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Berlikum (The Netherlands)

Noord-Brabant province

by Jarig Bakker, 13 Sep 2003
Design: J.C. Terluin.

Berlikum village
Berlikum Coat of Arms

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Berlikum village

Berlikum (Frisian: Berltsum) is a village in Menaldumadeel municipality, Fryslân province. Not to be confused with the former municipality of 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 2267 inhabitants in 1958; 1974: 2.148. Gardening is a specialty here, and especially "Berltsumer spek" (= onions) is world-famous in Wier and surroundings. For everybody knows: "Wier leit
efter Berltsum" (Wier (meaning: true) is behind Berlikum) - this is said when someone tells rather tall tales, adding: "Echt wier" (It's true!).
Berlikum was formed out of two villages: Berlikum and Tutingum, and had the "beginning of city-rights" (whatever that means), but these were 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 a brief time. This was a devotist movement, (Devotio Moderna) orginated by 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 families Hemmema and Du Tour. Because the street through Berlikum was so long, the saying: "Sa lang as Berltsum" (as long as Berlikum) means: very long.
Nickname: "Hûniters" (dog-eaters), "Hûnefretters" (idem), "Hûntsjes" (doggies).
In 811 the Vikings attacked Fryslân and demolished the town of Útgong (the old name of Tutingum), near Berlikum. The misery and hunger were so great, that the inhabitants had to kill their dogs and eat them. A little statue of a "wetterhûn" (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 Menaldum asked friendly: "Are dogs tasty?" - whereupon a huge battle ensued, won neither by the "Berltsumer Hûnefretters" nor the "Menamer Bearen" (Boars). Members of both parties ended up in the Rasphuis and Spinhuis - A Rasphuis was a prison for men, where Brazil wood had to be grinded; a Spinhuis was for the naughty ladies, who had to spin yarn.
Berlikum Coat of Arms: "In gold a turned church without spire, with three windows and a closed door, all red; on the corners of the churchtower a silver ball and in the tower a soundhole, in which a silver bell; on the frieze of the church a lying silver Agnus Dei, holding a diagonally placed crossbanner of silver, with red cross. The shield covered with a golden crown of three leaves and two pearls.
Flag: two vertical stripes red and yellow, proportioned 2:1; in the red part a lying, turned white Agnus Dei, holding diagonally placed white crossbanner with a swallowtail between its frontlegs; the crossbanner charged with a red cross.
Berlikum seems to have been a village with city-rights - a sheriff with deputies (schout en schepenen) have been mentioned. Several sources mention the village as "city". The Coat of Arms is 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 from the 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

Berlikum Coat of Arms

by Jarig Bakker, 13 Sep 2003