Ferwoude (Frisian: Ferwâlde) is a village in Wûnseradiel municipality,
Fryslân province, with (1958) 311; (1974) 237 inhabitants, NNW of
Workum city. Hamlets: Doniaburen, Scharneburen and Wonneburen. Some parts
are 2.7 meters below sealevel.
Nickname: "Brijbekken" (porridgebeaks), used for the low grasslands
in Fryslân, where people only ate porridge.
Ferwoude Coat of Arms: in silver a red standard, hanging from four golden rings.
This standard was Friso's (the legendary founder of Fryslân)
standard, which he took with him out of his homeland India, which gained
him many victories. Legend has it that the Frisians under this banner conquered
Rome, and delivered the city to Charlemagne. It was kept in the dôme
of Alemenum (Harlingen). Later the Danes tried to steal it. They were unsuccessful,
for it was hidden in the churchwall. However Jancko Douwama (another great
Frisian freedomfighter, mainly trying to free the Frisians from the Frisians)
wrote: "I heard the same, but about Ferwâlde, not Almenum".
Source: "It Beaken", Magazine of the Frisian Academy, Dec 1969.
Encyclopedie van Friesland 1958.
Groot Schimpnamenboek van Nederland, by Dirk van der Heide, 1998.
Jarig Bakker, 28 Sep 2003
Ferwoude Coat of Arms
from "It Beaken", Magazine of the Frisian Academy, Dec 1969.