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Clinge (The Netherlands)

Hulst municipality, Zeeland province

by Jarig Bakker, 23 Oct 2004
proposal; design: Ir. A.J. Beenhakker (c.1970)

Clinge flagproposal (c. 1970)
Clinge Coat of Arms

See also:

Clinge flagproposal (c. 1970)

Clinge is a former municipality in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen, since 1970 part of the municipality of Hulst.
Flagproposal: two equally wide horizontal stripes of yellow and red; on white at the hoist a black scimitar.
The scimitar (Dutch: "kling") is from the municipal arms and is meant to be canting.
However "Clinge" is probably from Latin "clivus" = mound, dune, on an old sandridge.
It is the same as the Belgian village De Klinge on the other side of the border, in the municipality of Sint-Gillis-Waas.
Source: Anton Jansen's "Vlaggen"-magazine, #71, 1991, with proposals for Zeeuws-Vlaanderen municipal flags by Ir. A.J. Beenhakker, courtesy of Mr. Hans van Heijningen.

However there might be a better representation of Clinge, not based on faulty etymology, but on the very popular Medieval tale of "Reinaert de Vos"; Reintje tells King Nobel (the lion king in that tale) about Hulst and surroundings:
"Int oestende van Vlaendren staet
"Een bosch, ende heet Hulster loe".
(At Flanders' eastend is a forest named Hulster wood)
King Nobel ain't the cleverest of kings, and the Hulsters have chosen a black lion for their flag and Coat of Arms, so the way is free for the Clingers to adopt a very cunning fox for their flag. Clinge was in the "Hulster loe". It is now still on the "Reinaertpad", the road from Hulst to the castle of King Nobel of Maupertuus (whereever that may be).
Jarig Bakker, 23 Oct 2004

Clinge Coat of Arms

by Jarig Bakker, 23 Oct 2004, after image in the Koffie Hag Album.
Granted 31 Jul 1817

Arms: gules a sword noir with hilt or placed per bend.