Dutchmen, at EB??

[Zero1]

well, i see you live in the US. so your not related to holland in any way: bloodlines or passport. I guess...

Damn, well...Nobody has to know, people can just see my name "assume" I'm Dutch and none will be the wiser...Except all the people I just told over the internet, ermn...Damn


...Cocoa and cheese?...Ewe

[Dutch_guy]

yeah I'm Dutch,

that really was a surprise wasn't it







(

[Proper Gander]

the cheese people wear clogs too actually. there bloody waggis have them on at fasnacht! got to hate fasnacht, people always complain about noise in this country. but the noise at fasnacht is okay, and all the drunken layabouts are tolerable too it seems.

[The Wizard]

Cocoa is, well... cocoa. Or cacao. A drink. Brown powder you add to milk. Not chocolate. The brand I've been drinking as a kid was always Van Houten.

It was probably bought up by Unilever. All your icecream are belong to Unilever as well. :]



~Wiz

[frisian28ad]

You all might forget me but I am back, but can't log into the EB team anymore.... Eadingas, Khelvan am I kicked out or something (not mad or anything just sad)??
Anyway I fought a little war to get the Batavians or Batavieren in the mod. I made several topics about them.

This the one that is still in my PC (sorry this is really the last time that I post this, just a history lesson for my fellow country men), anyway I am not starting again with this war all over again, you may proceed with your cacao discussion


The Batavorum Equitata (The Batavian Mounted Guard)

This document should give you a good view on the Batavorum Equitata, who they were, where they came from and why they were so special.

1. The Batavians (ancestors of the Dutch)

Three tribes
The Batavians were one of the three Germanic tribes who lived in the territory that we now know as the Netherlands. In the north lived the independent Frisians, the biggest of the Germanice tribes, they lived in the north of the Netherlands and the preserved there ancient name till this time. One of the northern provinces is still called Friesland. The second tribe the Canninefates covered the west-coast of the Netherlands. They partly fell under the Roman reign, and they were loyal allies to the Romans, supplying them with soldiers for there auxiliaries. The Canninefates were a rather small and minor tribe, who were almost the same as there slightly bigger neighbors, the Batavians.
The Batavians had there territory in the middle of the Netherlands, what now is called the Betuwe. A marshland between two rivers, the Maas and the Rhine. There capital Oppidum Batavorum (later destroyed in the Batavian revolt, and rebuilt as Ulpia Noviomagus Batavorum), modern-day Nijmegen is the Netherlands oldest city and this year is its 2500 year anniversary.

Greatly influenced
The Batavians were a very Romanized tribe, always very loyal to the Romans as one of the few Germanic tribes. The next example shows how impressed the Batavians were by the Romans. That made them to mix certain aspects of the Roman culture with there own. The Romans called there god Donar, Hercules Magusanus. Because of the resemblance, the Batavians took this over. There are many founding’s of Batavian pictures that distinctively show Hercules with his lion skin and club. Hercules Magusanus was the god of war, and was worshipped by the Batavian warriors. There are lots of inscriptions found of Hercules Magusanus, in Rome, Great-Britain and Germany. This shows that the Batavians served in the Roman army scattered through the empire.
The Romans respected the proud Batavians, and treated them as equals. They maintained there autonomy, and only had to pay taxes. The Batavians were described by the Romans as tall figures with brightly blonde hair tight up in knot, with bright blue eyes, cloaked in animal skin. But after contact with the Romans, the historians conclude that the Batavians were greatly influenced in there clothing by Rome. They even started to give there children and there selfs Roman names, trying to be taken more seriously by the Romans. Desperately trying to please them and trying to live up to the high Roman standards. But they never forgot who they were; on every tombstone they always had written the word ‘Bataaf’ (Batavian). They eventually would be known in Rome as noble civilised people but still barbarics. The Batavians were very versatile; they were excellent horsemen and even better swimmers. Because there territory was not good farming ground, they lived form trading and fighting. That made them a real warrior tribe.






