Holland's Influence on English Language and Literature

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Chapter XX Dutch Legends in England

Although in the middle ages legends were very numerous in the Netherlands, yet in the last part of the middle ages and in the beginning of modern history, the time in which Holland played its great part in the world's history, legends lost their general interest. The mass of the people did not look at legends from their literary side, but turned away from them as from popish superstitions. The great problems of reform in church, in state and in society got hold of the heart and of the intellect. The struggle for liberty from feudal oppression and from ecclesiastical persecution, in which so many thousands sacrificed their lives, made them lose sympathy for the legendary stories of the mediaeval church and only in those parts of the country where Catholicism remained intact and undisputed did legends retain their popularity.

Yet, with the ‘popish superstitions’ the fundamental dogmas of Christianity were not abandoned, but rather restored to their full power. The sturdy men and women of the sixteenth century believed in the fall of man, in the perverseness of human nature, in the reality of the devil, and in a world of evil spirits who influenced human affairs, in regeneration and conversion by confession of sin, and in reconciliation with their heavenly Father by the sufferings and death of Christ. Yet the imagination of the people

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produced some new legends of a peculiar character, although these few legends originated in the Roman Catholic parts of the country, and showed some Catholic ideas. We have at least one, which was printed in several editions, of which that of 1608 was entitled: ‘Een schoone Historie ende een zeer wonderlÿke ende waerachtige geschiedenis van Marike van Nimwegen, hoe zÿ meer dan seven jaren met den Duyvel woonde en leefde’ - (A beautiful story and very miraculous and true narrative of Mary of Nimwegen; how she lived with the Devil for more than seven years).

As early as the year 1520, after one of the first Dutch editions, an English translation of this legend was printed by Jan van Doesburgh at Antwerp.

The heroine of this story is Mary, the niece of a priest, who once sent her to Nimwegen to shop. Surprised by the approach of evening, she tried to stay over night with her aunt. But this termagant woman refused to let her stay, and chased her out of her house. In the middle of the night Mary was seduced by the Devil Moenen (Daemon), who promised to teach her the seven arts. With him she travelled to Bois la Due and Antwerp and lived for seven years a life of vice. Finally she repented, and tried to flee from the Devil, but he grasped her, took her with him high in the air, and threw her down on the earth, but the holy Virgin saved her life. She was received by her uncle, the priest, and died after many deeds of repentance in a monastery at Mastricht.¹

It is quite possible that more such stories written in the Netherlands, might have been translated into English, and so have become part of English literature. Further investigation might reveal new relationships.

1 W. de Hoog, Studien, II, 34.