Last modified: 2006-09-02 by jarig bakker
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Shipmate Flagchart : http://www.shipmate.nl/flags.htm
Hempens and Teerns are listed in my book as two separate villages, but
according to this
website it has become a huge conglomeration with 226 inhabitants in
the municipality of Leeuwarden (south of Ljouwert on the other side of
the van
Harinxmakanaal.)
The flag of Hempens (Himpens) has this story behind it, according to
the webpage:
The municipality of Leeuwarden granted an official name to the bridge
over the "Nauwe Greuns" in Hempens. It is "Oxena brids", old-Frisian for
"oxen bridge".
In the Middle Ages an "Oxena brids" was mentioned in the village territory
of Hempens. A charter in old-Frisian of 21 July 1463 mentions this bridge,
probably a bit east of the present bridge. In the opinion of the Leeuwarder
municipal council it is important to keep these old names.
Some years ago the village flag of Hempens was adopted, which is being
dominated by two horns of oxen, which refers to the old bridge, over which
the farmers chased their cattle.
It is remarkable that the old-Frisian name has nearly the same spelling
as (old) English. Probably Hempens has the only "brids" on the continent!
Jarig Bakker, 10 Jun 2003
Shipmate Flagchart : http://www.shipmate.nl/flags.htm
The flag of Teerns (Frisian: Tearns) is dominated by the waters of the
big van Harinxmakanaal, and towards the hoist the old watermill is symbolized.
Jarig Bakker, 10 Jun 2003
The flag of Teerns is a simplified derivation af the arms, closely connected
to that of the neighbourly Hempens (wavy base, referring to the formerly
watery environment), In the flag the Catherine's Wheel (no wheel of the
watermill) of the arms was adopted. St. Catherine was the patron saint
of the parish church, The interruption in the wheel is in the form of a
chevron, from which two wavy stripes emanate, with the same meaning as
in the arms.
Rudolf J. Broersma, 1 Sep 2006