2. The Batavorum Equitata

Tactics and special capabilities
The Batavians were excellent warriors, and the Romans though they not had to fight them recognized this. They started to recruit them mainly to fill up there ranks for there cavalry units. The Batavians distinct there selfs, with a capability the Romans had not seen before. The Batavians were strong and tall enough to could cross deep and large waters mounted or along side there horse, in full armor keeping there formation. There are even sources that tell of foot soldiers who hung alongside the Batavians while crossing water, using the Batavians as raft to cross water fast. But foot soldiers were also send along with the Batavians to hung along side to keep the weapons of the elite Batavians dry. They also had the capability to react in formation as fast as large group of fish (plaice) on the battlefield. Well organized without flaws. Used by Roman commanders as shock troopers and heavy cavalry.

Robin Hood
Batavian warriors were very versatile, and skilled in the use of any weapon. In there is famous Roman story about a Batavian rider, Soranus. In 118 AD he shot an arrow high in to the air and while his first arrow was quivering through the skies, he shot a second arrow breaking the first on in flight. Soranus was the Robin Hood of his time, Romans dared to say that there Batavian was no match for a Parthian or any other archer. But not only Soranus was an excellent archer, all the Batavians were. They became the elite mounted unit of the Romans, highly respected through the Roman ranks, praised by Tacitus.

An imperial gift
The Batavians were even given a main temple for there main god Hercules Magusanus, for Batavian standards a marvellous structure they never could have build themselves, lacking the expertise and money. It is thought to be a personal project financed with money from the emperor himself. An inscription was found, with the words roughly translated: Because the Batavian people supply us with fine soldiers.

People fully committed to the Roman army
From demographic research is known that every Batavian family had one or more sons in the Roman army. Always supplying the Roman army with loyal soldiers. But there are more sources to back this up, with excavations in the territory of the Batavians there were numerous certificates of Batavian sons who had returned successfully from military training with the Batavorum Equitata, returning to home waiting to be stationed. There were about 5000 Batavian riders in the Roman army, all having there own cohorts, for example; the Cohors Primae Batavorum equitata.
After a 25 year service in the Roman army, the Batavian veterans were granted the Roman citizenship. This was highly unusual for auxiliary troops, that once again points out the special place they had in the Roman army. The veterans always returned to there homelands. They always took there armor with them, to sacrifice it to there god Hercules Magusanus. Thankful that they did not in died in combat, and lived long to fight as many battles as possible.

The Imperial Mounted Bodyguards
The excellence of the Batavians was not unnoticed by the Roman emperors. They eventually were granted the task to protect the emperor. Not only because of there impressive tall blonde appearances, but also knowing the fact they were the most fierce and committed bodyguards an emperor could wish for. As Tacitus writes: The emperors trusted the Batavians, says Tacitus, "because they were foreign." (Tacitus, Ann. 15.58). They even got there own barracks and practise grounds within the walls of Rome, which again was highly unusual for any military unit, especially non-Roman.
The job of imperial bodyguards was practiced with fiery passion. After Emperor Caligula was murdered during games, the Batavians in there frustration failing to protect there emperor, killed everyone in there way through Rome in search of the murderers.
The mounted Batavian unit in Rome contained about 500 riders, all fully committed to the emperor.

How did they look?

The head
As impressive, as how they fought. Being elite among the auxiliary the Batavians wear iron helmets. Unusual because if the Romans supplied armour to there auxilia, it was made of bronze or poor quality. The helmets they wear were the Robinson Type G and H, mostly decorated with black plumes, black feathers and blonde wigs giving it a Batavian touch. Under there helmets they wear facemasks, the Batavians did not painted there faces, instead they wear masks in combat (there are many cavalry facemasks found in and around Nijmegen). It is known they already did this before they met the Romans. It was thought that the masks that were found only were used in parades or cavalry sports (Hippika Gymnasia). But it is almost certain that the Batavians wear them also in battle, because there are battle damaged masks found on battle sites and around Nijmegen. Around neck they wear a white stroke of linen (folca),

