2008-Apr-8 - The Windmills of my Mind
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Origin of the name
The name Kinderdijk is Dutch for "Child's Dike". In 1421 during the Saint Elizabeth flood of 1421, the Grote Hollandse Waard flooded, but the Alblasserwaard polder stayed unflooded. It is said that when the terrible storm had subsided, someone went on to the dike between these two areas, to see what could be saved. He saw in the distance a wooden cradle floating. There was no hope that anything would be living in it, but when it approached, movement was seen. When the cradle came nearer, someone saw that a cat was in the cradle trying to keep it in balance by jumping back and forth so that no water could come into it. When the cradle eventually came near the dike, someone fished the cradle out and saw that in it a baby slept quiet and dry. In some of the stories the cat kept it balanced and afloat. This folktale and legend has been published as "The Cat and the Cradle" in English (Meder 2007; Griffis, 1918).
History
In the Netherlands, the drainage system is an important matter. The Dutch need a well developed water control system in order to keep large areas from being flooded, because some parts of the Netherlands are below sea level.
In Alblasserwaard, problems with water became more and more apparent in the 13th century. Large canals, called 'weteringen', were dug to get rid of the excess water in the polders. However, the drained soil started setting, while the level of the river rose due to the river's sand deposits. After a few centuries, an additional way to keep the polders dry was required.
It was decided to build a series of windmills, with a limited capacity to bridge water level differences, but just able to pump water into a reservoir at an intermediate level between the soil in the polder and the river; the reservoir could be pumped out into the river by other windmills whenever the river level was low enough; the river level has both seasonal and tidal variations.
Full control over the water level was never achieved. Throughout the centuries, the residents of the western part of the Netherlands suffered inundations, especially because of dyke ruptures; this is reflected the legend of the floating cradle at Kinderdijk ..
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Post A Comment!
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2008-Apr-8 - A new job? |
| Posted by drdog |
Those are really nice photos. Are the windmills still working and doing what they are supposed to do?
Interesting story about the cat and the cradle, too. I don't think I've heard that one before.
By the way, you should work for the Dutch tourism office. You post so many photos that make me think about traveling there some day. |
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2008-Apr-8 - <i>Untitled Comment</i> |
| Posted by readerwil |
Thanks drdog! These windmills were water mills and had to pump the water from the polder into the canal. Now an electric pump does the job and keeps the polder dry. During the war however there was no electricity and then the mills were used in their original capacity. Other Dutch windmills were used for, among other things, corn or paper industry.
Well thank you for saying that I should work for the tourist industry. If any of you wants to come to Holland I'd love to be your guide.BTW all these mills are now protected by Unesco and are on the list of World Heritage Sites, and they are lived in. |
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2008-Apr-9 - Untitled Comment |
| Posted by LauriesAsylum |
| We have a town about two hours away from us called Solvang. It's buildings and landscaping are Danish with some wonderful windmills. I love going there and walking through their town. |
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2008-Apr-9 - Untitled Comment |
| Posted by readerwil |
| Hi Laurie, yes Solvang is a Danish name, and it's right the Danes have windmills too, though not watermills, as Denmark is much drier than the Netherlands. |
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2008-Apr-11 - Untitled Comment |
| Posted by LadyVisine |
| Dr. Dog is right, in saying you would be a great asset to the Tourism Department of the Netherlands! I really enjoyed the photos & the history behind them. There is a windmill (home) back near the town we lived close to, in Montana. It was for sale when we were searching for a home to buy, but Spouse didn't want to live so close to a river. I thought it would be very cool, personally. :) |
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2008-Apr-11 - Untitled Comment |
| Posted by readerwil |
| Yes, that would have been cool indeed! But in winter it's very cold. Downstairs is a small livingroom with two boxbeds.( a cupboard with a bed in it ). Cooking and washing is done in the middle part of the mill, where you always have a draught. The toilet is outside. Well I leave the tourist profession in the capable hands of young guides. I'll always be the guide of my visitors, besides everywhere one gets walkmen which gives all the information needed. |
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