If Europe were represented by a kangaroo, Holland might be called the pouch which housed, nourished and finally sent forth a conglomerate product from the blood-veins of the continent.
Holland itself is mainly formed by the sediments washed down from the countries beyond, through drainage into the great rivers which empty themselves into the North Sea, Holland's watery doorstep. Here the mighty Rhine, The Maas, the Waal, the Scheldt and their tributaries slow down and widen out, dropping their precious cargo of silt and top soil before they lose themselves in the ocean.
The ocean, in turn, marked out a shoreline of driftwood and wave-washed sand, to form the dunes. Wherever there is a break in the dunes, men built dykes against the sea water's return.
Someone invented a sump-pump with power to run it's motor supplied by the almost constant winds blowing from sea to land. Thus below-sea-level Holland, with its' broken coastline extended to the north-east by a row of islands, came into being.
During its' earliest history it was discovered and settled by Nomadic, Gothic, and Germanic tribes. Later is was conquered by Caesar's armies, as they prepared to cross the channel into Great britaqin. The Vikings in their ships would come down the coast from Norway and sometimes carry off wives for themselves. Sometimes they would decide to settle down on the shores of Holland.
After the fall of Rome, the King of Spain continued ruling Holland through the power of the Popes. With the Reformation came the Dutch desire to worship God according to the dictates of their own conscience. So they fought an eighty-year war for such freedom and finally won it. They never forgot their struggle and opened their country's doors to refugees fleeing religious oppression everywhere.
As a result there streamed into thhis small land persecuted Russian Jews, French Huguenots, English Pilgrims and individual refugees fleeing for their life or their freedom from almost anywhere, for purely personal reasons. In this way Holland became a miniature melting-pot in which many distinct types and strains of people and of cultures are blended. That blending process was only partly successful, because the local customs, customs and dialects of the various provinces, localities and islands are to this day, diversified and pronounced.
How to safeguard this small haven they had so dearly won, how to wrest more living space from seas and rivers, how to build ships to gain extra substance and revenue from fishing and through foreign trade? Finally, as the nest grew too crowded, how to groom more and more folks to become acceptable as future citizens to the countries to which they would need to emigrate? These were some ofd the main problems facing and unifying the Dutch.
Early in their existence they recognized that, in order to remain a relatively free nation, they must discipline themselves to be peace-loving, law-abiding, thrifty, productive and above all God-fearing folks. Through storms, floods, and wars of defense against enemies far stronger than they were, they intuitively turned to God, the Help of the helpless, and found help indeed. They never forgot as far as I know.
Typical of the Dutch is their old saying, "One must row with whatever oars one has." This I have seen applied many times when I lived among them as a girl, a half century ago. For instance, they needed a fuel supply, constant and cheap. There are few trees to be chopped down for firewood, and little coal to be mined, but there are willows in the canals and drainage ditches. So - they harvest a yearly crop of willow twigs and branches, tie the neatly into bunches, lug them home on their backs or in dog-drawn carts and use them in fireplaces to serve a dual purpose or even a triple one. They are kept warm, their one dish meals are cooked, and the fire's glow furnishes them enough light at night for cozy dreaming. The willows obligingly grow another crop for next year's supply. What could be simpler, cheaper, or more satisfying, even to the eyes? When dykes are needed to stem the floods, willow twigs are woven into mats and packed dowwn with mud. Presto - dyke.
Those one dish meals cooked over the fire might be pancakes in the morning, baked on a heavy, cast-irongriddle. For dinner the three-legged cast-iron kettle was hung from the great swinging crane. In it might go any interesting combination of potatoes and meat or sausage with vegetables, perhaps carrots and onions, or rutabagas or kale, a great favorite in my time. The trick was to let it simmer slowly until most of the water evaporated. Then the meat or sausage was fished out and the rest all mashed together.
Coffee was boiled in a great, two quart copper can with a long handle. This was shoved into the coals on the side of the fire. It was pulled away from the heat when it had boiled. he evening meal might be soup or often just a sandwich and milk. Nothing wasted. No extras!
There usually was one expert wooden shoe maker to a village. He made wooden shoes to order for everyone in the family, from the baby in the cradle to grandpa in his easy chair. Goose down for pillows to sleep on, sheep to grow woooool for mittens, socks and warm undies, etc. etc. These were the rural Dutch using their "oars."
In the cities, where schools of higher learning sprang up, the more sophisticated folks studied, taught, preacxhed, wrote books, made music, painted pictures and carried on theological and political arguments. Not all the Dutch wear odd looking costumes and wooden shoes!
So - next time you hear someone say: "I'm a native of Holland," please don't take for granted you know exactly what his background is or how he thinks. That kangaroo's pouch has produced the echo of a childhood song, learned long ago and far away:
O precious patch of soil,
Born out of stress and toil,
That cradled me...
