Arumer Zwarte Hoop
34-580: Pier Gerlofs Donia Wijerd Jelckama The Arumer Zwarte Hoop , meaning "Black Army of Arum " ( West Frisian : Swarte Heap ) was an army of peasant rebels and mercenaries in Friesland fighting against the Habsburg authorities from 1515 to 1523. For four years they were successful under the former farmer Pier Gerlofs Donia . Led by his Lieutenant Wijerd Jelckama from 1519 they slowly lost ground and were captured and executed in 1523. The leader
68-554: A freedom fighter of legendary standing. Pier Gerlofs was born around 1480 in Kimswerd near the city of Harlingen , Wonseradeel (modern Friesland , Netherlands ). Pier Gerlofs was one of at least four children born to Fokel Sybrants Bonga and Gerlof Piers. Pier's mother Fokel was the daughter of the Schieringer noblemen Sybrant Doytsesz Bonga of Bongastate, Kimswerd. Pier married Rintsje Syrtsema and they had two children,
102-618: A high ransom. Some of the town's inhabitants fled and found safety at Kasteel Radboud . The castle's governor, Joost van Buren, succeeded in keeping the aggressors outside the castle walls. Unable to take the castle, the Arumer Zwarte Hoop plundered the town and set it on fire. With most houses made of wood, the town, including the church, monastery and town hall, was razed. After this partial victory, Pier and his army stormed both Nieuwburg and Middleburg Castle near Alkmaar , plundered and set them on fire, leaving only ruins. In 1517,
136-980: A personal enmity to Medemblik and its inhabitants as, in earlier years, soldiers from Medemblik had cooperated with the Holland army commanded by Duke Charles, the future Emperor . In March 1498, Medemblik was where representatives of the Schieringers met the Saxon ruler duke Albrecht to request Saxon protection from the Vetkopers—a request that resulted in the Saxon occupation of Friesland, Netherlands. On 24 June 1517, Grutte Pier and his Arumer Zwarte Hoop, consisting of some 4,000 soldiers from Frisia and Guelders , sailed to West Frisia, passing Enkhuizen , landing near Wervershoof and advancing to Medemblik. They swiftly captured Medemblik , killing many inhabitants and taking many others prisoner. Some were released on payment of
170-656: A real Frisian. ) Despite his successes, Pier could not turn the Burgundian/Habsburg tide and he retired, disillusioned, in 1519. Wijerd Jelckama took over the command of Pier's forces. Pier died peacefully in his bed at Grootzand 12 in the Frisian city of Sneek on 28 October 1520. Pier is buried in Sneek in the 15th-century Groote Kerk (English: Great Church ; also called the Martinikerk). His tomb
204-697: A regional level, is named after Donia in Friesland. Many other clubs and several ships are named after him. - In 2020, the Frisian-language broadcasting company Omrop Fryslân conducted a research study, which revealed that 70% of respondents in Friesland considered Donia to be one of the greatest Frisian historical heroes, but more half of respondents erroneously connected his name to the Battle of Warns (1345), about two centuries before Donia's time. A further 40% of respondents believed he had served in
238-488: A son named Gerlof and a daughter named Wobbel, who were born around 1510. Pier died in 1520, and in 1525, Pier's mother appointed in her will Pier's brother, Sybren, as guardian of Pier's children, who still were minors. Pier and his brother-in-law, Ane Pijbes (husband of Tijdt Gerlofs), were partners in the farming estate of Meyllemastate in Kimswerd. Wijerd Jelckama often is described by 18th and 19th-century authors as
272-449: Is buried in Sneek in the 15th-century Martinikerk (Sneek) [ fy ] (English: Large Church ; also called the Martinikerk). Donia's Lieutenant Wijerd Jelckama took over the command of his forces, which then comprised over 4,000 soldiers. Jelckama also achieved some minor victories, but proved to be a less competent commander and slowly lost men. Jelckama and his soldiers indulged in acts of piracy and sacked many villages in
306-719: Is kept in the town hall of Sneek. The seventeenth century Friese poet Gysbert Japicx (1603–1666) wrote in his composition "Tjesck Moars See Aengste" ("Grandmother's Sea Anguish") the following verse in reference to Grote Pier (eng. trans., Large Peter): Thee I'll follow, noble Peter, Thou wert nobler far and greater, Than the noblest, home-kept lord, Battling like an ancient Roman, For his country with her foeman, Whom he chased with fire and sword. Stories about Pier grew into legends that often share themes with stories of other strong men in Germanic heroic literature. For example, one story says Pier ploughed his land by pulling
340-565: Is located at the north side of the church. Pier's son Gerloff died unmarried and left no descendants. His daughter Wobbel married three times, lastly to one Popta with whom she had children. Therefore, Donia left no descendants in the male line, but has many descendants through his daughter. In 1791, Jacobus Kok wrote that above the porticus of the New City Hall of Leeuwarden , two remarkably large swords were found which were said to have belonged to Grutte Pier and Wijerd Jelckama. Donia
