What do black chickens have to do with witchcraft? Why were pigs not allowed to walk the streets freely in the Middle Ages? And should we welcome the return of the wolf or not? You'll hear the answers in this podcast on the history of animals in the Low Countries. We have long imposed our personal whims on other animals. We use them for labour or sport. We give them symbolic meaning, assigning them divine significance and power. Or we groom them and breed them to eat. For thousands of years, our relationship with animals has been an integral part of how we and our world have evolved. In the Low Countries, this is a journey from the ancient times of hunter-fisher communities to the early days of animal husbandry, through centuries of urbanisation, warfare, massive floods and land reclamation. All have had a drastic impact on animal life in the region. In this podcast, we discuss some animals that roamed or still roam in the Low Countries. We will see how the relationship between humans and animals has helped shape local societies and cultures, and how, over the millennia, we have exterminated some animals and invited others into our homes, but also unintentionally had some as very unwelcome guests. Starring in this podcast: reindeer, cows, chickens, pigs, shipworms, badgers, beavers and wolves. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When the Netherlands and Belgium did not exist, people spoke of the Low Countries when referring to the area around the river deltas. Water has always played an essential role in the history of that region. For centuries, living on these waterlogged lands provided the Dutch and the Flemings with opportunities for trade, urbanisation, agriculture and much more. But it also meant that they lived under the constant threat of devastating and deadly floods. In this podcast, we discover how the Low Countries, after centuries of battling floods, have gradually learnt to treat water as an ally and a part of the cultural identity of its inhabitants. Do you want to know more about Flemish and Dutch history and culture? Visit www.the-low-countries.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The double marriage between the Habsburg and Spanish dynasties organised in the creation of the Holy League in 1495 was part of a larger plan driven by the Spanish monarchs to create a general European-wide alliance against the French. To further these aims, Ferdinand and Isabella also arranged for their other children to marry into the Portuguese and English royal families as well. Such good family planning, however, was not to yield anywhere near the results that Ferdinand and Isabella sought. In this episode we will track the tumultuous journeys leading up to the weddings which brought Spain and the Low Countries together, the devastating repercussions the Spanish monarchs’ religiosity would have for the Jews of the Iberian peninsula, as well as a series of untimely deaths which would see the Spanish succession repeatedly shuffle down the line. When the music stopped in this dynastic game of musical chairs, Philip the Handsome and Joanna of Castile’s five month old baby son, Charles, would found himself perched on the stool which held possession of a ridiculous amount of Spanish, Imperial and Burgundian titles, all of which would eventually make him the most powerful person in Europe. With thanks to Mary Teresa Howell, ericb3234, Bill van Loo, Wazdr and Roni Rivera for their Patreon support. SHOW NOTES: https://www.republicofamsterdamradio.com/episodes/historyofthenetherlands/episode-49-the-willing-bride PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/historyofthenetherlands TWITTER: https://www.twitter.com/historyofNL Lyrics to “Ball of the Burning Men” by Exchanger Verse 1 Tonight we celebrate, for some maid of the court Will bind herself to man, for the second time, the young tart Tonight we humiliate, have fun, eat well, be drunk, make noise As the tradition dictates, for the twice wed goose Chorus The king rules surrounded by fools They came to the feast in the guise of a beast Madness reigns as they’re bound in chains Let the dames shield you from the flames It’s the Ball of the Burning Men ! Verse 2 The almighty Church frowns upon these pagan rites They might be kingmakers but did they really think they could change our ways ? We will pray to the One God and chant with the priests at dawn But we’ll still dance past the noon and sing the old tunes Verse 3 Lights out, foul creatures burst into the room suddenly Exotic monsters to amuse, really the king’s bunch in disguise Some lesser count has devised this brilliant surprise Dancers covered in pitch and feathers, which come alight so easily And so the guessing game begins, among them hides our king Under which of these grotesque suits is our crown ? His brother in the crowd can’t wait to find out Can’t help himself to break the one rule - No fire inside ! For lack of light he grabs a flame - No. Fire. Inside!! No! Chorus The king rules surrounded by fools They came to the feast in the guise of a beast Madness reigns as they’re bound in chains Let the dames shield you from the flames It’s the Ball of the Burning Men ! The king rules surrounded by fools They came to the feast in the guise of a beast Madness reigns as they’re bound in chains Let the dames shield you from the flames It’s the Ball of the Burning Men ! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When French king Charles VIII laid claims to the Kingdom of Naples and invaded Italy in September, 1494, an anti-French coalition called the League of Venice was formed, with the aim of kicking France out of the Italian peninsula. “Hang on a second, what does this have to do with the Netherlands?”, I hear you ask. Bear with me here. The League of Venice included a bunch of Italian city-states and regional powers, including the Pope Alexander VI, as well as our friend Emperor Maximilian and the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon. To help cement this anti-French alliance between Spain and the Habsburgs, a double marriage was arranged which would see Maximilian’s children marry the children of the Spanish monarchs Isabella and Ferdinand. With thanks to Lucca Breccia, Bryan Winter, Kelsey Murphy, Spencer Deinum and Craig S Tyle for their Patreon support. SHOW NOTES: https://www.republicofamsterdamradio.com/episodes/historyofthenetherlands/episode-48-holy-league-holy-matrimony PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/historyofthenetherlands TWITTER: https://www.twitter.com/historyofNL Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When Philip the Handsome came of age and took over direct rule of the previously Burgundian, now Habsburg, territories of the Low Countries in September, 1494, his accession marked the first time since the death of Charles the Bold in 1477 that a native and natural born male prince had filled that position. The last twenty odd years of crises had bled his lands and peoples dry physically, mentally and financially. Across the board of those societies people were desperate for a period of prolonged peace. Despite this, there were still a couple of major issues which were lingering and which, if dealt with improperly, could lead to another outbreak of war. These were the situation in Guelders, whereby Maximilian and Charles of Egmont were both walking around saying “I am the Duke of Guelders”, as well as a good old fashioned conspiracy in which Margaret of York and Maximilian both pointed to a random Flemish dude and said “He is the king of England”, resulting in a mutually detrimental trade conflict between England and the Habsburg Low Countries. Philip’s first great test as Duke of Burgundy would be discerning between the interests of his lands and subjects and those of his ever ambitious father. With thanks to Damien Sherman, Daniel D Tifft, Néstor Vázquez Bernat, Reinier van Mourik and C for their Patreon support. SHOW NOTES: https://www.republicofamsterdamradio.com/historyofthenetherlands/episode-47-philip-croit-conseil PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/historyofthenetherlands TWITTER: https://www.twitter.com/historyofNL Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices