The Frisian Heraldry Council presents an anniversary book to Commissioner Brok

The publication ‘Dorpswapens in Fryslân’ was written and compiled by the heralds Jan T. Anema and Jelle C. Terluin. It features 408 village coats of arms. For villages that did not yet have a coat of arms, the Council produced a design. This makes the book a unique collection of village coats of arms from Fryslân.

Heraldry

Heraldry is the study of the use of coats of arms and heraldic symbols. Coats of arms are emblems used to identify individuals, families or organisations. The symbols on coats of arms convey information about the bearer of the coat of arms. In the case of villages, these often include symbols relating to the local landscape, such as pastures, arable land or, for example, a stin.

Coats of arms originated in the Middle Ages, when knights, clad in their heavy armour, were almost unrecognisable in battle or at a tournament. For this reason, they had designs on their shields intended to clearly identify who they were. The heralds, whose duties included organising the tournaments, could then announce the knights on the basis of their coats of arms. Nowadays, heralds are mainly concerned with designing and granting new coats of arms. This is certainly true of Jan T. Anema and Jelle C. Terluin, two driving forces behind the Fryske Rie voor Heraldyk, both of whom have been experts in the field of coats of arms for over 60 years.

Order

Would you like to buy the book? You can do so via the Weissenbach Publishers’ online shop. The book will also be available at Afûk.