What is the meaning of the dead fox?

What is the meaning of the dead fox on the back of one of the hunters in The Hunters in the snow by Bruegel?


In Pieter Bruegel the Elder's painting, "The Hunters in the Snow," the dead fox carried by one of the hunters is a key detail that speaks to the overall theme of the work.

Rather than a symbol of a successful hunt, the fox is a representation of a meager and unsuccessful outing. The hunters and their dogs appear tired and dejected, and the lone fox carcass underscores the scarcity of their catch. The footprints of a hare or rabbit in the snow in front of them, which they have apparently missed, further emphasizes the poor result of their expedition.

In the context of the painting as a whole, which depicts a harsh winter landscape and the struggles of life during this season, the fox serves to highlight the vulnerability of humans in the face of nature's power. It suggests that despite their efforts, the hunters are at the mercy of the difficult conditions and may not have enough food to sustain themselves and their village. This detail contributes to the painting's powerful and realistic portrayal of daily life and survival in the 16th century.


What did fox symbolize in Low counties around 1565?


In the Low Countries during the 16th century, the fox was a complex symbol, most often associated with cunning, deceit, and trickery. This was largely due to the popularity of the medieval beast epic, "Reynard the Fox", which was a widely known literary cycle.

This trickster figure, Reynard, was a clever and amoral fox who outsmarted other animals, often with satirical undertones aimed at the aristocracy and clergy. The fox's cunning was seen as both a negative trait, akin to the devil feigning death to lure victims, and a positive one, representing the triumph of wit and intelligence over brute force.

The symbolism could also extend to more specific, and sometimes darker, meanings. For example, in Bruegel's time, fox tails were sometimes worn by beggars and vagrants, and the tails could also be a symbol for a political faction known as the Geuzen, who were rebels against Spanish rule in the Netherlands. In paintings like Bruegel's "The Hunters in the Snow," the single, small fox carried by the hunters is seen as a symbol of their unsuccessful and meager hunt, highlighting the harsh reality of life and the struggles of survival during the winter months. The hunters' poor catch, a lone fox, stands in stark contrast to the lively ice-skaters and villagers in the background, further emphasizing the difficulties of their situation.

You can learn more about the details and symbolism in the painting in this Khan Academy video about Bruegel's Hunters in the Snow.


in Bruegel's time, fox tails were sometimes worn by beggars and vagrants, and the tails could also be a symbol for a political faction known as the Geuzen, who were rebels against Spanish rule in the Netherlands. Can you tell me more about it?



The association of fox tails with beggars and the Geuzen is a fascinating and often overlooked detail from Bruegel's time, adding a layer of political and social commentary to his art. Here’s a breakdown of what that symbolism meant:

Fox Tails and Beggars

In the 16th century, the fox was already a well-established symbol of cunning, deceit, and foolishness, largely thanks to the popular medieval tales of "Reynard the Fox." In these stories, the fox is a trickster who uses his wits to outsmart more powerful animals, often for his own gain.


When a beggar or a vagrant wore a fox tail, it could have had several meanings:

Mockery: It was sometimes a symbol of the "fool." People would use it to mock others, and it was a common part of the attire for fools in popular culture. In this context, a beggar wearing a fox tail might be acknowledging their low social standing or inviting mockery from others.

Deceit: The fox's cunning nature made it a symbol of deceit. A beggar wearing a fox tail might be seen as someone who uses trickery and lies to get alms, playing on people's sympathies. It was a visual representation of the "undeserving poor" in a society that often distinguished between those who were truly needy and those who were seen as lazy or fraudulent.

Satire: In art, and particularly in Bruegel's work, the image of beggars wearing fox tails could be a form of social satire. Bruegel was known for his subtle and critical commentary on society. By dressing disabled beggars in these symbols, he might be using the image to make a point about the state of society or the nature of its institutions. One of his most famous paintings, "The Beggars," shows disabled figures wearing fox tails, suggesting that they are not just victims but also part of a larger, broken social order.

Fox Tails and the Geuzen

The Geuzen, or "Beggars," were a confederacy of Dutch Calvinist nobles who, beginning around 1566, rebelled against Spanish rule in the Netherlands. The name "Geuzen" itself has a fascinating origin that ties directly into the symbolism of beggary.

