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Wjelsryp (The Netherlands)

Littenseradiel municipality, Fryslân province

Shipmate Flagchart : http://www.shipmate.nl/flags.htm
adopted 1999; design: J.C. Terluin

Wjelsryp village (Welsrijp)
Wjelsryp CoA

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Wjelsryp village (Welsrijp)

Wjelsryp (Dutch: Welsrijp) is a village in Littenseradiel municipality, Fryslân province; it used to be in the former municipality of Hennaarderadeel, with (1958) 485; (1974) 450 inhabitants.
Nickname: Fjurkemigers (people who pee in the fire); Smoarpotten (pots with grease)
The location and the territory of Wjelsryp determined the division of the village-CoA. A "vairklok" (vairé bell) fills the shield and the top reaches the top of the shield, while the bellbottom is not straight, but fills the shieldbottom.
Wjelsryp is in the northern tip of Hennaarderadeel. The silver ring with the golden star symbolizes the village itself and is the highest possible position on the shield, like it is the northernmost village of the municipality.
The church of Wjelsryp dates from the 11th century and had a saddleroof. In 1892 the spire collapsed of old age. After that on the western gable a small spire was built. In the blue part one discernes the silhouette of part of the church and spire. The silver flanks are the hamlets of the village: the Westerein and the Easterein. The colors blue and silver are derived from the arms of Westergo and Hennaarderadeel.
The blue part is also a reminder of the old bell, cast in 1545. In 1909 the bell was recast. But in the 2nd World War the Germans transported it to Germany and it never returned. Now there is a new bell in the little spire.
The silver ring with the golden star is derived from the legend connected with the church. In "De historie gaat door het eigen dorp" by A. Algra, part VI, p. 36 it goes like this:

Once upon a time there was a wild man in Wjelsryp, who was very much feared. Even his own wife was afraid of him, because he beat her often. When was about to return one time she was so afraid that she simulated a grave illness. The priest was even called, who was about to help her when the wild man entered the house, and said: "What's going on here?" He pulled the box with wafers out of the priest's hand and threw it on the floor. In the darkness the priest was unable to find them again, but suddenly on each holy wafer was a small illuminating six-pointed star, so that he could easily collect all.
The punishment for this evil deed was that storms and floods hit the region around Wjelsryp. The wild man repented his evil deeds and went on a crusade. And on the place where the wafers were thrown on the ground a church was built devoted to St. Ursula.

On the dark floor the wafers couldn't be seen. The lighting star illuminated the rim of the wafer. A wafer is round and white. Gold on silver (yellow on white) is not allowed in heraldry, so the star had to be on a blue field.
The disk with star symbolizes the foundation of the medieval villagechurch. In the base of the shield is a golden fleur-de-lis, derived from the arms of the Galama family. Otto Galesz van Galama, from a very noble family of southwest Fryslân, owned a lot in the village, and was buried in the church in 1586. His tombstone is in the churchspire.
The clovers symbolize the agricultural character of the village. There is mixed farming, but cattle-breeding prevails. Red was chosen to have a fresh and warm element against the "cold" white and blue colors.
The flag shows the same elements as the CoA.
Design: J.C. Terluin.
Source: Genealogysk Jierboekje 2000.
Wapens en Flaggen fan Littenseradiel, booklet of the municipality.

Wjelsryp CoA

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