276: Netherlands: The Maid of Holland

The podcast explores the historical significance of the "Maid of Holland" as a symbol of the Dutch Republic, emerging in the late 16th century during the Dutch revolt against the Spanish. It examines the Maid's symbolic resonances, drawing from Christian and classical traditions, including the Virgin Mary and Minerva. The discussion highlights Kenau Hasselaer, a woman who became an emblem of Dutch heroism during the siege of Haarlem. The conversation further explores the Dutch idealization of housework, linking cleanliness to civic duty, Calvinist beliefs, and the management of wealth in the burgeoning bourgeois state.