Q: What's the World's Oldest Official National Anthem?
13th Nov 2006, 14:31 GMT
A: If you guessed "Wilhelmus van Nassouwe" for this one (which we're sure most of you did), then you're correct. For those of you who don't know much about the Dutch, "Willhelmus van Nassouwe" happens to be the national anthem of the Netherlands. Dating from around 1568, a turbulent time for the Dutch as they struggled with longtime enemy Spain, it's also one of the only anthems that's about a specific person, not a nation. And what person is this, you ask? Well, if the title doesn't give it away, you can take a look at the first letter of each of the fifteen verses of the anthem. Arranged together, they spell WILLEM VAN NASSOV, the Dutch name of Prince William I of Orange-Nassau. As for the content of the anthem, it recounts Prince William addressing the oppressed people of Holland after he tried -- and failed -- three times to free them from oppression under the Spaniards. Not the most inspiring of lyrics, it would seem. You critics out there could say that the national anthem of Netherlands is really a song of defeat, but -- hey -- let's not overlook that nifty word puzzle they've got going on. If you're the world's oldest official national anthem, you gotta be doing something right. mental_floss magazine is where knowledge junkies get their fix. It's a fun blend of trivia, humor and everything you should've learned in school but didn't. http://www.mentalfloss.com
Q: What's the World's Oldest Official National Anthem? related news:
- Q: What's the World's Oldest Official National Anthem? — Blogcritics Category: Music: Instrumental
- Official: Hostages taken in mass kidnap freed — CNN.com - World
- Know where you are — Official Google Blog
- Orissa woman at 125 among oldest in India — NK India News
- 'Al Qaeda Aiming For Atomic Attack' — Sky News: UK News, World News and Business News. The First for breaking global News!
- No room for 'Animal House' — OrlandoSentinel.com - Opinion
- Iraqi official calls kidnapping of 150 people a 'national catastrophe' — USATODAY.com News - Top Stories
- Conductor Per Brevig leads the audience and the East Texas Symphony ... — Entertainment Photos - AP on Yahoo! News Photos
- Uganda's oldest university closes as lecturers strike over pay — People's Daily Online
- US President George W. Bush(R) listens to the playing of the ... — President Bush on Yahoo! News Photos
Latest news from Blogcritics:
- Vinyl Tap: Sam Phillips - The Indescribable Wow; Cruel Inventions; Martinis and Bikinis
- Music Review: The Game - Doctor's Advocate
- U.S. PlayStation 3 Launch Looking Murky
- Did Rock & Roll Kill Your Hit Parade?
- Book Review: Confessions of Super Mom by Melanie Lynne Hauser
- Photo Essay: Reading Past and Present in Humayun's Tomb, India's Most Melancholic Monument
- Day By Day for November 13, 2006
- Fighting the Good Fight? Don't Get Burned (Part Two)
- Exploring the Beauty of the Oregon coast
- TV Review: 3 LBS