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Jellum (The Netherlands)

Littenseradiel municipality, Fryslân province

image by Jarig Bakker, 6 Sep 2003
adopted 1999; Design: J.C. Terluin and R.J. Broersma.

Jellum village
Jellum coat of arms

See also:

Jellum village

Jellum is a village in Littenseradiel municipality, Fryslân. It used to be in the former municipality of Baarderadeel, with (1954): 217; (1974): 141 inhabitants; the most famous is Piet de Boer, a former speedskating champion.
In Jellum was one of the last high "wieren" (it was said that "wieren" were poor man's "terpen", mounds built in case the surrounding water threatened to overswim the villages. However wieren were steeper than terpen, and usually had a church on top, so the difference was probably only in form.
The church-story of Jellum is a sad one. In 1700 the church was rebuilt, and the saddle-roof was replaced by a real spire, by which it became the highest spire of Baarderadeel. In 1832 the spire was struck by lightning, and on 30 Apr 1893 again, this time the whole church burned down; now a small, more humble church was built.
Nickname: "Roeken", (rooks, heavily religious people - obviously meant as an insult, as the local pub was more eagerly visited than the church), "wynhûnen", (greyhounds, literally: wind-dogs, designating boasting (or skinny) people)
Jellum coat of arms: in gold a red castle, open and illuminated, standing on a green terp issuing from base, the castle with a yellow clover on a branch; in chief per pale of 8 pieces blue and silver.
Flag: five horizontal stripes green - yellow - green - yellow - green; a three times embattled red hoist, the first embattlement starting at the flag top at 2/5 flag length, charged in the center with a yellow clover on a branch; the embattlements coincide with the green stripes and the intervals with the yellow stripes.
The terp symbolizes the Jellum "wier". Near the village is the Mamminga-state (fortifies stately house), where the families Botnia,
Burmania, and Thoe Schwarzenberg en Hohenlandsberg lived. In the village coat of arms the castle reminds of that "state". The clover on a branch reminds of the Burmania's, and the chief of the Schwarzenbergs.
The flag's embattlements equally reminds of the Mamminga-state. The clover reminds of the cattle-breeding in Jellum.
Design: J.C. Terluin and R.J. Broersma, members of the Fryske Rie foar Heraldyk.
Soirce: Genealogysk Jierboekje 2001.
Encyclopedie van Friesland, 1958.
Baerderadiel, in Geakunde, 1977.
Jarig Bakker, 6 Sep 2003

Jellum coat of arms

from Wapens en Flaggen fan Littenseradiel, booklet of the municipality.