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Oude Leije (Netherlands)

Leeuwarderadeel municipality, Fryslân province

image by Jarig Bakker, 21 May 1999
first mentioned 1708

Oude Leije village (Âldeleie)
Oude Leije coat of arms

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Oude Leije village (Âldeleie)

Oude Leije (Âldeleie) is on the border of three municipalities: Ferwerderadiel, het Bildt and Leeuwarderadeel; since 1975 it has been assigned to Leeuwarderadeel. If the "Elfstedentocht" skating-marathon is being held it passes through this little village.
Description of the flag: three equally wide horizontal stripes red - yellow - blue.
In olden days Oude Leije had a little harbour (before the enclosure of Het Bildt), and its see-going ships had this flag, as observed by Hesman, who drew it in his manuscript of 1708. The colors were later used for the new municipal flag of Het Bildt.
Source: Sierksma's Nederlands Vlaggenboek, 1962 [sie62].
Jarig Bakker, 21 May 1999

I sent this village flag to the list based on the book of Mr. Sierksma (Nederlands Vlaggenboek, 1962), without knowing whether it was really in use. According to the Genealogysk Jierboekje 2001 it has been readopted.
Oude Leije (Frisian: Âldeleie) is a village in Leeuwarderadeel municipality, Fryslân. In 1958 it was a hamlet, belonging to the villages of Finkum and Hallum (Ferwerderadiel), but oriented on Vrouwenparochie (Het Bildt), on the border of three municipalities: Ferwerderadiel, Leeuwarderadeel, and Het Bildt. The parts of the village in Ferwerderadiel and Leeuwarderadeel received village-status on 1 Jan 1974 and 1 Jan 1975.
Nickname: "Hier troch de pet" - hair through the cap. Âldlaaie (very long a according to my cousin) was once the "Gehenna" of Fryslân. There were many pubs, and quite a few skirmishes. In c. 1800 the village was used as an exile for orphans, widows, and outcasts. In de beginning of the 20th century the village added new dimensions to the fur-industry.
Someone saw a cat walking on the street and called "Poes, Poes!", whereupon he was immediately arrested, as many cats were caught and their skins sold to some fur-industrialist. My dad was born in Äldleie "onder Vrouwbuurt" - in the part in Het Bildt.
At present all of the village seems to belong to Leeuwarderadeel (but I wouldn't be surprised if some parts were simply forgotten)
coat of arms: in blue a knife with a silver blade and a red handle; with a golden knob and dividing piece; and a golden sheath, both placed per fess.
Flag: three equally wide horizontal stripes red - yellow - blue.
Oude Leije originally was considered as a part of Het Bildt; at the same time as the other villages of Het Bildt this village received a coat of arms. This was based on the old rime: "In mes mei in skai, is 't wapen fan de Ouwe Lai". (A knife and a sheath, is the arms of Oude Leije).
Mr. K. Sierskma, who designed the village arms of Het Bildt, drew here a blue shield with a silver knife and sheath. To make it a bit more canting and to use the flag-colors, the Fryske Rie foar Heraldyk, in consultation with the Society for village interests, deided to make the handle red and to use the yellow color for other elements.
The flag is old; it occurs in the book of flags and arms of G. Hesman (1708).
Because the coat of arms and flag have been used for a long time in the village (see Leeuwarder Courant of 20 Dec 1973), they are now official, with the definition of the colors.
Design coat of arms: K. Sierksma, adapted by the Fryske Rie foar Heraldyk.
Source: Genealogysk Jierboekje 2001.
Groot Schimpnamenboek van Nederland, by Dirk van der Heide, 1998.
Jarig Bakker, 24 Aug 2003

Oude Leije coat of arms

by Jarig Bakker, 24 Aug 2003