The body armor
Mainly they wear sleeveless scale armor (loricae squamatae), without shoulder pads. With an extra iron decorated chest plate (pectorale), or several iron decorated crests. Under there armour they wear a thick wool tunica with sleeves till the elbow. Attached on the tunica was leather subarmalis or undercoat, with long strokes of leather (pteryges) on the shoulders and hips. Around his waist or shoulder he wear a broad leather belt called the balteus, decorated with sowed in Germanic patterns and decorated round iron crests. In the middle of the belt was one big decorated iron crest called the phalera. Leather half long pants (feminalia) and high leather boots (caligae) complete the body armor.
The horses wear leather Batavian saddles, and sometimes also a facemask.

The weapons
On top of the body armor they wear a flat six cornered shield, decorated with Germanic or Anglo-Gallic motifs. The oval shield was abandoned, because the six cornered shield was found more practical in combat.
There main weapons were the basta the 2 m 60 long shocking spear. That was used in the initial attack and in first contact, to shock the enemy. After they breached deep into the enemy formation, they would switch to there spatha an 85 cm long piercing and cleaving sword. They also used bow and arrow, but not usual. It did not fit in the way they liked to fight, to surprise the enemy hit them as hard as possible, retreating leaving the enemy in chaos turn back and hit them again.


Links for more information:
http://www.roman-britain.org/military/coh1bat.htm
http://www.esg.ndirect.co.uk/Gentlemen.htm
http://www.i-friesland.com/Tacitus_tribes.htm
http://www.livius.org/ba-bd/batavians/revolt01.html
http://www.ancientworlds.net/aw/Post/157090

[kaaskop]

Ik geef het toe ...........ik ben een kaaskop

sure you can borrow my nick for a while... ;)

[Faenaris]

Jerby, Belgium sucks? That's it, you got yourself a war, buddy! :)

Seriously, I'm damn proud being a Belgian : good chocolate, good fries, damn good steaks and ofcourse, the "mosselen" (although I gotta admit, Dutch ones are damn fine aswell.)

Go Belgae! :)

[Spacemonk]

yay I'm dutch as well

[Dux Corvanus]

Four Dutch words! Very useful if I ever run into a Dutch or Belgian woman.

If you have ever accidentally crossed one of those Dutch web sites, you'll see many times the word lekker.

I don't know what it means, but must be very admirative, because they always surround it with many smilies and write it 'draggin' the Rs. This way:


Lekkerrrrrrr...!!!

---

Eadingas, I'm just 34, and never heared of that cocoa brand. Here, Nesquik, or more commonly Colacao -a typical Spanish product since the 40s. Van Helsing or whatever must have been the preferred cocoa of Queen Victoria...

---

In the north of Spain, cattle owners in the mountains also wear wooden clogs. In Spanish they're called zuecos, but the colloquial word we use in Cantabria is albarcas. I know some country discos where the peasants arrive stinking -literally- to bullsh*t, leave the clogs in the cloakroom, and enter to dance...

[Divinus Arma]

I like dutch. It is a good way to split the bill.












YYYYAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGRRRRAAAAAAGHLARGHLA!!!!

*Spits on the floor*

[eadingas]

I can't believe nobody's heard of Van Houten... honestly... I think he was the first guy to make cocoa powder in the world, from what I read, but the company is certainly around still. Maybe it's because they're now too expensive and exclusive - I think they're taking $4 for 100g packet :)

[Dux Corvanus]

I can't believe nobody's heard of Van Houten... honestly... I think he was the first guy to make cocoa powder in the world

I think the Mexica tribes have even a little more experience about cocoa drinks, although they made a horrible sour salty thing...

[eadingas]

I think the Mexica tribes have even a little more experience about cocoa drinks, although they made a horrible sour salty thing...