374-652: The Arumer Zwarte Hoop . Under the leadership of Donia (nicknamed Greate Pier for his size), they employed guerrilla tactics and achieved several victories such as the successful siege of two Hollandic castles and the city of Medemblik. Donia also targeted ships that travelled the Zuiderzee and was very active in 1517, when he used his "signal ships" to attack ships in the region of the West Frisian coast , to which he also transported Geldrian forces, from
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#1732765657571408-549: The Black Band , a Landsknecht regiment in the service of George, Duke of Saxony was quartered. The regiment was charged with suppressing the civil war between the Vetkopers, who opposed Burgundian and subsequently Habsburg rule, and the Schieringers. The Black Band were notorious as a violent military force; when their pay was insufficient or lacking, they would extract payments from local villagers. On 29 January 1515,
442-518: The Dutch East Indies , Busken Huet settled for the remainder of his life in Paris. For the last quarter of a century he had been the acknowledged dictator in all questions of Dutch literary taste. Perfectly honest, desirous to be sympathetic, widely read, and devoid of all sectarian obstinacy, Busken Huet introduced into Holland the light and air of Europe. He made it his business to break down
476-576: The Walloon church in Haarlem in 1851. A student of Prof. Johannes Henricus Scholten and friend of Prof. Abraham Kuenen , Busken Huet familiarized his parishioners with the insights of 'Modern Theology', e.g. with respect to the Bible. In 1857-1858 he created a scandal by publishing Brieven over den Bijbel ('Letters on the Bible'), in which he popularized the 'Modern' view on the origins and authority of
510-442: The 19th-century Dutch historian Conrad Busken Huet wrote that Grutte Pier was A tower of a fellow as strong as an ox, of dark complexion, broad shouldered, with a long black beard and moustache. A natural rough humorist, who through unfortunate circumstances was recast into an awful brute. Out of personal revenge for the bloody injustice that befell him (in 1515) with the killing of kinsfolk and destruction of his property he became
544-617: The Arumer Zwarte Hoop captured the town of Asperen , slaughtering virtually all its inhabitants. They then used the heavily fortified city as a base until driven out by Holland's Stadhouder . In response to the attacks on Medemblik and Alkmaar and the failure of the Captain General of Amstelland, Waterland and Gooiland to defend his territories, the Stadhouder of Holland agreed to outfit a war fleet in July 1517. The fleet came under
578-511: The Bible: "Just as all Christianity is purely devotional love after Christ’s example, the entire Bible is purely a human creation. Yes, a creation inspired by the personal faith of the prophets and apostles; brought forth by the national genius of the Hebrews, which genius both the apostles and the prophets represented; one that did not fall from the clouds like a meteor, but rose from the bosom of
612-571: The Black Band plundered Donia's village, then allegedly raped and killed his wife, Rintze Syrtsema, burning to the ground both the village church and Donia's estate. Seeking revenge, Pier started a guerrilla war campaign against the Habsburgs and allied himself with Charles of Egmond, Duke of Guelders (1492–1538). Pier's armed band, known as the Arumer Zwarte Hoop (English: Black Hope (or heap) of Arum ), were pirates mainly active against
646-579: The Duchy of Geldern , setting them ashore at Medemblik . Donia bore a personal enmity to Medemblik and its inhabitants as, in earlier years, soldiers from Medemblik had cooperated with the Dutch army commanded by Duke Charles, the future Emperor . Donia sank 28 Dutch ships, earning him the title "Cross of the Dutchmen". The rebels also received financial support from Charles II, Duke of Guelders , who claimed
680-556: The Duchy of Guelders in opposition to the House of Habsburg. Charles also employed mercenaries under the command of Maarten van Rossum in their support. However, when the tides turned against the rebels in 1519 as Charles withdrew his support, and by losing their financial support, the rebels could then no longer afford to pay their mercenary army. About the same time, the Arumer Zwarte Hoop also lost their leader, as Donia's health deteriorated. He retired to his farm where he died in 1520. He
714-479: The Frisian lands, losing the trust and support of their own people. The fact that Jelckama was less charismatic also cost him: he forged less fruitful alliances and lost more than he made. After a series of defeats, he and the remainder of the Frisian army were captured in 1523. Jelckama and the remaining Frisian and Gelderian rebels were decapitated, putting the rebellion to an end. Pier Gerlofs Donia Pier Gerlofs Donia ( c. 1480 – 28 October 1520)
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#1732765657571748-631: The Hollanders and Burgundians at sea. He managed to capture many English and Dutch ships, mainly on the Zuider Zee (today's ‘ IJsselmeer ’). Erasmus criticized Grutte Pier's exploits. Pier targeted ships that travelled the Zuiderzee and was very active in 1517, when he used his "signal ships" to attack ships in the region of the West Frisian coast , to which he also transported Geldrian forces, setting them ashore at Medemblik . Pier bore
