His life is legendary. His contemporary Petrus Thaborita described it as follows, as noted by the 19th-century historian Conrad Busken Huet: According to this, Grote Pier was a tower of a man as strong as an ox, dark-skinned, broad-shouldered, with a long black beard and moustache . A natural crude humorist turned terrible beast by unfortunate circumstances. Out of personal revenge for suffering bloody injustice in 1515 with the killing of his wife, he became a legendary freedom fighter.[1]
Grote Pier's exact date of birth is unknown. He was originally a farmer and seaman from the village of Kimswerd near the port city of Harlingen in the Netherlands. In 1515, as part of the Saxon feud, his farm was destroyed by Black Guard mercenary troops. His hatred of his wife's murderers drove Gerlofs to wage war on his own against the oppressors of his homeland. He concluded an alliance with the Duchy of Guelders. He supported its duke, Charles II of Geldern, during a war against Holland. With his own troops, he went on privateering trips.
With his pirate ships he ruled the Zuiderzee. Right at the beginning of his "career" he succeeded in capturing 28 Dutch ships, for which he rewarded himself with the title "King of the Frisians".
In 1517 he crossed Gelder's troops to Medemblik. When the castle failed to be conquered, he plundered and burned the town. Asperen and several other castles also fell victim to his pirate gang, the Arum Black Bunch, named after a Frisian village.
In 1518 he defeated a fleet of the Dutch governor at Hoorn. The crews of the captured ships were subjected to a shibboleth: Wer Bûter, brea en griene tsiis: wa't dat net sizze kin, is gjin oprjochte Fries (Butter, bread and green cheese: Whoever cannot say this is not an upright Friesian.) could not pronounce correctly was killed as a non-Friesian.
However, when he noticed that Charles II of Geldern actually did not want to support the Frisian cause, he broke the alliance and withdrew in 1519 in resignation. A year later he died peacefully in bed and was buried in Sneek Church.
There are many legends about his figure. He was credited with giant powers and incredible skills as a fighter. A 2.13 m long and 6 kg heavy sword, a two-handed sword, which is said to have belonged to the Groten Pier, is being set up in the Frisian Museum in Leeuwarden. A helmet is also attributed to Donia, which is kept in the town hall of Sneek/Friesland. Text: Wikipedia