The DANGEROUS Life of a Dutch VOC Ship Sailor in the 17th Century
Have you ever wondered what life was like on a trans oceanic voyage during the 17th century? In this video you will experience the life of an average sailor embarking on a voyage for the VOC. The contracts the sailor's signed were usually initiated with unrealistic and fantastic sales pitches about what the sailors would experience and take back with them from the far east.
But what was their life really like on these ships after months at sea? Find out the experience of a typical VOC voyage to the East Indies!
Пікірлер: 871
NOTE: OLD VIDEOS COMPILED AS A MEGA EPISODE. Just fixing some old content and thumbnails before the new is posted...a bit of rebranding :) VOC -> DUTCH EAST INDIA (INDIES) COMPANY
@julianabakker6213
Жыл бұрын
Maybe pin this to the top?
@YoreHistory
Жыл бұрын
@@julianabakker6213 Thanks thought i did! New content coming after I revamp the old stuff a bit get the views going again.
@james_baker
Жыл бұрын
Good to hear from you again. Looking forward to new content
@b-genspinster7895
Жыл бұрын
It’s my most favorite Yore History story and just in time for Thanksgiving. So Thank You!!!!
@YoreHistory
Жыл бұрын
@@b-genspinster7895 Let me know what type of themes/settings you enjoy cause im back to create them :)
But at least the VOC paid up reliably after the journey, if you survived. And even if you did not survive, the wife and children would get money. That was quite unique.
@epigwaitthistory
Жыл бұрын
Just dont have a side hustle, or you may lose your hands ✋
@bezumsteeltjuh
Жыл бұрын
was it unique? didnt many guilds do that too?
@ronaldderooij1774
Жыл бұрын
@@bezumsteeltjuh I would not like to compare guilds with the VOC. So, I don't think that argument is valid.
@petekdemircioglu
11 ай бұрын
Yes
@tomz5704
11 ай бұрын
I'd also say the slightly lesser chance of survivability on VOC ships compared to the British east india company was because of the longer journey to mostly indonesia instead of india
Given their scant resources, dire circumstances, and powerful enemies, what the Dutch were able to accomplish is truly astounding! Greetings to the People of The Netherlands from Greece! 🇳🇱🌿🇬🇷
@davidzapf3383
Жыл бұрын
The world Beyond The Ice Walls 7..goid videois.. we went from africa to that lands that truth and yes the indies vo together..the history is a littelbit different..take care..you greece go look in vibes of cosmos as wel ..is about the moon...actually plasma mirror moon .greatings nerherland
@Demosccinoss
Жыл бұрын
Greetings back from the Netherlands.
@crazyhorsetrading8655
11 ай бұрын
Yea at very great harm to the populations they encountered. I'm in one of the former colonies, they have a lot to answer for.
@chrissmith3509
11 ай бұрын
How are the dead going to answer for anything?
@dorianphilotheates3769
11 ай бұрын
@@chrissmith3509 - It has been said that the past is a foreign country; if so, the dead are foreign aliens.
I feel slightly better about going to work in the morning now.
@YoreHistory
8 ай бұрын
LOL...ya your breakfast *SHOULD* be worm free...i hope....
This was very informative in a fun way. Well impressed with the pronunciation of the Dutch names. Dank u wel
@YoreHistory
2 ай бұрын
Being Dutch myself helps :) Thanks for watching!
@kimbainbridge8904
2 ай бұрын
Haha that makes sense. Your English is very good as well. 😅
I rarely leave comments but I couldn't have gone to the next video without leaving one. As a mailman I walk from 5-7 hours a day and media I can listen to is perfect for keeping myself sane. That being said, this is got to be the most enjoyable video I've listened to in a very long time. The story is well captivating, starting with thoughts of hope to trying to comprehend the amount of disappointment and worry that would be felt seeing what awaited you on the ship to eventual thoughts of hope again with the pay and building a life on return to the uneasy turn of addiction. Just amazing, man. I can't compliment you anymore. 👏 Please keep producing content.