782-503: The Jewish people, as the goddess of beauty rose from the billows whose foam created her; one which was not, in part or whole, put on paper and collected in one or two volumes through the external intervention of Providence, but which emerged leaf by leaf, like a budding flower, from the stem of Israel; one that did not bypass the Jews or go over the heads as it came to us from God, but came from
816-527: The Jews themselves, under God’s guidance; a human creation, in other words, inspired by human faith, consummated by human art, preserved by human care, understood by every true human heart and acknowledged as the voice of the heart, as the voice of human devotion, human suffering, human happiness: such is the human creation the Bible is to me." In 1862, after realizing that these 'Letters' had ruined his clerical career, Busken Huet resigned his charge. Attempting journalism instead, he went out to Java in 1868 as
850-468: The army of Radbod of Frisia , which predated Donia by more than 700 years. Conrad Busken Huet Conrad Busken Huet (28 December 1826, The Hague – 1 May 1886, Paris ) was a Dutch pastor, journalist and literary critic. Busken Huet, son of a Hague civil servant, attended Gymnasium Haganum and studied theology at Leiden University , in Geneva and Lausanne . He was appointed pastor of
884-458: The coast near Hoorn in 1518. Shortly after this victory, Pier defeated 300 Hollanders in Hindelopen . According to a legend, Pier forced his captives to repeat a shibboleth to distinguish Frisians from Holland and Lower German infiltrators: Bûter, brea en griene tsiis: wa't dat net sizze kin, is gjin oprjochte Fries. ( Butter, bread, and green cheese: if you can’t say that, you’re not
918-433: The editor of a newspaper . Before this time, however, he had begun his career as a polemical man of letters, although it was not until 1872 that he was made famous by the first series of his Literary Fantasies and Chronicles , a title under which he gradually gathered in successive volumes all that was most durable in his work as a critic. His one novel, Lidewyde , was written under strong French influences. Returning from
952-470: The nephew of Grutte Pier. Contemporary Worp van Thabor identifies him simply as Weird van Bolsward. Modern authors such as J.J. Kalma doubt the nephew connection, and Brouwer in the Encyclopedia of Friesland states that Wijerd was not Grutte Pier's nephew but instead his "lieutenant". Approximately 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) to the north-east of Donia's village of Kimswerd, in the city of Franeker ,
986-464: The plough himself instead of using horses. Another story states that Pier could lift a horse above his head. Fivefal is the name in Frisian of a Frisian legend. It tells the story of Pier beating five strong men who came to fight him: the place where he beat them is known as Fivefal, (Lit. Five fall) for all five of them fell to the ground. - In the 1970s, in the Dutch Floris series , Donia
1020-405: The supreme command of Anthonius van den Houte , Lord of Vleteren, appropriately titled "Admiral of the Zuiderzee". In the name of Charles V, van den Houte announced he would free the region of Frisian and Gelder piracy. Although van den Houte was initially successful, with some of the Frisian vessels being burnt near Bunschoten , Grutte Pier responded by seizing 11 of Holland's ships in a battle off
1054-476: Was a Frisian farmer , rebel leader , and pirate . He is best known by his West Frisian nickname Grutte Pier ('Big Pier'; in the pre-1980 West Frisian spelling written as Greate Pier ), or by the Dutch translation Grote Pier , which referred to his legendary size, strength, and bravery. His life is mostly shrouded in legend . Based upon a description now attributed to Pier's contemporary Petrus Thaborita ,
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1088-612: Was a major character played by actor Hans Boskamp . - In the 22nd episode of Season 9 of Forged in Fire , originally aired in October 2022, "Supersized Swords", the final challenge was to have two contestants forge a replica of Grutte Pier's great sword. - The life of Pier is featured in an episode of 'Dark Marvels' titled "Blades of Fury", originally aired August 7, 2023. The Greate Pier rugby club in Leeuwarden , which plays on
1122-540: Was noted for the ability to wield this great sword so efficiently that he could behead multiple people with it in a single blow. Today, a great sword that is said to have belonged to Pier is on display at the Fries Museum in Leeuwarden . It measures 2.13 metres (7 ft) in length and weighs 6.6 kilograms (14.6 lb). Pier was alleged to be so strong that he could bend coins using just his thumb, index, and middle finger. A huge helmet said to be Grutte Pier's
1156-467: Was the farmer Pier Gerlofs Donia, whose farm had been burned down and whose kinfolk had been killed by a marauding landsknecht regiment . Since the regiment had been employed by the Habsburg authorities to suppress the civil war of the Vetkopers and Schieringers , Donia put the blame on these authorities. After this he gathered angry peasants and some petty noblemen from Frisia and Gelderland and formed
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