Grafschrift voor Maarten Tromp, gesneuveld in de Zeeslag bij Terheide, 1653 1850 - 1863

This inscription for Maarten Tromp, penned by Joost van den Vondel, memorializes the naval hero in the wake of his death in 1653. At its heart, the writing speaks of Tromp as a protector, a guardian of the seas for the freedom of the land. The inscription evokes the age-old motif of the hero's tomb—a place of memory carved in marble. Marble, in this sense, transcends mere stone. Think of the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus or even Egyptian sarcophagi, all meant to immortalize the deceased. The text says that his image remains alive before Holland's shore and evokes an auditory scene, where the sound of murder and the thundering of cannons are connected. The mention of Britain in flames suggests both destruction and purification. The inscription transforms Tromp into a martyr who has carved himself into the hearts of the people. Vondel's script is a potent reminder of how symbols and emotions intertwine in the theater of human memory.