Origin of the name: In 1566, during a meeting with the Spanish regent, Margaret of Parma, a group of nobles presented a petition for greater religious and political freedom. A courtier, Count Berlaymont, reportedly dismissed them, saying "N'ayez pas peur, Madame, ce ne sont que des Gueux" ("Don't be afraid, Madame, they are just beggars"). The nobles, far from being insulted, defiantly adopted the name, transforming it from a term of scorn into a badge of honor.

The symbolism of the fox tail: While the most prominent Geuzen symbols were a beggars' purse and a small wooden bowl worn on a cord, the fox tail also became associated with the movement. It's believed that this was because the fox, as a cunning and defiant figure, was a perfect metaphor for their cause. Just as Reynard the Fox used his wits to outsmart his powerful adversaries, the Geuzen used clever tactics to challenge the might of the Spanish Empire. The fox tail, therefore, became a symbol of their political resistance, a sign of their cleverness and their defiance against an oppressive authority.

In Bruegel’s work, like in "The Hunters in the Snow," the presence of the fox is never just a simple detail. It carries these deeper, often contradictory, layers of meaning—from the practical reality of a poor hunt to the complex social and political symbolism of cunning, deceit, foolishness, and rebellion that was so prevalent in the Low Countries during his time.







How founded is the theory of association of fox tails with beggars and the Geuzen?


The theory that links fox tails to beggars and the Geuzen is a well-established and widely accepted interpretation in art history, particularly for the work of Pieter Bruegel the Elder. However, it's a nuanced theory rooted in the specific political and cultural context of the 16th-century Low Countries, not a universally documented practice.

Here's a breakdown of the evidence and how the theory is founded:

1. Bruegel's "The Beggars" (1568)
The strongest piece of evidence comes directly from Bruegel's own work. In his painting, "The Beggars" (also known as "The Cripples"), several of the disabled figures are shown with fox tails (or badger tails) attached to their clothing. This isn't just a random detail; it's a specific, repeated motif that art historians have spent considerable time analyzing.

Political Satire: The painting is understood to be a piece of political satire. The beggars wear carnival-like headgear representing different social classes (a king, a soldier, a bourgeois, a peasant, and a bishop). This suggests that disability and social disenfranchisement could affect everyone, and that the "beggars" themselves are not just passive victims.


The Geuzen Connection: The painting was made in 1568, a critical year in the Dutch Revolt. The Geuzen, who had adopted the name "Beggars" as a badge of honor in 1566, were a very prominent political force. The fox tails on the figures are widely interpreted as a direct reference to this group of rebels. The fox, as a symbol of cunning and defiance, was a fitting emblem for a group of nobles who turned a derogatory term into a symbol of their fight against Spanish oppression.

2. The Symbolism of the "Geuzen"
The name "Geuzen" itself is central to this theory. The story of how the nobles adopted the name "Beggars" after being insulted by a courtier is a well-documented historical event. This act of re-appropriation—taking a negative term and wearing it with pride—is the foundation of their identity.


Beggar's Emblems: The Geuzen didn't just adopt the name; they also adopted symbols of beggary. They wore beggars' bowls and purses as emblems on their clothing and hats. This historical fact makes it highly plausible that other symbols of beggary, like fox tails, would have been part of their repertoire.

3. Fox Tails as a Symbol of "The Fool" and Deceit
The association of the fox with cunning, deceit, and foolishness in the 16th century is very well-founded in literature and popular culture, most notably in the "Reynard the Fox" tales.

Literary and Art Context: Engravings by other artists like Bosch and D;rer, as well as literary works of the time, often depict fools wearing fox tails. The French humanist Rabelais, for example, describes a character hanging fox tails on the backs of academics to mock them. This widespread cultural understanding of the fox tail as a symbol of ridicule and foolishness is key to interpreting Bruegel's work. It suggests that even if the fox tail wasn't a universal symbol for the Geuzen, its meaning of "the fool" could be used to satirize the social and political order.

Conclusion
The theory is not based on a single, isolated piece of evidence but rather on a synthesis of historical, political, and artistic context. While there may not be a surviving decree that says, "All Geuzen must wear a fox tail," the combination of the following points makes the theory highly probable and widely accepted:

Bruegel's direct depiction of beggars with fox tails in a painting filled with political and social commentary.

The Geuzen's well-documented history of adopting the symbols of beggary as a form of political defiance.

The broader cultural symbolism of the fox as a trickster and a fool in 16th-century Low Countries.