@YoreHistory
Жыл бұрын
Cheers Robert! Thanks for giving it a shot. I have another sailing one from a British Sailors point of view and a series dealing with being a Roman Legionary during the Invasion of Britain and many m ore to come in the future. Cheers and thanks very much for the comment!
@thisoldboat7393
6 ай бұрын
Yeah buddy, we need more storytelling like this to keep us all from going postal 😂
Guys like Henk are worth their weight in gold, as they are able to maintain the morale of the crew in the direst of situations.
@tomz5704
11 ай бұрын
Dutch courage AKA enough alcohol ha
@lucianene7741
11 ай бұрын
@@tomz5704 Now really. I had a colleague like that some time ago. Many regarded him as the office clown, but his ability to keep the spirits up for the whole team under the heaviest stress was amazing. Every crew needs a "morale officer" of sorts.
@tomz5704
11 ай бұрын
@@lucianene7741 of course, just saying there's a reason all those navy's back then had a lot of strong alcohol though
@bconni2
9 ай бұрын
what he accomplished was already done by Portuguese navigators and explorers more than a century before. those early Portuguese ships had the biggest balls of them all
We came from France to Canada in 1664 aboard the Dutch ship "Le Noir". This video is the closest I have come to realize the life my ancestor had. Much appreciated.
@headmondronary2127
10 ай бұрын
349 years old? I doubt that.
@dw4956
10 ай бұрын
@@headmondronary2127 Yes they did. The journals of the VOC where very accurate.
@headmondronary2127
10 ай бұрын
@@dw4956 ta👍
@a1i3n
10 ай бұрын
@@headmondronary2127 Pierre Blais, Google it.
@eastonnelson645
10 ай бұрын
Lol
One of my ancestor also signed up in 1670 as VOC-Soldier and died 4-5 years later in Ceylon / Sri Lanka
@YoreHistory
Жыл бұрын
So many of you who have ancestors who sailed with the VOC..thanks for sharing!
@ai-boost-fz1yq
Жыл бұрын
His grave would be in Halle maybe? I saw a lot of them when I was on vacation 30 years ago.
@mohbw3
Жыл бұрын
@@ai-boost-fz1yq Thanks a lot! I will look it up
@UnnamedLexicon
10 ай бұрын
if it were in Indonesia i would like to know the graveyard location so i could piss in his grave lol. I hates them VOC.
@Mark-uh4zd
10 ай бұрын
Huh. How about that.
as a dutch person, the names you picked for the side characters gave me a good laugh. very nice video, i liked it a lot.
@zeikerd
10 ай бұрын
die gast is gewoon nederlands, dat hoor je toch wel?
@flapdrol
6 ай бұрын
@@zeikerd Nee, maar wat ik zeker wel hoor is een Canadees accent.
The lawlessness that was able to exist back then for obvious reasons is absolutely terrifying. It must have been a very dangerous world to live in.
@YoreHistory
8 ай бұрын
Oh it was for sure.
@keithwellerlounge74
7 ай бұрын
Not so much the lawlessness as much as just the wrong amount and wrong type of law. The sort of law that protects the elite but not the poor. This is still a problem now, albeit to a lesser extent. It's just that public awareness and medical science have mitigated it.
@urphakeandgey6308
6 ай бұрын
Makes me wonder a lot about "The Wild West" too and whether or not I would've liked that more. The chaos and the fact you could have your livelihood taken at any moment doesn't sound too fun... But the freedom sounds appealing. Despite possibly being "too free."
@thomasmyers9128
6 ай бұрын
There was a lot less laws on the books…. So I’m sure it wasn’t to hard
@thisoldboat7393
6 ай бұрын
@@urphakeandgey6308 it's still the wild west, just go into any family court with the hateful woman of your choice and try to get access to your children.
I really appreciate the first person narrative in which I am the crew member. It makes it so much more interesting 🎉🎉 I feel like I am time travel back to the past ❤
@YoreHistory
Жыл бұрын
Glad you enjoyed it. I have a British sailor series, Roman legionary, Viking etc all in same format as well :) cheers and thx for watching!!
