The Frisian flag ( West Frisian: ''Fryske Flagge''; ) is the official flag of the Dutch province of

Friesland Friesland ( ; ; official ), historically and traditionally known as Frisia (), named after the Frisians, is a Provinces of the Netherlands, province of the Netherlands located in the country's northern part. It is situated west of Groningen (p ...

. The flag was officially adopted by the

provincial executive The provincial executive (, GS) is the executive branch of government of a province in the Netherlands. It is the equivalent of the municipal executive at the provincial level. The provincial executive consists of the King's Commissioner (chair) ...

of Friesland on 9 July 1957. It consists of four blue and three white diagonal stripes; in the white stripes are a total of seven red '' pompeblêden'', leaves of the yellow water-lily, that may resemble hearts, but according to the official instructions "should not be

heart-shaped The heart symbol is an ideograph used to express the idea of the "heart" in its metaphorical or symbolic sense. Represented by an anatomically inaccurate shape, the heart symbol is often used to represent the center of emotion, including affecti ...

". The Frisian flag is probably the best known and most recognizable Dutch provincial flag. It flies abundantly during (inter)national skating competitions and is also used by one of the largest and oldest dairy producers. Moreover, the design is the basis of the home jerseys of the football clubs

SC Heerenveen Sportclub Heerenveen (; West Frisian language, West Frisian: Sportklub It Hearrenfean) is a Dutch professional association football, football club from Heerenveen. They currently play in the Eredivisie, the top level of football in the Netherla ...

and the .

Symbolism

The seven red

seeblatt (, German for 'lake leaf', plural '; ; ; East Frisian: Pupkeblad) is the term for the stylized leaf of a Nymphaeaceae, water lily, used as a Charge (heraldry), charge in heraldry. Background This charge is used in the heraldry of Germany, the N ...

s (or ''pompeblêden'', as they are called in West Frisian) are a reference to the Frisian "sea countries" in the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

: independent regions along the coast from

Alkmaar Alkmaar () is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Netherlands, located in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of North Holland. Alkmaar is well known fo ...

to the

Weser The Weser () is a river of Lower Saxony in north-west Germany. It begins at Hannoversch Münden through the confluence of the Werra and Fulda. It passes through the Hanseatic city of Bremen. Its mouth is further north against the ports o ...

who were allied against the

Vikings Vikings were seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway, and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded, and settled throughout parts of Europe.Roesdahl, pp. 9� ...

. There were never precisely seven distinct regions, but the number seven probably has the connotation "many." Some sources hold, however, that there have been seven Frisian lands: West Friesland,

Westergoa Westergoa was one of the Seven Sealands and one of the three that now lie within the borders of today's Dutch province of Friesland. Later it was one of the three goaen of Frisia. In the Middle Ages Westergoa most probably formed the political ...

, Eastergoa,

Hunsingo Hunsingo (Gronings: Hunzego or Hunzengo) is a region in the province of Groningen, Netherlands, between the Reitdiep and Maarvliet. Hunsingo was one of three Ommelanden. It is bordered to the north by the Wadden Sea, to the east Fivelingo, i ...

, Fivelingo, Emsingo, and

Jeverland Jeverland refers to the northern part of the present-day district of Friesland in northern Germany with the town of Jever as the seat of its local government. The Jeverland was formed in the 15th century from the Barony of Jever, which itself des ...

. The ''pompeblêden'' are used in other related flags such as the flag of the ''

Ommelanden The ''Ommelanden'' (; ) are the parts of Groningen province that surround Groningen city. Usually mentioned as synonym for the province in the expression ("city and surrounding lands"). The area was Frisian-speaking, but under the influence ...

'' in neighbouring Groningen Province, a historically Frisian area, and for a proposed pan-

Frisia Frisia () is a Cross-border region, cross-border Cultural area, cultural region in Northwestern Europe. Stretching along the Wadden Sea, it encompasses the north of the Netherlands and parts of northwestern Germany. Wider definitions of "Frisia" ...

flag put forth by the Groep fan Auwerk.

History

In the 13th century, a flag with ''pompeblêdden'' is described in the Middle High German epic poem Gudrunlied: : Noch ſihe ich hie bî weiben einen vanen breit : von wolkenblâwen ſîden. daȥ ſi iu geſeit: : den bringet uns her Herwîc dâ her von Sêlande. : ſêbleter ſwebent dar inne... : here I see uplifted a flag outspreading wide; : Of sky-blue silk 'tis woven. The truth I will not hide; : Herwic bears this banner, he in the Sealands dwelling. : Sea-leaves are shown upon it...ref>Mary Pickering Nichols, trans. ''Gudrun: A Mediaeval Epic''. Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin. 1889. p. 292. https://archive.org/details/gudrunmediaevale00nichiala/page/292/mode/1up Around 1200

Scandinavia Scandinavia is a subregion#Europe, subregion of northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It can sometimes also ...

coats of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic ac ...

reveal many traces of water-lilies and hearts, often found in combination with images of

lion The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'', native to Sub-Saharan Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body (biology), body; a short, rounded head; round ears; and a dark, hairy tuft at the ...

s. 15th century books on

heraldry Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, Imperial, royal and noble ranks, rank and genealo ...

show that two armorial bearings were derived from the early ones: a coat of arms showing lions and seven ''pompeblêdden'' (water lilies) transformed into

billets In European militaries, a billet is a living-quarters to which a soldier is assigned to sleep. In American usage, it refers to a specific personnel position, assignment, or duty station to which a soldier can be assigned. Historically, a billet w ...

, the other being the arms with the seven now known lilies on stripes. provincial executive The provincial executive (, GS) is the executive branch of government of a province in the Netherlands. It is the equivalent of the municipal executive at the provincial level. The provincial executive consists of the King's Commissioner (chair) ...

Symbolism

History

See also

References

External links