Therefore, when viewing Bruegel's paintings, especially those with beggars or a fox, the association with the Geuzen and the political unrest of the time is a robust and essential part of the art historical analysis.

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the 16th century opposition to Spanish rule. For other uses, see Gueux.

Battle between Dutch and Spanish ships on the Haarlemmermeer, 26 May 1573. Sailing before the wind from the right are the Spanish ships, identified by the flags with a red cross. Approaching from the left are the ships of the Sea Beggars. Hendrick Cornelisz Vroom.

Relief of Leiden by the 'Sea Beggars' on flat-bottomed boats, on 3 October 1574, during the Siege of Leiden. Otto van Veen, 1574.
Geuzen (Dutch pronunciation: [;;;;z;(n)]; lit.;'The Beggars'; French: Les Gueux) was a name assumed by the confederacy of Calvinist Dutch nobles, who from 1566 opposed Spanish rule in the Netherlands. The most successful group of them operated at sea, and so were called Watergeuzen (Dutch pronunciation: [;;a;t;r;;;z;(n)]; lit.;'Water Beggars'; French: Gueux de mer). In the Eighty Years' War, the Capture of Brielle by the Watergeuzen in 1572 provided the first foothold on land for the rebels, who would conquer the northern Netherlands and establish an independent Dutch Republic. They can be considered either as privateers or pirates, depending on the circumstances or motivations.[1][2]

Origin of the name
The leaders of the nobles who signed a solemn league known as the Compromise of Nobles, by which they bound themselves to assist in defending the rights and liberties of the Netherlands against the civil and religious despotism of Philip II of Spain, were Louis of Nassau and Hendrick van Brederode. On 5 April 1566, permission was obtained for the confederates to present a petition of grievances, called the Request, to the regent, Margaret, Duchess of Parma. About 250 nobles marched to the palace accompanied by Louis of Nassau and Brederode. The regent was at first alarmed at the appearance of so large a body, but one of her councillors, Berlaymont, allegedly remarked "N'ayez pas peur Madame, ce ne sont que des gueux" ("Fear not madam, they are only beggars").


Traditional emblem of the Geuzen
The appellation was not forgotten. In a speech at a great feast held by some 300 confederates at the Hotel Culemburg three days later, Brederode declared that if need be they were all ready to become beggars in their country's cause. Henceforward the name became a party title. The patriot party adopted the emblems of beggary, the wallet and the bowl, as trinkets to be worn on their hats or their girdles, and a medal was struck having on one side the head of Philip II, on the other two clasped hands with the motto Fid;le au roy, jusqu'; porter la besace ("Loyal to the King, up to carrying the beggar's pouch"). The original league of Beggars was short-lived, crushed by Alba, but its principles survived and were to be ultimately triumphant.

In the Dutch language the word geuzennaam is used for linguistic reappropriation: a pejorative term used with pride by the people called that way.

"Sea Beggars"

William II de la Marck (1542–1578), a leader of the Sea Beggars
In 1569 William of Orange, who had now openly placed himself at the head of the party of revolt, granted letters of marque to a number of vessels manned by crews of desperadoes drawn from all nationalities. Eighteen ships received letters of marque, which were equipped by Louis of Nassau in the French Huguenot port of La Rochelle, which they continued to use as a base.[3][4]

These privateers under the command of a succession of daring and reckless leaders, the best-known of whom is William de la Marck, Lord of Lumey, were called "Sea Beggars", "Gueux de mer" in French, or "Watergeuzen" in Dutch. At first they were content merely to plunder both by sea and land, carrying their booty to the English ports where they were able to refit and replenish their stores. Already by the end of 1569, 84 Sea Beggars' ships were in action.[3]


Capture of Brielle, 1 April 1572 (Frans Hogenberg)

Historic parade in Den Briel to celebrate the 540th anniversary of the Capture of Brielle on April 1, 2012. The leaders of the sea beggars, William II de la Marck, Lord Lumey (middle), Willem Bloys van Treslong (left) and Lenaert Jansz de Graeff (right).
However, in 1572, Queen Elizabeth I of England abruptly refused to admit the Sea beggars to her harbours. No longer having refuge, the sea beggars, under the command of De la Marck, Willem Bloys van Treslong and Lenaert Jansz de Graeff, made a desperate attack upon Brielle,[5][6] which they seized by surprise in the absence of the Spanish garrison on 1 April 1572. Encouraged by this success, they now sailed to Vlissingen, which was also taken by a coup de cul. The capture of these two towns prompted several nearby towns to declare their support for the revolt, starting a chain reaction that resulted in the majority of Holland joining in a general revolt of the Netherlands, and is regarded as the real beginning of Dutch independence.

