This William, Prince of Orange, is not the William who became King William III of England, but his great-grandfather, who led the Dutch in their 16th century revolt against Spain. The song is a contemporary, and effective, piece of propaganda for his cause.
This William was known as "the Silent" or as William of Orange (also). William this led the first modern war of independence, which did not formally end until 64 years after his death. Though not a King himself (he was Prince and stadhouder, a sort of President for life), he founded a dynasty (which still produces Kings and Queens for the Netherlands).
He also has the melancholy distinction of being the first Head of State to be asassinated by a handgun (in 1584, a gun held by a Catholic fanatic).
Idiotically nationalistic. I suspect Eli is a closet fascist. Do they still have mandatory hired thug service over there? Fear of your imaginary deity? Please, spare me!
Early American nationalists saw William the Silent very much as a prototype for George Washington, though it was his son (called Maurice of Nassau) who was a great general of his age. Maurice also became stadhouder after his father.
The 19th-century American historian John Lathrop Motley, author of The Dutch Republic, produced his wonderful epitaph for William:
While he lived he was the leader of a brave people, and when he died the little children cried in the streets.
Incidentally, 17the century Netherlands was a most amazing place .. as well as winning an 80-years war of independence, the Dutch had time to built the first modern capitalist society, including having the first stock market "bubble" (in tulip bulbs), conquering the East Indies, founding New York and other colonies in Africa, India, and the Caribbean, opening up trade with Japan, as well have having one of the most brilliant flowerings in the visual arts in history. Not bad for a tiny country on the verge of being flooded.
At the height of the Dutch tulip bubble of the 1630's, the price of a *single* tulip bulb was greater than the annual income of an average individual. I vaguely remembered that Isaac Newton lost money in this bubble, but I was wrong. At the time of the Dutch tulip bubble, Newton wasn't even born. Newton did in fat lost *millions of dollars* in ANOTHER bubble, the South Seas bubble of ca. 1720. A rueful Newton remarked "I can calculate the motion of the heavenly bodies, but I can't calculate the madness of men." Newton died broke.
Bringing the story up to date, Einstein lost much of his Nobel prize money in the 1929 U. S stock market crash. This fact is a little-known fact about Einstein. I had the (false) impression that Einstein lost his $$ in the divorce from his first wife. Which proves that despite his knowledge of physics, in his understanding of the stock market, even Albert Einstein...was no Einstein. Thinks about that before you risk your savings in derivatives or frozen pork bellies.
Yes, the Dutch Republic (The "Republic of the Seven United Netherlands") was in many ways a role model for the American Republic. Ironic it should be a monarchy now
Haha! The translation starts out totally wrong: "van Duitsen bloed" means "of German blood".
Really. William the Silent was born in the House of Nassau as Count of Nassau-Dillenburg, which is in Germany and was http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_the_Silent
Martin, I'm not even fluent in modern Dutch :-) I messed up the comment - exactly the Holy Roman Empire (of German Nation) thing got lost. I trust wikipedia that "Duitsen" means German in modern Dutch and I guess that was meaningless in c16th. Anyhow I don't mind having one German royal family more or less :-) "We" still got the House of Windsor (aka Sachsen-Coburg-Gotha) plus a Kastel Windsor in the Bavarian Forest :-)
UPDATE: The spambots got clever so the verification is back. Apologies
Some of the regulars here are having trouble telling the anonymice apart. Please add some distinguishing name to your comment such as Mickey, Minnie, Mighty, or Fred.
This William, Prince of Orange, is not the William who became King William III of England, but his great-grandfather, who led the Dutch in their 16th century revolt against Spain. The song is a contemporary, and effective, piece of propaganda for his cause.
ReplyDeleteThis William was known as "the Silent" or as William of Orange (also). William this led the first modern war of independence, which did not formally end until 64 years after his death. Though not a King himself (he was Prince and stadhouder, a sort of President for life), he founded a dynasty (which still produces Kings and Queens for the Netherlands).
