ABSTRACT

Founded in 1430, the Order of the Golden Fleece was perhaps the most iconic dynastic institution in the Low Countries. It bound together a selective group of high nobles, promoting shared values and loyalty, and was an inexhaustible storehouse of political imagery. The Dutch Revolt seriously disrupted this venerable company. Its officers became estranged, the numbers of knights rapidly declined, and original objectives were questioned. Nevertheless, the Order’s Burgundian heritage and its enduring material memory retained a strong political potential. This article explores how both royalists and dissidents exploited the signs and codes of old to criticize − and even redress − royal policy. As such the (sometimes contradictory) use of the Order’s symbolism ensured the Netherlands’ status as ritualistic nerve centre.

摘要

成立于1430年的金羊毛勋章也许是低地国家最具标志性的王朝机构。它束缚了一群高尚的贵族，促进了共同的价值观和忠诚度，并且是政治意象的不竭之地。荷兰起义严重破坏了这家古老的公司。它的军官变得疏远，骑士人数迅速减少，最初的目标受到质疑。然而，该勋章的勃艮第遗产及其持久的物质记忆保留了强大的政治潜力。本文探讨了保皇党和持不同政见者如何利用旧的符号和法典来批评甚至纠正皇家政策。因此，（有时是自相矛盾的）使用勋章的象征意义确保了荷兰作为仪式神经中心的地位。