&sq=Qlik&lang=&file=File:De_Leeuw_van_Vlaanderen,_Hendrik_Conscience,_boekomslag.png) The book cover of the 1930 sixth edition | |
| Author | Hendrik Conscience |
|---|---|
| Original title | De Leeuw van Vlaenderen, of de Slag der Gulden Sporen |
| Language | Dutch |
| Subject | War, Romance |
| Genre | Historical fiction |
| Publisher | L.J. de Cort (Antwerp) |
Publication date | 1838 |
| Publication place | Belgium |
Published in English | 1855 |
| 839.3 | |
The Lion of Flanders, or the Battle of the Golden Spurs (Dutch: De Leeuw van Vlaenderen, of de Slag der Gulden Sporen) is a major novel first published in 1838 by the Belgian writer Hendrik Conscience (1812–1883) and is an early example of historical fiction. The book focuses on the medieval Franco-Flemish War and the Battle of the Golden Spurs of 1302 in particular. It is written in Conscience's typical stylistic romanticism and has been described as the "Flemish national epic".[1]
Unusually for its time, The Lion of Flanders was written in Dutch. It is considered one of the founding texts of Flemish literature and became a significant work for the emerging Flemish Movement, reviving popular interest in the Battle of the Golden Spurs and Flemish medieval history as part of a modern political agenda. Despite its importance, the work has become little-read in modern times. It has nonetheless been the subject of various adaptations, including several cartoons, a television series, and a film.
- ^ Hermann 2016, p. 59.