@mrmarmellow563
Жыл бұрын
@@YoreHistory ITS Awesome WHY‼️REBAND😢
@YoreHistory
Жыл бұрын
@@mrmarmellow563 reband?
@markrhodes403
Жыл бұрын
It's more of the rarely seen second-person ("You do this, you do that") perspective. Although it's often clunky it works well here
@YoreHistory
Жыл бұрын
@@markrhodes403 I know it isn't for everyone and that is why I also make regular 3rd person narrated documentaries. I just wanted to create an option that immerses viewers a bit more like an audiobook and as you pointed out no one else is really doing it which helps on KZread if you do something different :).
Being an Australian and visited the Dutch explorers museum in Freemantle this is very interesting, especially also Tasmanian a state named after Abel Jantzoon Tasman
@stephenzeilstra6520
Жыл бұрын
Plus there are a few more. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_place_names_of_Dutch_origin_in_Australia
@xulphyte
10 ай бұрын
Abel Janszoon Tasman.
@Tele999zzz
6 ай бұрын
*Fremantle.. the Dutch sailed east till they hit the coast of Western Australia then turned north to get to Indonesia. Many of the ships literally hit the coast of WA and wrecked
@drpepper3838
Күн бұрын
New zealand is named after a dutch province
Im a research vessel navigator in the south of Brazil, the seafaring spirit is trully timeless and borderless, thank you for this video
And here I worried that you were gone. Great to have you back...well...back making this style and approach to history videos. Outstanding!
The reason why the Netherlands became so wealthy was because of the power of the VOC which really was quite different to other trade companys employed by other nations. It was basicly a nation within a nation and could do almost whatever it wanted. That is the important part because the VOC needed to react fast. By the time a letter got to Amsterdam and back, it might already be late to do something about whatever there was going on.
@robertneven7563
10 ай бұрын
the dutch, the biggest slave traeters in the whole world, the dutch the best frinds off the germans in the first and the second W War, the dutcht behavoir in there colony s are verry cruel
@joedredd9979
8 ай бұрын
Best days ever to rule
@drpepper3838
Күн бұрын
Also windmills. In early 1600s we invented the windmill saw. We could saw timber 30x faster. We could build ships faster and cheaper this way compared to our competitors. More ships is a bigger piece of the economy. Also meant that we could often buy in bulk because there was more money. Money makes money. Something that never changed
I was told that cope of good hope was named for a reason. But this story brings a new horizon.
I really love this video. It really gives a clear picture of what is it to be like on a 17th century ship
This video shed a spotlight on the horrific life of a sailor back in the day. PTSD would never leave during any length of sobriety for the survivors.
Glad to see you are back!
Awesome! You are finally back!!!! ❤❤
Oh man! Keep them coming! These are so good!
This was an awesome video. I've never felt more immersed in the period. When it's described in the first person you really experience that world.
@YoreHistory
Жыл бұрын
Thx Dale! That was my hope so glad for you it had that effect. Cheers!
Thank you. I was long waiiting for this kind Dangerous Life of a Dutch VOC Ship.
Black was the most expensive colour for clothing before the advent of indigo and after the disappearance of the old Roman purple. This is why you see so much blackon Dutch paintings of wealthy men. It is a sign of riches. Black in the church was because on Sunday you put on your most expensive clothes. Black meant money. THAT is why you see so much black in Dutch paintings of the golden age (1575-1672).
@YoreHistory
Жыл бұрын
Great comment! Very true. We are a tiny nation but so many great painters in the Golden Age :)
@BrooksDunn
7 ай бұрын
Want Royal purple from pee?
My Grandmother first learned to walk as a little girl while on a sailing ship as her family journeyed from the Netherlands to the USA around the year of 1890. Perhaps a good topic for another video.
@timvandenbrink4461
7 ай бұрын
My family came to the U.S.A. From Gelderland in 1847.
@zmarchal1699
7 ай бұрын
You want a whole video on your grandmother?...
Really enjoyed this bit of history and storytelling. Subscribed for more, keep up the good work!
