^{This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website}

Woudsend (The Netherlands)

Wymbritseradiel municipality, Fryslân province

by Jarig Bakker, 23 Sep 2003

Woudsend village (Wâldsein)
A "seine"
Woudsend CoA

See also:

Woudsend village (Wâldsein)

Woudsend (Frisian: Wâldsein) is a village in Wymbritseradiel municipality in Fryslân province, with (1958) 1057; (1974) 1074 inhabitants. The name means: end of the woods, referring to the "Friese Wouden". In the 1950's there were four churches, one of which has become the famous pub "It Ponkje", named after the collection bag. It is an important sailing village, with a terrace filled with experts watching sailors passing the low bridge. In the 18th century shipbuilding and wood-industry made it a florishing village, and some stately houses were built then. In 1337 a Carmelite convent was founded here, which lasted till 1593.
Nickname: "Driuwpôllen" (floating tussocks, as found on the Slotermeer and in the many canals around Woudsend), "Einekneppelers" (duck-clubbers, put a duck in a barrel, throw clubs, and see Roordahuizum).
Formerly Woudsenders used "seines" (drag-nets) for fishing on the Slotermeer and Hegermeer. A "seine" with lead-weights was lowered into the water, with cork keeping it floating. The net's maximum length was 250 meters and in the middle was a bag ("tsjoele"). It was slowly pulled on land, after which the fish was taken out of the "tsjoele". A monument has been made, which is shown in the village-center "De Driuwpôlle".
Since 1985 Woudsend has its own CoA, and the local touristboard has made a special "wimpel" of it.
CoA of the "vlecke" Woudsend: in black a golden fleur-de-lis, bended cut of silver, charged dexter with a green cloverleaf and sinister a red cross; the shield surmonté with a golden "vlecke-crown" of three leaves and two pearls; the bandlet charged with three red lozengy stones and two oval green stones.
Flag: white with two hoisttriangles reaching into the fly; in the top triangle a yellow lily.
The shield-division has been taken over from the Carmelites; the black field reminds of the mountain Carmel on the border between Israel and Lebanon. The clover is for the agricultural character of the village, and the cross is the St. Michael's cross, as it occurs on the CoA of Harlingen. The churches of Harlingen, Berlikum, Anjum, and Woudsend were devoted to St. Michael. The fleur-de-lis is from the Wymbritseradiel municipal arms. The crown designates, that Woudsend was considered to be a "vlek" - a settlement in size between town and city.
The flag is a design of the Fryske Rie foar Heraldyk - the design of the CoA presented to possibility to make a flag where the *W* of Woudsend was incorporated.
Source: Genealogysk Jierboekje 1986
Encyclopedie van Friesland, 1958.
This webpage.
Jarig Bakker, 23 Sep 2003

The word "seine" might have been imported from France. All French cruciverbists and the few remaining active fishers know that a "seine" or "senne" is a drag-net. The word comes from Greek "sagene" and has nothing to do with the rivers Seine (in Paris, from Latin "Sequana") and Senne (in Brussels, from whatever Friesian pirate's word you want).
Ivan Sache, 23 Sep 2003

It might ... but it isn't. Seine already existed in old Frisian. the theory is the word in all germanic old languages stem from latin Sagena, from Greek Sagène (dragnet).
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 24 Sep 2003

In Dutch it's a "zegen", according to my etymological dictionary with the derivation you give. However Frisian is a very ancient language - and it may be possible that Pytheas of Marseilles borrowed the word from us (without giving his sources of course). At High School we found several Frisian words in Homer, like "koruake" (little basket), which is of course the same as Frisian
"kuorke" (you know, like Little Red Ridinghood was carrying to her grandmother).
I found an image in my dear old Friese Encyclopedie of 1958.
Furthermore we Frisians never, repeat never, produced any "pirates". Greate Pier and Greate Wierd were honest farmers, treated badly by Hollanders, Geldersen and Germans, and are considered as our greatest freedom-fighters, when their wrath hit them foreigners.
Jarig Bakker, 24 Sep 2003

A "seine"

from Encyclopedie van Friesland, 1958.

Woudsend CoA

from Ralf Hartemink's site.