|| A short folktale from Netherlands ||
Loosduyen (Leusden), is a small village, one mile from The Hague, Netherlands. One of the interesting things found at the local church is a small monument and a plaque inscribed in Dutch and Latin which tells the story of the following popular legend:
Many years ago there lived in the village a Countess Mathilde, wife of Count Hermann of Henneberg. She was also known as Margaret or sometimes simply referred to as the Countess of Holland.
One day a poor widow carrying twins in her arms approached her and asked for charity. She said her husband and father had perished in the war and that she needed food and money for her babies. The countess scorned, refused to spare any change, thinking that the woman must have committed adultery. She said, “Get away, you shameless beggar! It is impossible for a woman to have two children at once from just one father!”
The poor woman was hurt and angered. She cursed, “Then may God let you have as many children as there are days in the year!” It was the 3rd of Jan and the women meant 3 children. Even the countess paid no heed.
Some time later the countess became pregnant and on a Friday she gave birth to 365 children, most of them who were very small. This is said to have happened in the year 1270 A.D, in the countess’s forty-third year.
These children were all baptized alive by the Bishop of Utrecht. All the boys were named Johannes and the girls Elizabeth. However, within one day they all died, together with their mother, and all lie buried in one grave in the village church.
The monument containing the picture of the Count & Countess, the basins used for Baptism and the inscription describing this story can still be found today in the church of Leusden.
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