Fear, Indignation, Grief and Relief: Emotional Narratives in War Chronicles from the Netherlands (1568–1648)

Abstract

The Dutch Revolt was a civil war during which fellow citizens could turn into enemies. Interestingly most authors, laymen, citizens, Catholics and Protestants alike, still framed their war experiences in a religious narrative that gave purpose and meaning to their sufferings and endurance and in which God would punish the sinners. Religious narratives gave purpose to suffering, ascribed clear meanings to traumatic memories and framed the victim’s fears, despair, and sorrow. Constancy, resignation and trust in a good Lord, divine providence or eternal rewards for the just, were accepted ways of dealing with the experience of violence, insecurity and social disruption. This article analyses how close descriptions of local events, indicating who was to blame and shame, were accommodated in that widely used script.