In 1573 the Sea Beggars defeated a Spanish squadron under the command of Admiral Bossu off the port of Hoorn in the Battle on the Zuiderzee. Mixing with the native population, they quickly sparked rebellions against Duke of Alba in town after town and spread the resistance southward.

In 1574 the Sea Beggars, under Admiral Louis de Boisot participated in the lifting of the Siege of Leiden.

Some of the forefathers of the Dutch naval heroes began their naval careers as sea beggars, such as Evert Heindricxzen, the grandfather of Cornelis Evertsen the Elder.

Geuzen symbols
Main articles: Geuzen medals, Liever Turks dan Paaps, Turco-Calvinism, and Anglo-Turkish piracy

Geuzen medal, cast silver, tooled, about 1570, with the slogans LIVER TVRCX DAN PAVS ("Rather Turkish than Papist") and EN DESPIT DE LA MES ("In spite of the Mass")
As part of a propaganda campaign including prints, pamphlets and much else, many Geuzen medals were created as badges of affiliation, using a wide range of symbolism, including that associated with the Ottoman Empire. William I of Orange sought Ottoman assistance against the Spanish king Philip II.[7]


Dutch Ships Ramming Spanish Galleys off the Flemish Coast in October 1602, 1617, oil on canvas by Hendrick Cornelisz Vroom and Cornelis Vroom
The "Geuzen" were expressing their anti-Spanish and anti-Catholic sentiments. They considered the Turks to be less threatening than the Spaniards. During the years between 1579 and 1582, representatives from Grand Vizier Sokollu Mehmed Pa;a travelled several times from Istanbul to Antwerp.[8]

There were, in fact, objective grounds for such an alliance. At the same time that the Dutch rebels were conducting their raids on Spanish shipping, the Ottoman Empire was involved in its own naval war with Spain, culminating in the 1571 Battle of Lepanto in Greece. For Spain to face a coordinated double-pronged naval challenge, by the Ottomans in the Mediterranean and the Dutch in north European waters, would be to the advantage of both of its foes.

The slogan Liever Turks dan Paaps seems to have been largely rhetorical, and their beggars medals in the form of a half moon were meant symbolically. The Dutch hardly contemplated life under the Sultan. Moreover, there was no direct contact between the Geuzen and the Turkish authorities. The Turks were considered infidels, and the heresy of Islam alone disqualified them from assuming a more central (or consistent) role in the rebels' propaganda.[9]

In popular culture
The Geuzen are featured prominently in Dutch and Flemish popular novels, such as Charles de Coster's The Legend of Thyl Ulenspiegel and Lamme Goedzak and comics series such as Cori, de Scheepsjongen by Bob De Moor, Tijl Uilenspiegel and De Geuzen by Willy Vandersteen and Gilles de Geus by Hanco Kolk and Peter de Wit. In English they appear in Cecelia Holland's novel The Sea Beggars.
During the German occupation of The Netherlands in 1940–1945 an anti-German resistance group in the area of Vlaardingen, Maassluis and Rotterdam adopted the name of Geuzen.
The Sea Beggars are a unique unit of the Dutch Empire in the video game Civilization V.
The Sea Beggar is the mascot of Providence Christian College.
Gallery
The Battle on the Zuiderzee
The Battle on the Zuiderzee
 
