Pier Gerlofs Donia
Pier Gerlofs Donia | |
---|---|
pirate | |
Known for | Leading a Frisian rebellion between 1515 and 1519 |
Spouse | Rintsje Syrtsema |
Children | Gerlof Piers Donia and Wobbel Piers Donia |
Parent(s) | Gerlof Piers Donia and Fokel Sybrants Bonga |
Pier Gerlofs Donia (c. 1480 – 28 October 1520) was a Frisian
His life is mostly shrouded in legend. Based upon a description now attributed to Pier's contemporary Petrus Thaborita, 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 a freedom fighter of legendary standing.[2]
Early life and family
Pier Gerlofs was born around 1480 in
Pier married Rintsje Syrtsema and they had two children, 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.[3][5] 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 the nephew of Grutte Pier. Contemporary Worp van Thabor identifies him simply as Weird van Bolsward. Modern authors such as J.J. Kalma[6] doubt the nephew connection, and Brouwer in the Encyclopedia of Friesland states that Wijerd was not Grutte Pier's nephew but instead his "lieutenant".[7]
Rebellion
Approximately 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) to the north-east of Donia's village of Kimswerd, in the city of
Peasant rebels
Arumer Zwarte Hoop
Pier's armed band, known as the
Pirating in the Zuiderzee
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
Battles on land
In 1517, the Arumer Zwarte Hoop captured the town of
Shortly after this victory, Pier defeated 300 Hollanders in
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 a real Frisian.)[16]
Later years and death
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.[17] Pier died peacefully in his bed at Grootzand 12[18] in the Frisian city of Sneek on 28 October 1520.[19] Pier is buried in Sneek in the 15th-century Groote Kerk (English: Great Church; also called the Martinikerk).[15] His tomb is located at the north side of the church.[17]
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.[20]
Superhuman strength and size
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 was noted for the ability to wield this great sword so efficiently that he could behead multiple people with it in a single blow.[21] However, it is almost certainly a processional sword like the ceremonial sword held in the Rijksmuseum in the Netherlands (NG-NM-522) and two more very similar processional swords held at the Royal Armouries in Leeds (IX.1024 and 1025), which have been dated to the early fifteenth century.[original research?]
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).[22] 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 is kept in the town hall of Sneek.[23]
In popular culture
Gysbert Japicx
The seventeenth century Friese poet Gysbert Japicx (1603–1666) wrote in his composition "Tjesck Moars See Aengste" ("Grandmother's Sea Anguish")[24] 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.
Fivefal
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 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.[25]
Television
- In the 1970s, in the Dutch Floris series, Donia was a major character played by actor Hans Boskamp.[26]
- 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.
Sport
The Greate Pier rugby club in Leeuwarden, which plays on a regional level, is named after Donia in Friesland.[27] Many other clubs and several ships are named after him.[citation needed]
References
- ^ Pierius Winsemius . Chronycke ofte Historische Geschiedenis van Vrieslant', published in 1622
- ^ Conrad Busken Huet (1884). Het land van Rembrand: studiën over de Noordnederlandsche beschaving in de zeventiende eeuw. Tjeenk Willink.[page needed]
- ^ a b Archief Familie Van Sminia, inv. nr 2556. Opschrift: Copia. In dorso (= f. 2v): Last Will and Testament of Fokel, widow of Gerloff Piers
- ISBN 90-70010-13-5.
- ISBN 90-420-0651-X, page 299, Widows in Medieval Frisia
- ISBN 90-70010-13-5.
- ^ Encyclopedia of Friesland, by Jelle Hindriks Brouwer, 1958, p. 333.
- ISBN 90-70010-13-5.)
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link - ISBN 90-70010-13-5.)
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link - ^ The Age of Erasmus, Lectures Delivered in the Universities of Oxford and London, by P.S.Allen, Clarendon Press 1914
- ^ "Kasteel van Medemblik in de 16e eeuw". Home.planet.nl. Retrieved 2008-10-13.
- ISBN 90-6550-043-X.[page needed]
- ^ Beekman, Martinus. Beschreiving van de Stad en Baronnie Asperen. Vertoonende haare oudheid, gebouwen, hooge, en verdere regeering, ens. Utrecht, Mattheus Visch, 1745.
- ISBN 90-04-13850-1.
- ^ a b Geldersche Volks-Almanak Published 1853
- ISBN 0-8032-2747-7, Page 10
- ^ a b Kok, Jacobus (1791). "Pier Gerlofs Donia". Vaderlandsch Woordenboek. Vol. 24 (P–R). Amsterdam: Johannes Allart. pp. 17–21.
- ^ Fries Scheepvaart Museum, Object number 1992-257
- ISBN 90-70010-13-5.)
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link - ^ Donia-Popta link
- ^ Kok, Jacobus (1791). "Pier Gerlofs Donia". Vaderlandsch Woordenboek. Vol. 24 (P–R). Amsterdam: Johannes Allart. p. 21.
- ^ "Zwaard van Grutte Pier" (in Dutch). friesmuseum.nl. Archived from the original on 2014-06-08. Retrieved 2016-08-28.
- ^ "SneekPromotion.nl - Bezienswaardigheden" (in Dutch). Sneekpromotion.nl. Retrieved 2008-10-13.
- ^ The Foreign Quarterly Review. 1829. pp. 617–.
- ^ "Grutte Pier" (in Dutch). Fryslân Marketing. Archived from the original on 2011-07-19. Retrieved 2008-10-19.
- ^ "Grutte Pier: 2 meter 10 en schoenmaat 53". Leeuwarder Courant (in Dutch). Retrieved 2021-01-28.
- ^ RC Greate Pier Leeuwarden Archived 2009-01-12 at the Wayback Machine history (in Dutch)
Further reading
- R. S. Roarda (1961). Ut it selde skaei as Greate Pier. Fryske Akademy.
- Sjoerd Pieter Leiker (1902). 2 fersen: De âlde Dreit en Greate Pier (yn: Yn ús eigen tael).
- Onno Sytstra (1884). Greate Pier.
External links
- Quotations related to Pier Gerlofs Donia at Wikiquote
- Media related to Pier Gerlofs Donia at Wikimedia Commons