Glad to see you're back
Excellent! The narration, the story telling and music and visuals. As well as the historical facts. Very well done. Thanks.
@YoreHistory
Жыл бұрын
Cheers Joe, thanks for watching!
Hello there after......I don t remeber how long. Nice to have you back.
Really well done man, this was awesome!!
This is the first video of yours that I’ve watched. I just want to let you know that I’m very impressed with this style of video. I love history and really enjoyed learning about it in this way!
@YoreHistory
Жыл бұрын
That is so awesome to hear. Thanks for watching! The first playlist on the homepage has other series like this as well. Cheers!
Wow! Now this is good storytelling. Many thanks.
Thanks for some excellent historical story-telling.
amazing channel! keep up the great work!
That was absolutely brilliant, thank you.
Great job, this is my favorite video when it comes to history stuff. Would love to see more like this
@YoreHistory
Жыл бұрын
Cheers Atlas. I have a few series like this. British Sailor, Roman Legionary etc.
You do an excellent job with the detailing of Dutch global strategy.
I love old shipping history!
WESTERN PACIFIC cruise at 17 US Navy Ship Halsey CG 23..Yokosuka Japan...Subic Bay Phillipines..Taiwan..Hong Kong..Pusan Korea..Brings back fond memories...and Alot of Cra Cra Trim Action.
@stevenkanzler2319
8 ай бұрын
Wtf?
I am a descendent of a Jewish Hollander, who served in the VOC, who settled in Ceylon in the year 1775, narrator absorbs my attention to my ancestor, the suffering that he, (William Buultjen) experienced. Thanks for sharing the experiences of the past. Oniell
@YoreHistory
Жыл бұрын
Thx for sharing. That wasbpart of the hope with this format is to experience a bit in their shoes! Thx for watching too!
@FixedFace
Жыл бұрын
please come home to lsr aeI 🥰
@ravikandiah5837
Жыл бұрын
Hello from Blumenthal, Colombo, Ceylon (Sri Lanka)
@CalculusProfessor
Жыл бұрын
There are hundreds of Buultjens in Sri Lanka, you may fund many relatives, many are Buddhists.
@spiceChava
Жыл бұрын
William Buultjens, settled in Matará (Galle District), Dutch reform church of SL as well as, archives in Haig, Holland, carries vibrant records. Mormon church in Utah, USA also has written records on the Buultjen family. If u guys are really interested, I can further write about the Buultjen family in Europe, they were originally from Spain, due to pogroms, they settled in todays’ Belgium/ Holland territories, there too, the Jews were persecuted, wealthy European Jews bankrolled the VOC. William Buultjens was a sea captain, who married a Sinhala Mudeliya’s daughter from Mathara. As said earlier, birth and death records are available in the Dutch reform church offices. Few years ago I did do some research work on my family tree, in SL. In the month of May I will be visiting SL, Galle Fort to do further research on my family tree. Many SL Dutch Burgers were of Jewish heritage.
OMG!!! You are back!! You are so awesome!!
instant sub this is phenomenal man i’ve been captivated the entire video 👏
Life on board the Dutch VOC is like pure hell.Makes HMS Bounty looks like childs play.
Yo!! Loved these videos!!
Excellent series, and I'm looking forward to watching others! How about a series about life and trade on the Silk Road?
@YoreHistory
Жыл бұрын
My current Roman envoy series is about the only Roman delegation who went to China via maritime silk trade route in AD195...so not overland but it is silk trade route. Thanks for watching Lou!
Yore History you're back! Wonderful to see. Great video and the thumbnails look great. Nice and clean. I hope the channel blows up.
Thanks for bringing history to life.
Hard to believe the Dutch made it as far as New Zealand well before Cook and the Endeavour fascinating to he honest
@halfdome4158
8 ай бұрын
Why do you think it's called New Zealand? ( Zeeland.)