The Battle on the Zuiderzee
The Battle on the Zuiderzee
 
The Capture of Brielle
The Capture of Brielle
 
The Siege of Leiden
The Siege of Leiden
 
The Prince of Orange and Watergeuzen enter Leiden after its Siege.
The Prince of Orange and Watergeuzen enter Leiden after its Siege.
See also
Dutch Revolt
Sea Dogs
Notes
 Pennell, C. R. (2001). Bandits at sea: a pirates reader. NYU Press. p. 101 Note 28. ISBN 9780814766781. Retrieved 2013-08-11.
 Rasor, Eugene L. (2004). English/British naval history to 1815: a guide to the literature. Bloomsbury Academic. p. 247. ISBN 9780313305474.
 Pratt, Fletcher; Gorey, Edward (2000). The Battles That Changed History. Courier Corporation. p. 155. ISBN 9780486411293. Retrieved 2013-08-11.
 Wernham, R. B. (1968). The new Cambridge modern history: The Counter-Reformation. CUP Archive. p. 288. ISBN 9780521045438. Retrieved 2013-08-11.
 De Opstand 1568–1648: De strijd in de Zuidelijke en Noordelijke Nederlanden, by Arnout van Cruyningen
 Chronicles of the Dutch Republic 1567–1702, by Albert Valente
 Dimmock, Matthew (2005). New Turkes: dramatizing Islam and the Ottomans in early modern England. Ashgate. p. 75. ISBN 9780754650225. Retrieved 2013-08-11.
 Hoenkamp-Mazgon, Marlies (2002). Palais de Hollande in Istanbul: the embassy and envoys of the Netherlands since 1612. Boom. p. 19. ISBN 9789750804403.
 Schmidt, Benjamin (2001). Innocence abroad: the Dutch imagination and the New World, 1570–1670. Cambridge University Press. p. 104. ISBN 9780521804080. Retrieved 2013-08-11.
References

Silver medal commemorating the Capture of Brielle in 1572 by the Sea Beggars

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Geuzen (Eighty Years' War).
Kervyn de Lettenhove, Les Huguenots et les Gueux, (six volumes, Brussels, 1882–85)
Renon de France, Histoire des causes de la d;sunion ... des Pays-Bas, (three volumes, Brussels, 1886–91)
Jurien de la Grav;ere, "Les gueux de mer" in Revue des Deux Mondes (Paris, 1891–92).
Van der Horst (2005) Nederland: de vaderlandse geschiedenis van de prehistorie tot nu. (3rd edition; in Dutch). Amsterdam, Bert Bakker. ISBN 90-351-2722-6. p. 132
McCabe, Ina Baghdiantz (2008) Orientalism in early Modern France, Berg. ISBN 978-1-84520-374-0
 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Gueux, Les". Encyclop;dia Britannica. Vol. 12 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
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Categories: Eighty Years' War (1566–1609)Dutch words and phrasesDutch rebels16th-century rebelsSea beggarsRebels from the Holy Roman Empire

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Гёзы
Материал из Википедии — свободной энциклопедии
Термин «Гёз» имеет также другие значения.
Гёзы
нидерл. Geuzen
Корнелис Вром. Сражение у Харлеммермера
Корнелис Вром. Сражение у Харлеммермера
Годы существования 1566—1576
Страна Семнадцать провинций
Подчинение Вильгельм I Оранский
Включает в себя «лесные» гёзы[нидерл.],
«морские» гёзы[нидерл.]
Функция партизанская война, каперство
Участие в
Нидерландская революция:

Захват Брилле
Битва в заливе Зёйдерзе
Осада Лейдена
Командиры
Известные командиры
Виллем II де ла Марк

Виллем Блойс ван Треслонг
Ленарт Янс де Грефф[англ.]
Максимильен Буссю
Логотип Викисклада Медиафайлы на Викискладе
Гёзы (нидерл. Geuzen, фр. Les Gueux — дословно;— «нищие»[1], «голь»[2], как их презрительно называли противники за кальвинистскую приверженность к скромной одежде без украшений) — участники нидерландского антииспанского восстания, которые в 1566—1576 годах боролись против габсбургского правления в Нидерландах, испанской армии и католической церкви. Самая большая группа гёзов воевала на море и была названа морскими гёзами[нидерл.] (нидерл. watergeuzen, фр. Gueux de mer). Взятие Брилле морскими гёзами под командованием Виллема II де ла Марка в 1572 году создало плацдарм для их высадки на сушу, благодаря чему стало возможным завоевание северной части Нидерландов и основание Республики Соединённых провинций. Их можно рассматривать как каперов или пиратов, в зависимости от обстоятельств или мотивов[3][4]. Кроме того, существовали лесные гёзы[нидерл.].


