Sikke Sjaardema was the eighth potestaat of Friesland

Friesland

Friesland is a province in the north of the Netherlands and part of the ancient region of Frisia.Until the end of 1996, the province bore Friesland as its official name. In 1997 this Dutch name lost its official status to the Frisian Fryslân...

, a province of the Netherlands

Netherlands

The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

. The potestaat was the elected provincial ruler.

Biography

Sikko, Sikke or Sicka Syarda came from Ylst or IJlst

IJlst

IJlst is a city in Friesland, Netherlands. It is located about 3 km southwest of Sneek. It lies within the municipality of Wymbritseradiel. It received city rights in 1268 and is one of the eleven cities in Friesland. The little city counts approximately 3800 people.-Name:The name IJlst...

, (Elostoe in Latin), and was elected to Potestaat by the men of Friesland in 1237.

Count William II of Holland offered Sicko regional rule on the Friesian lands. This offer can be read in the reference
"Grootmagtige Koning ! Wil u niet te vergeefs vermoeijen; meent gij dat ik, om mij en mijn geslacht te verheffen, een verrader wil zijn, en de nakomelingen van die vrijheid berooven, welke onze Voorouders boven alle goederen geschat hebben ? Verre zij van mij een geldgierig en oneerlijk hart! Vaarwel! En wil mij met uwe brieven niet meer begroeten in dier voege, want ik wil na dezen geene van u ontvangen. Uit onzen huize Sjaardema den 9 augustus 1239."> "Would you not be in vain troubled; ye believes that, to me and my family to raise, want to be a traitor, and the descendants of those bereft of freedom, which our Ancestors above all goods estimated? Far from me a mercenary and unfair heart! Goodbye! And wants me with yours letters no longer welcome in the sense, because I want after this not received from you. From our home Sjaardema the August 9, 1239.">

Around the year 1250 Sikke Sjaardema made IJlst the province's capital where municipal laws were judged.

The city flag is a blue field with a left half French lily, in the middle of an arrow up, a right - right French lily and 3 six pointed stars.

Sicko had a military success in 1252. Abel

Abel of Denmark

Abel of Denmark was Duke of Schleswig from 1232 to 1252 and King of Denmark from 1250 until his death in 1252. He was the son of Valdemar II by his second wife, Infanta Berengária of Portugal, and brother to Eric IV and Christopher I....

, the "King of Norway" fell in East Friesland. The Frisians killed king Abel and many of his troops on 12 June 1252. Petrus Thaborita

Petrus Thaborita

Petrus Jacobi Thaborita was a Frisian monk, historian and writer. He is best known for his writings on the Frisian freedom fighter Pier Gerlofs Donia, and for writing down Donia's last words...

had the year as 1250 which is almost correct, and that Abel was king of Denmark.