Well, he was the first to make it actually drinkable :)

[bodidley]

I think the Mexica tribes have even a little more experience about cocoa drinks, although they made a horrible sour salty thing...

Reminds me of the first time I had tea at a Tibetan restaurant.
"All right, which one of you bastards peed in my tea?!"

[Jebus]

There are way too much Dutch here, as there are way too much Dutch everywhere.

I say it's time for some good ol' fashioned ethnic cleansing.

[Ianofsmeg16]

I like the dutch, i used to live VERY close to there (RAF Bruggen) and i found two things, belgium is boring with alot of cows (animal) and a useful dutch phrase

ich hou van windmolens

dunno if i spelt it right

[Dux Corvanus]

I've been in Belgium once. In Bruxelles and Brugge. Nice country.

My only gripes were:

1) Where do all the people hide after 19:00 o'clock? Looked like they were abducted by UFOs.

2) Is it necessary to make 'souvenir' corkscrews with the shape of Manneken-Pis? They're kinda grotesque...

3) When I ask a meat pie, I actually want meat in the pie. Not a tiny piece of beef lost among about three kilos of unidentified vegetables.

4) Why are old women selling tickets to make a pi$$ in the pubs and bars?

With the Duke of Alba, these things never happened...

About the Dutch... is it actually posible to take a coffee in a Coffee Shop?

[The Stranger]

ik ben niet nederlands maar wel een nederlander.

[jerby]

hi agaian, read a lot.

Yes, they do actually serve coffee. but its a side dish

"lekker" is the dutch word for "hot" she's hot. he's hot. etc..

eadingas, i see Van Houten si still alive. but i can see why i dint recognize it. its way to darn expensive.

Any belgium'ers out there. i dont want a war. im just to much of a patriot to make a " the dutch suck" option. if they do, then i dont wanna know.

Belgium is a great country actually. Good chocolat, nice 'ardennen' nice Antwerpen.Havnet got to taste the beer yet tough.

So, how do you all like Dutch beer?

[eadingas]

I like Grolsch, and I can stomach Heineken after few Grolsches :) I also like Amsterdam Maximator for its price/alcohol ratio value ;) (though I don't know if that's really Dutch beer or just pretending to be?)

[Jebus]

Dutch 'beer'?

[jerby]

amsterdam maximator. never heard of it. probably so bad we export it to other country's...

yeah, dutch beer. Heineken is on teh list for worlds best beers i hear. but im not much of a beer fan myself. I personnaly like the sweet-stuff a lot better. and Corona's are good too

[khelvan]

Reminds me of the first time I had tea at a Tibetan restaurant.
"All right, which one of you bastards peed in my tea?!"

Mmmm....yak's milk tea....

[The Wizard]

If you have ever accidentally crossed one of those Dutch web sites, you'll see many times the word lekker.

I don't know what it means, but must be very admirative, because they always surround it with many smilies and write it 'draggin' the Rs. This way:


Lekkerrrrrrr...!!!

Nowadays, on the streets, in tha hood if you will, we say:

"Wejoo... dat is één kankerlekkere sma... check die bil!

Ey! Meisje! Meisje! Ken ik jou niet ergens van? Met zo'n bil kan dat best chickie!"





~Wiz

[Dux Corvanus]

:

"Wejoo... dat is één kankerlekkere sma... check die bil!
Ey! Meisje! Meisje! Ken ik jou niet ergens van? Met zo'n bil kan dat best chickie!"

(sound of slap)

[Proper Gander]

I love your sig Dux!

[khelvan]

Belgian beer is far superior to Dutch beer, or any other country's beer for that matter.

[BDC]

Reminds me of the first time I had tea at a Tibetan restaurant.
"All right, which one of you bastards peed in my tea?!"

lamo yes, it's like instant headache.

[The Wizard]

:



(sound of slap)

Hey, blame it on my ghetto fabulous friends

[Ellesthyan]

Hehe, the Dutch sillyness strikes again.. You'd almost think we can beat any other country in numbers on this forum