On the kings of Portugal, or how an image of a far-away region came to be established in Holland

At the end of the fourteenth century efforts were made to establish better, mainly commercial, relations between the county of Holland and Portugal. At that moment Portugal was certainly no terra incognita for the inhabitants of Holland, as is shown by the fact that a village in Holland already earlier derived its name and coat of arms from Portugal. Yet a clear and positive image, that could serve political goals, was lacking. Such an image was provided by a Middle-netherlandish poem, written shortly before 1390, in which the reestablishing of royal virtues in Portugal was praised.No final do século XIV, foram desenvolvidos esforços no sentido de melhorar as relações entre Portugal e a Holanda, nomeadamente comerciais. Nessa altura, Portugal certamente não era um território desconhecido para os habitantes da Holanda, como se comprova pelo facto de uma vila holandesa usar o nome e as armas inspiradas nos de Portugal. No entanto, uma imagem clara, que poderia servir propósitos politicos, não chega a existir. Ela aparece num poema holandês, escrito á volta de 1390, no qual se enaltece o restablecimento das virtudes reais em Portugal