Содержание
1 Возникновение
2 Морские гёзы
3 Лесные гёзы
4 Награды и отличительные знаки
5 Упоминания
6 См. также
7 Примечания
8 Ссылки
Возникновение
В ответ на народные волнения в подконтрольных испанской короне Нидерландах Филипп II направляет туда войско под командованием Фернандо Альвареса де Толедо (герцог Альба). Получив титул вице-короля и многотысячную армию, он начал политику репрессий. Вступив в 1567 году в Брюссель, герцог Альба отдал приказ об аресте и казни графа Эгмонта и Горна, вокруг которых ополчалось население страны. После этого был созван «Совет по делам о беспорядках» (Кровавый совет), который тысячами выдавал ордеры на аресты и конфискацию имущества. Однако для герцога Альбы и этих мер оказалось недостаточно. В 1571 году он инициировал введение налоговой системы: 1 % на все имущество, 5 % на продажу недвижимости, 10 % на движимое имущество. После этого экономическая жизнь страны вошла в период стагнации и население, лишенное рабочих мест, движимое страхом из-за преследований со стороны католичества — собиралось в группы и перешло в состояние партизанской войны[5].

Морские гёзы
В большинстве случаев морскими гёзами[нидерл.] становились владельцы судов и члены их команд. Они собирались в соединения кораблей и нападали на испанские корабли, совершали высадки, разрушали дамбы, занимались пиратством. На изначальном этапе их борьбы Англия, Германия и Франция предоставляли гёзам свои порты для базирования. Вильгельм I Оранский, в свою очередь, стал практиковать выдачу каперских свидетельств, за что морские гёзы обязались передавать ему треть своей добычи. Благодаря накопленным деньгам, к 1569 году были готовы к активным боевым действиям восемьдесят четыре корабля. Чтобы они не превратились в неконтролируемую силу, Вильгельм I Оранский учредил для морских гёзов устав, назначил Виллема II де ла Марка адмиралом и приказал своему брату Людвигу Нассау-Дилленбургскому отвечать за снабжение[6]. В 1572 году Испания с помощью дипломатических переговоров достигла соглашения с Англией и последняя обязалась закрыть порты для повстанцев и выдворить их корабли незамедлительно. После этого, 1 апреля 1572 года соединение из 22 кораблей покинули порт Дувр и перешли к осаде города Брилле[7]. В 1573 году морские гёзы сняли испанскую блокаду города Лейден, а уже на следующий год полностью перешли под командование Вильгельма I Оранского и начали использовать оранжево-бело-синий флаг[5]. Также, именно они впервые в истории мореплавания подняли на своих судах специальный флаг — гюйс[8]. В том же 1573 году морские гёзы пришли на помощь осажденному городу Алкмар. Неудачная осада этого города вынудила испанское командование снарядить флот во главе с графом Боссу. Флот в количестве 30 кораблей вышел из захваченного испанцами Амстердама и сразу же был атакован силами морских гёзов. Из-за разницы в технических характеристиках и качестве вооружения повстанцы не смогли вступить в прямой бой всеми силами и потому избрали тактику выматывания соперника. Решающее сражение произошло в заливе Зёйдерзе, в результате испанский флот был частично уничтожен и рассеян, а его командующий граф Боссу был взят в плен. В 1574 году флот морских гёзов поспешил к Лейдену, который уже находился больше года в осаде. Корабли под командованием адмирала Буссю 1 сентября 1574 года подошли к Роттердаму, где их ожидал Вильгельм I Оранский. Он ожидал одобрения на применение радикальной меры — открытие шлюзов и разрушение дамбы, чтобы потопить испанские войска. Когда одобрение было получено, корабли двинулись к плотине Ланд-Шидинг, что в пяти милях от Лейдена. Благодаря особому строению (около двух сотен судов с неглубокой осадкой, под управлением от десяти до восемнадцати гребцов и с вооружением в десять пушек) морские гёзы могли входить в узкие и неглубокие каналы, совершая рейды вглубь страны. На своем пути они вступали в бой с испанцами, охраняющими плотины и захватывали их одну за другой. Совместно с сухопутными силами морским гёзам удалось снять осаду Лейдена 3 октября 1574 года[6].

