Hijum (the Frisian and Dutch name are the same) is a village in the municipality
of Leeuwarderadeel, Fryslân. The name means: "heem" - (farm)yard.
It was built on a "terp" - mound, which has been nearly completely
disappeared. The village has two churches, and there used to be the Aebinga-state
(fortified stately house). The population is gradually decreasing (1954:
510; 1974: 421)
Coat of Arms: in gold a green mound issueing from the base, with on top two
jumping green Frenchmen with open red mouths; the mound charged with a
lying silver crescent below three golden pennies placed 2-1.
Flag: two wavy horizontal stripes yellow and green, proportioned 2:1;
in the yellow stripe in the canton a jumping green frog with open red mouth.
The frog with a height of 7/12 flagheight.
Hijum means: land bathed by water "door water omspoeld land"
- the mound (terp) is evident in the arms. The crescent represents the
convent Mariëngaarde and the family Æbinga (AE in one letter).
The three pennies represents the patron saint of the church: St. Nicholas.
The frogs refer to the village nickname, "kikkerts", in use
for over a century. (it possibly refers to the frogs in the water around
the terp).
The flag is a simplification of the arms and shows only one of the
frogs.
Design: S. Postma.
Source: Genealogysk Jierboekje 1996 Two Encyclopedies van Friesland.
Jarig Bakker, 25 Aug 2003
Shipmate Flagchart : http://www.flagchart.net
![[Hijum Coat of Arms]](../images/n/nl-fr)hj.jpg)
from Ralf Hartemink's site.
