An Ancient National Anthem

We can’t talk about nationalism without the national anthem. In The Netherlands, their hymn is titled “Het Wilhelmus,” written in 1574 by Dutch poet and politician Wilhem van Nassau. This is believed to be the oldest national anthem in the world.

According to netherlandswashington.org, the melody was taken from a famous French hit from the 16th century. The song also has whopping 15 stanzas, which may make it hard for the kids to memorize, but it has a purpose. This represents each other provinces in the nation. It was also penned in the first person, so one can imagine that William of Orange is talking.