@joelmonkley6177
8 ай бұрын
@@halfdome4158 I know why it's called
@joelmonkley6177
8 ай бұрын
@@halfdome4158 I know why it's called new Zealand
I found it remarkable that some of the sailors were on their 2nd or even their 3rd trip
@YoreHistory
Жыл бұрын
Agreed. They knew it for what it was. It does make you wonder how bad their life was to run away from it towards this...a 2nd and 3rd time... :)
@n00b_n00b_
Жыл бұрын
@@YoreHistory of gewoon avontuur ;)
Probably one of the coolest videos ever. Great idea and great detail.
@YoreHistory
Жыл бұрын
Cheers Birdman. I have other series in same format. Thanks for watching!
@birdman7687
Жыл бұрын
@@YoreHistory keep it up, sir. I was not expecting that, what a ride.
Wow i didn't even notice this video was an hour long ! Great story and great representation 👌
Awesome video. Truly captivating.
This is amazing! Just brilliant this firsthand view! And your voice is perfect for this!
For newbies (like me): The Dutch East India Company (VOC, Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie), founded in 1602 and liquidated in 1795, was the largest and most impressive of the early modern European trading companies operating in Asia. "Verenigde" means "united." Yore, good work, well done, and thank you!
Brilliant Storytelling!
Thank you for this!
Very very interesting. Thanks for this video 🤗
Extremely well written and narrated. Thank you! Cheers from South Carolina, USA
Very nice put together story 👍🏻👍🏻
Brilliant, I really liked it… nice style and very informative…
YOUR ALIVE! Also,, what happened to the audio? Never mind I fixed it lol.
Very interesting and well done! Talk about a tough life. No wonder they didn't live long. ⛵
This is awesome, subbed
Thank you for this bit of history not often heard of. T. Hein
Very enjoyable, thank you!
i love these stories, so very rare today, thank you....
Phenomenal storytelling!
These are so good!
What an interesting way to bring history to us. Great video.
@YoreHistory
Жыл бұрын
Thanks for watching!
@keesgoorbergh657
8 ай бұрын
@@YoreHistoryte😊😮un8
I once read of a mid 17th century Dutch sea captain who "turned Turk", i.e. joined the Ottoman Navy, and became an admiral in it. His Turkish surname was "Van Sallee" after a sea battle he won in North Africa. His two sons immigrated to New Amsterdam, one of whom and his wife were quarrelsome persons, the couple got kicked out of the city, and then became the first settlers of "Broeklen" (?), later Brooklyn. That information was on a genealogy website. I would like to find further information on them.
@YoreHistory
11 ай бұрын
Yes familiar with him. He is said have been the son of a Dutch pirate :) Very cool story.
@m.meijdam5212
11 ай бұрын
Dutchy here, the name you were looking for is Breukelen not Broeklen! :)
@deewesthill1213
11 ай бұрын
@@m.meijdam5212 Thank you.
@user-ql8lt2uy5s
7 ай бұрын
De eerste wocro
@luvslogistics1725
6 ай бұрын
Quarrelsome? They would fit in perfectly in Broeklen
Thank you for your effort to put these together. You sir have my subscription.
@YoreHistory
Жыл бұрын
Cheers! Thanks for watching!
This was incredibly entertaining and educational. Cool!
Nice and entertaining narration... the reference to the Ferengi was hilarious but accurate
These are very interesting videos. Thanks!
HE IS BACK!!!
I am of Dutch heritage, and thank you for the history lessen ,
@YoreHistory
Жыл бұрын
Cheers. I'm Dutch as well :)
Welcome back, brother Gordo!
@YoreHistory
Жыл бұрын
Hehe :) Thanks bro
UHMAZIN THAT you tube recommendations sent me Pure Gold Much appreciated
What a fascinating subject to learn about. We have always been taught that there were large land battles during the Punic wars, I would think the same would be possible for navy battles. Rome lost quite a lot of battles to Hannibal and just kept making more so there had to be a large population. At the same time it was kinda normal for Rome to inflate numbers so it's completely possible you are correct. It would be amazing if we could get are hands on a nearly complete quinquereme, I think everyone could agree with that. I was excited when they announced they discovered Roman ships in the Black Sea because they preserve so well down there. Thank you for the video
@flower2289
Жыл бұрын
It would be good to see a lot more money spent exploring the Black Sea. So much to be found.