He also has the melancholy distinction of being the first Head of State to be asassinated by a handgun (in 1584, a gun held by a Catholic fanatic).
Yes, "The Silent" because of his diplomatic skills. He knew how to not say things ;-)
ReplyDeleteThank you Eli.
ReplyDeleteIt's been many decades since last I trod the soil of my homeland, and 'though I'm still a citizen I've never heard the anthem.
I am now a little more complete.
Bernard J.
Idiotically nationalistic. I suspect Eli is a closet fascist. Do they still have mandatory hired thug service over there? Fear of your imaginary deity? Please, spare me!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkEKw4icXAI
ReplyDelete@4:50 mark
Early American nationalists saw William the Silent very much as a prototype for George Washington, though it was his son (called Maurice of Nassau) who was a great general of his age. Maurice also became stadhouder after his father.
ReplyDeleteThe 19th-century American historian John Lathrop Motley, author of The Dutch Republic, produced his wonderful epitaph for William:
While he lived he was the leader of a brave people, and when he died the little children cried in the streets.
Toby
Incidentally, 17the century Netherlands was a most amazing place .. as well as winning an 80-years war of independence, the Dutch had time to built the first modern capitalist society, including having the first stock market "bubble" (in tulip bulbs), conquering the East Indies, founding New York and other colonies in Africa, India, and the Caribbean, opening up trade with Japan, as well have having one of the most brilliant flowerings in the visual arts in history. Not bad for a tiny country on the verge of being flooded.
ReplyDeleteAt the height of the Dutch tulip bubble of the 1630's, the price of a *single* tulip bulb was greater than the annual income of an average individual. I vaguely remembered that Isaac Newton lost money in this bubble, but I was wrong. At the time of the Dutch tulip bubble, Newton wasn't even born. Newton did in fat lost *millions of dollars* in ANOTHER bubble, the South Seas bubble of ca. 1720. A rueful Newton remarked "I can calculate the motion of the heavenly bodies, but I can't calculate the madness of men." Newton died broke.
ReplyDeleteBringing the story up to date, Einstein lost much of his Nobel prize money in the 1929 U. S stock market crash. This fact is a little-known fact about Einstein. I had the (false) impression that Einstein lost his $$ in the divorce from his first wife.
Which proves that despite his knowledge of physics, in his understanding of the stock market, even Albert Einstein...was no Einstein.
Thinks about that before you risk your savings in derivatives or frozen pork bellies.
Blessed be die Oranje,
ReplyDeleteAll his ways and works!
Cursed be the Presbytry
Heretics, and Turks.
Yes, the Dutch Republic (The "Republic of the Seven United Netherlands") was in many ways a role model for the American Republic. Ironic it should be a monarchy now
ReplyDelete"Mind Over Matter"
ReplyDelete-- by Horatio Algeranon
Madder than a hatter?
Or logically designed?
Physics tracks the matter
Economics cracks the mind
etween physics and economics.
Haha! The translation starts out totally wrong: "van Duitsen bloed" means "of German blood".
ReplyDeleteReally. William the Silent was born in the House of Nassau as Count of Nassau-Dillenburg, which is in Germany and was http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_the_Silent
In the 16th century there was no clear distinction between the Netherlands and Germany. All part of the Holy Roman Empire.
ReplyDeleteMarco
Nice to see that Florifulgurator is fluent in 16th century Dutch (Hmm. where did the word "dutch" come from?)
ReplyDeleteThe right textbox.
Martin, I'm not even fluent in modern Dutch :-) I messed up the comment - exactly the Holy Roman Empire (of German Nation) thing got lost. I trust wikipedia that "Duitsen" means German in modern Dutch and I guess that was meaningless in c16th. Anyhow I don't mind having one German royal family more or less :-) "We" still got the House of Windsor (aka Sachsen-Coburg-Gotha) plus a Kastel Windsor in the Bavarian Forest :-)
ReplyDeletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelmus#Interpretation