DOI Artikel:
Kępiński, Zdzisław: Jan van Eyck's "Tym. Wtheoc": portrait of Jean de Croy?
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.27011#0055
JAN VAN EYCK — PORTRAIT OF JEAN DE CROY
37
result the power of Flemish towns was broken. The commanders from
de Croy family played an important role and probably in their own eyes
it was them who led to victory. The battle took place in 1408 in the fields
of Hasbain near a village called Othee, close to the town Tongres. The
village had a double name as it often happened on those territories. The
Flemish name was Elch (also Elchen) and the French one Othey according
to the spelling of that time, what in Latin version probably looked like
Othea.33
The inhabitants of the vilłage and the armed men fortified round the
village, who had lost their łives there, could have been called otheos or
otheoi. In case of application of Greek-Latin, mixed spelling, not casual
at those times, which appears to be identical with the spelling of the
word Otheoc (Otheoi?) of Van Eyck’s inscription.
The historiographers of those times estimated the role of the com-
manders from de Croy family as the decisive one.
The riot of the towns under the rule of bishop of Liśge (Leodium) brou-
ght about the intervention of Count of Holland and Duke of Brabant and
Jean san Peur — Duke of Burgundy. Since his arrival at the battlefield
the troups were under commands of de Croy and de Heilly.34 The greatest
chronicler of the epoch — Monstrelet mentions the names of de Croy and
Heilly as the names of the greatest and the most experienced army com-
manders summoned to the rank of fieldmarshals of France.35
In the battle at Othey both of them contributed to the victory of a feu-
dal system that had been threatened at all Netherlands at those times.
The troops led by de Croy and de Heilly defeated the enemy supporting
divisions sent to the battle field in a decisive moment, in the finał and
decisive fight: “crushing and kilłing the enemy in the most cruel way,
with no mercy on them” as the chronicler reports.36 After liąuidating the
33 Both yersions of the name of a place of the battle were defined by con-
ternporary French historiographers (t. eg. Monstrelet) as a battle of Hasbain, and it
took place at Elch (Elchen) — Othey, Hasbain it is not a name of a village or a town,
it is a name of a region, acc to Franz von Loher, Jakobda von Beyern und Jhr?
Zeit, I - II, Nordlingen 1862, I, p. 223.
34 Enguerrand de Monstrelet, Chroniąues, ed. J.-A. Buchon, vol. 27, Paris
1826, p. 348: „Duc Guillaume (i.e. Prince Wilhelm-Count) of Netherlands [. ..] avec
les seigneurs de Croy et Heilly que lui envoys le duc de Bourgogne, bien accompa-
gnes de grand foison de gents de guerre, se tira vers le pays de Liege pour y faire
guerre [..
35 Monstrelet, loc. cit. p. 358: „...de Croy et de Hailly, deputes de par le
roi a exereiter les offices de marechal de France”.
36 Monstrelet, loc. cit. p. 14: „et les envyhirent tres aprement [. ..] iceux
abbatant et occisant tres terriblement, sans en avoir marci. Et adonc furent faites si
grands douleurs et gdmissements d’iceux ainsi abbatus, que ce seroit longue chose
a raconter [. .
37
result the power of Flemish towns was broken. The commanders from
de Croy family played an important role and probably in their own eyes
it was them who led to victory. The battle took place in 1408 in the fields
of Hasbain near a village called Othee, close to the town Tongres. The
village had a double name as it often happened on those territories. The
Flemish name was Elch (also Elchen) and the French one Othey according
to the spelling of that time, what in Latin version probably looked like
Othea.33
The inhabitants of the vilłage and the armed men fortified round the
village, who had lost their łives there, could have been called otheos or
otheoi. In case of application of Greek-Latin, mixed spelling, not casual
at those times, which appears to be identical with the spelling of the
word Otheoc (Otheoi?) of Van Eyck’s inscription.
The historiographers of those times estimated the role of the com-
manders from de Croy family as the decisive one.
The riot of the towns under the rule of bishop of Liśge (Leodium) brou-
ght about the intervention of Count of Holland and Duke of Brabant and
Jean san Peur — Duke of Burgundy. Since his arrival at the battlefield
the troups were under commands of de Croy and de Heilly.34 The greatest
chronicler of the epoch — Monstrelet mentions the names of de Croy and
Heilly as the names of the greatest and the most experienced army com-
manders summoned to the rank of fieldmarshals of France.35
In the battle at Othey both of them contributed to the victory of a feu-
dal system that had been threatened at all Netherlands at those times.
The troops led by de Croy and de Heilly defeated the enemy supporting
divisions sent to the battle field in a decisive moment, in the finał and
decisive fight: “crushing and kilłing the enemy in the most cruel way,
with no mercy on them” as the chronicler reports.36 After liąuidating the
33 Both yersions of the name of a place of the battle were defined by con-
ternporary French historiographers (t. eg. Monstrelet) as a battle of Hasbain, and it
took place at Elch (Elchen) — Othey, Hasbain it is not a name of a village or a town,
it is a name of a region, acc to Franz von Loher, Jakobda von Beyern und Jhr?
Zeit, I - II, Nordlingen 1862, I, p. 223.
34 Enguerrand de Monstrelet, Chroniąues, ed. J.-A. Buchon, vol. 27, Paris
1826, p. 348: „Duc Guillaume (i.e. Prince Wilhelm-Count) of Netherlands [. ..] avec
les seigneurs de Croy et Heilly que lui envoys le duc de Bourgogne, bien accompa-
gnes de grand foison de gents de guerre, se tira vers le pays de Liege pour y faire
guerre [..
35 Monstrelet, loc. cit. p. 358: „...de Croy et de Hailly, deputes de par le
roi a exereiter les offices de marechal de France”.
36 Monstrelet, loc. cit. p. 14: „et les envyhirent tres aprement [. ..] iceux
abbatant et occisant tres terriblement, sans en avoir marci. Et adonc furent faites si
grands douleurs et gdmissements d’iceux ainsi abbatus, que ce seroit longue chose
a raconter [. .