400 / De naam Batavieren gaat verloren 1893 - 1895

This drawing by Johan Huizinga presents us with a scene of figures, perhaps intended as Batavians. Note the horned helmet worn by the central figure; a common but inaccurate attribute used to denote barbaric or ancient warriors in early modern art. The helmet— a symbol laden with historical baggage. Initially meant to signify strength and virility, the horned headgear takes on different meanings across cultures and eras. In ancient Greece, horned deities symbolized power and fertility, while in Christian iconography, horns were associated with the devil. In Huizinga's time, the romanticized vision of ancient peoples—often depicted with horned helmets—became entrenched in popular imagination, appearing in operas, paintings, and literature. This symbol reveals how cultural memory, shaped by artistic representations, can create enduring yet often misleading images of the past. This is not history; it is the emotional afterglow of history— a potent force that continues to shape our perceptions.