The Gold and the Blue. Blue Leaf Beetle, Chrysolina coerulans, on Tanacetum vulgare, Golden Buttons, Heiligerlee, Oldambt, Groningen, The Netherlands
For more than forty years I've lived in Groningen even teaching Dutch History in my first years here. But I'd never gone out about 40 kms from Stad to Heiligerlee. The famous battle of Heiligerlee - May 23, 1568 - was the first battle of the 80-Years War for Dutch independence against the 'Spanish King'. The forces of William the Silent under the command of two of his brothers - Adolphe (1540-1568) and Louis - won, but Adolphe was killed. He's remembered by name in the Dutch national anthem.
The Dutch are not very nationalistiic and there's only a smallish monument at Heiligerlee. It was put up in the late nineteenth century just after the concept "80-Years War" had become an historical term. Fascinating, though, to see it at last.
The battle itself was fought mainly on the grounds and in very marshy fens of the monastery of the Norbertine nuns, Mons Sinaï. That nunnery was founded in 1204 but disbanded in 1594 when this area became Protestant.
The coat of arms of the Norbertines is Golden Yellow and Blue, and this little scene unfolding before my eyes reminded me...
Here's a Blue Leaf Beetle, Chrysolina coerulans, on Golden Buttons or Tansy, Tanacetum vulgare. I'm not sure what the Nasaaus would have thought, but I picked some Tansy and placed it by the commemorative statue of Heiligerlee which shows Adolphe, duke of Nassau, dying under the aegis of the Dutch Maiden whose wielded sword has apparently failed (inset top left)... unless, of course, she's claiming his dead body.
The Gold and the Blue. Blue Leaf Beetle, Chrysolina coerulans, on Tanacetum vulgare, Golden Buttons, Heiligerlee, Oldambt, Groningen, The Netherlands
For more than forty years I've lived in Groningen even teaching Dutch History in my first years here. But I'd never gone out about 40 kms from Stad to Heiligerlee. The famous battle of Heiligerlee - May 23, 1568 - was the first battle of the 80-Years War for Dutch independence against the 'Spanish King'. The forces of William the Silent under the command of two of his brothers - Adolphe (1540-1568) and Louis - won, but Adolphe was killed. He's remembered by name in the Dutch national anthem.
The Dutch are not very nationalistiic and there's only a smallish monument at Heiligerlee. It was put up in the late nineteenth century just after the concept "80-Years War" had become an historical term. Fascinating, though, to see it at last.
The battle itself was fought mainly on the grounds and in very marshy fens of the monastery of the Norbertine nuns, Mons Sinaï. That nunnery was founded in 1204 but disbanded in 1594 when this area became Protestant.
The coat of arms of the Norbertines is Golden Yellow and Blue, and this little scene unfolding before my eyes reminded me...
Here's a Blue Leaf Beetle, Chrysolina coerulans, on Golden Buttons or Tansy, Tanacetum vulgare. I'm not sure what the Nasaaus would have thought, but I picked some Tansy and placed it by the commemorative statue of Heiligerlee which shows Adolphe, duke of Nassau, dying under the aegis of the Dutch Maiden whose wielded sword has apparently failed (inset top left)... unless, of course, she's claiming his dead body.