Great! really, really great! Wow. Thank you for your efforts.
that was great and pretty accurate, nice vid
I'm now starting the fourth and final part. Iv really gotten into this adventure. I thought I had watched all of these types of videos and I'm so glad to have found this one. A true masterpiece. Like a great but short book. Iv subbed now so I'm definitely looking forward to the rest of these wonderful tales of life as someone else who like myself has had to learn the hard way about everything. Maybe tho that's the best way. Lessons about life really sink in and hit home after a nice long miserable adventure. That's what I call most of the things I regret. Adventure.
@YoreHistory
5 ай бұрын
Cheers and thanks for watching!
I wish you would make a million of these. I'm a full-time Uber driver driving a 2023 Tesla Model Y and this is the most enjoyable thing to listen to while I'm working
@YoreHistory
Жыл бұрын
Thanks Mark :) I do have the British Sailor and Roman Legionary series which are similar format as well as a new one dealing with Romans travelling to China.
@johnengland8619
Жыл бұрын
Shipwreck stories of new zealand at Epigwatt wireless
Interesting and informative. Excellent 📷 pictures/ drawings/maps enabling viewers to better understand what the orator was describing. A rough/precarious/existence on one of those typical sailing ships. Heath issues ( scurvy ) & the likes. Were a daily concern amongst all on the ship.
Amazing video. Thanks
You are a legend man, couldnt have described it better.
Beautiful historical documentary.
Superb narration.
Woah! I just whipped-up some popcorn and instead of watching from the toilet seat, I'm gonna wait until I am sitting in front of my best TV set (Chromecast).
@24:50 Star forts? Notice theres only 1 entrance and exit. Kind of looks like the same layout the Dutch east had in tip of NYC, where "Wall Street" originated.
Listening to you, is like being there. What an adventure👍
@YoreHistory
7 ай бұрын
Cheers mate. Appreciate you watching!
Very well narrated, it's great to learn history through such story-telling. Just one thing surprised me but maybe I was wrong about this, I always though what gave the Dutch sailors in general - as well as in the VOC - the advantage over the English especially was that they took zuurkool (sauerkraut) on voyages to prevent scurvy. Surprised you didn't mention this. I know the English/British took limes but I think that was later on.
@YoreHistory
7 ай бұрын
That was way later during mid to late 1700s and early 1800s. During the Dutch Golden age which is when this takes place (mid 1600s height of golden age), death by scurvy was a common occurrence for sailors...that's why it wasn't mentioned as it wasn't factual for this time period :) Great comment! Thanks for watching! NOTE: Just to add if you are curious...was in 1753 (generally accepted date) that the connection between certain foods and scurvy was made.
Bedankt voor de video. Jan van Riebeeck is nog steeds beroemd in ZA. Stichting dag 6 April 1652 met schepen Drommedaris, Rijger en de Waal.
@YoreHistory
Жыл бұрын
Bedankt voor het kijken!
Sounds like Hank is trying to Shanghai me😅...17 minutes in, this guy is easily one of the greatest narrators I've heard in my 50 years, animals once tended, now resembled was brilliant 😂
Love this type of video
Today , is a happy day. Welcome back!!!!
Thoroughly enjoyed this! All the best from Amsterdam!
@grjkamphorst
8 ай бұрын
P.S. Your pronunciation of Dutch names is impeccable. Dutch by any chance?
@YoreHistory
8 ай бұрын
@@grjkamphorst Yes from Beverwijk :D I pronounced some in Dutch some in English... :D Thanks for watching!
First time on your channel. It is so good I subscribed. You deserve 1 million subs. Great job.
@YoreHistory
Жыл бұрын
Cheers mate. A few more series like this style if you enjoyed it and a finale for the viking one in this format due this week. Thanks for watching!
A friend of mine rebuild such a ship in the netherlands maybe 30 years ago when they finished they didnt get the permission to use itt because the gouverment had problems with the toilett situation on board !