leaves and two pearls.

Flag:

Two vertical stripes red andyellow, proportioned 2:1; in the red part a lying, turned white AgnusDei, holding diagonally placed white crossbanner with a swallowtailbetween its frontlegs; the crossbanner charged with a red cross.

Berlikum seems to have been a village with city-rights - a sheriffwith deputies (schout en schepenen) have been mentioned. Severalsources mention the village as "city".The CoAis derived from images on a Communion-chalice (lamb) and a stone (church), resp. from 1601 and 1779.

The division of the flag is the municipal flag of Menaldumadeel reversed,so that the partition is at 2/3 flaglength. In the thus created red square the Lamb of God has been placed in the center. The red color is derived from the church in the arms and the yellow fly fromthe shield.

Design: J.C. Terluin.

Source: Genealogysk Jierboekje 1991, 2002.Encyclopedie van Friesland, 1958.

Groot Schimpnamenboek van Nederland, by Dirk van der Heide, 1998.
Jarig Bakker, 13 Sep 2003

Till next week. Grace.