Лесные гёзы
История возникновения организованного движения сопротивления и ведение партизанской войны против испанских войск и местных чиновников уходит корнями к 1521 году. В это время активизировалась католическая церковь, и развернула широкомасштабную борьбу с еретиками. Заручившись поддержкой чиновников на местах, она вынудила массы людей мигрировать с обжитых мест и бежать не только в леса, но и за пределы королевства — в германские земли. В дальнейшем к беглецам присоединялось все больше людей, которые были изгнанниками и преследуемые в силу разного рода причин: стремление сельских жителей к уравнению в правах с горожанами, разорение вследствие повышения налогов, упадка производства (к примеру, сукноделие в Антверпене), религиозный фанатизм и нетерпимость. Поскольку мятежные процессы на территории Нидерландов продолжались длительное время, именно эти массы населения, получившие впоследствии название «лесных гёзов», стали основной силой в борьбе с испанскими войсками. Впервые, ранее неорганизованные массы населения объединились вокруг общей цели и перешли к массовому восстанию 10 августа 1566 года, что получило название «Иконоборческое восстание». Очень быстро по всей стране жители стали объединяться и нападать на войска, грабить имущество католической церкви, выпускать из тюрем заключенных кальвинистов, устранять от власти испанских наместников. Создавались фонды помощи беднякам и инвалидам, куда передавались награбленные ценности. После вступления в страну герцога Альбы для подавления мятежей, повстанцы разделились на немногочисленные группы и укрылись в лесах, поскольку армия испанцев составляла 54500 пехоты и 4780 кавалерии и открытое сражение с ней закончилось бы фатально[9]. Главной задачей «лесных» гёзов стала партизанская борьба с испанскими войсками, чиновниками и католическим духовенством[10]. Основным районом их действий стали леса Фландрии, предгорные районы юга, а также города Дранутр, Бёшеп, Ньепп, Ниве Керке. С переменным успехом гёзы сражались до 1576 года, когда было подписано «Гентское умиротворение»[2].

Награды и отличительные знаки

Значок морских гёзов
Совет дворян и кальвинистов Антверпена в поисках возможных союзников против Испанской империи наладили дипломатические отношения с Османской империей. Среди гёзов стал распространяться слух о том, что турки пришлют вооруженную поддержку повстанцам. После этого «лесные» гёзы стали изготовлять и носить медали в форме полумесяца с надписью: «Лучше турки, чем паписты», а «морские» гёзы крепили такие значки к шляпам[9].

Упоминания
О гёзах постоянно упоминает Тиль Уленшпигель в «Легенде об Уленшпигеле» Шарля де Костера. Обычно, в указанной легенде этот персонаж восхваляет эту социальную общность, говоря: «Да здравствуют гёзы!».[11]

См. также
Компромисс дворян
Примечания
 Гёзы // Большая советская энциклопедия : [в 66 т.] / гл. ред. О. Ю. Шмидт. — [1-е изд.]. — М.: Советская энциклопедия, 1926—1947.
 Geuzen. Encyclopedia Britannica (англ.). Архивировано 17 октября 2017. Дата обращения: 24 июня 2017.
 Bandits at sea: a pirates reader C. R. Pennell p.101 Note 28. Дата обращения: 2 октября 2017. Архивировано 24 апреля 2016 года.
 English/British naval history to 1815: a guide to the literature Eugene L. Rasor p.247, Google Books Архивная копия от 27 мая 2016 на Wayback Machine
 Карнацевич В. Л. 500 знаменитых исторических событий. — Directmedia, 2014-01-10. — 623 с. — ISBN 9789660338029. Архивировано 17 октября 2017 года.
 Флетчер Прэтт. Битвы, изменившие историю. — Litres, 2017-01-12. — 454 с. — ISBN 5457026647. Архивировано 17 октября 2017 года.
 Чистозвонов А. Н. Нидерландская буржуазная революция XVI века / ред. С. Д. Сказкин. — М.: Издательство Академии наук СССР. — С. 72. — 191 с.
 Детская военно-морская энциклопедия: Современный флот. — ОЛМА Медиа Групп. — 668 с. — ISBN 9785891731356. Архивировано 17 октября 2017 года.
 Л. Т. Мильская, В. И. Рутенбург. История Европы. Т. 3. От средневековья к новому времени (конец XV — первая половина XVII века). — М.: Наука, 1993. — С. 327-328, 367-368. — 656 с.
 Всемирная история. Энциклопедия. (КНИГА 7) (К). — ОЛМА Медиа Групп. — 237 с. — ISBN 9785373002523. Архивировано 17 октября 2017 года.
 Костер, Шарль де. Легенда об Уленшпигеле и Ламме Гудзаке, об их доблестных, забавных и достославных деяниях во Фландрии и других краях. — М.: Худож. лит., 1987. — 398 с.
Ссылки
М. Лесников. Гёзы в борьбе за независимость Нидерландов Архивная копия от 16 сентября 2013 на Wayback Machine
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