Isolation and the Hapsburgs

William Tell is an Archetypal of the 14th century. An archetypal is a theme which appear in many stories over an extended period of time communicating one's literary experience as a whole. Noah and the flood is another example of an archetype story. Individuals from archetypal stories do not have to be true. William Tell promotes nationalism against an empire steeped in feudalism and the divine right of kings. The Habsburgs believed that they had inherited the Holy Roman Empire from Constantine. The Habsburgs were a family who built a castle on a strategic mountain in Switzerland. The name Habsburg means, “Hawks nest”. From this strategic vantage point they ruled Switzerland until the Swiss were able to gain their independence in a rebellion. The story of William Tell is the beginning of that rebellion. The story is probably a legend but it is so peaked in tradition and Swiss virtue that it continues to be believed by 60 % of the Swiss people. Carl Jung invented the word Archtype. He is a neo-freudian who lived in Switzerland.

Were the Habsburgs the inheritors of the Holy Roman Empire? At the height of their empire they encompassed Austria, Hungary, Germany, Czechoslovakia, the Balkan nations, Poland and later Spain. They believed they were the divine protectorate of the Catholic Church. Since the peasantry was loyal to the church this prolonged feudalism past the time when technology had made feudalism obsolete. The legend of William Tell is the story of one man who reverses the trend of feudalism with a sophisticated weapon. The weapon was the crossbow which was able to pierce a feudal knight’s armor the same way cannon could knock down a castle. It also could be shot accurately at long range demonstrated by the story below. William Tell shot an apple off of his son’s head at 100 paces or roughly the size of a football field. After this demonstration Tell escaped from his captors, took vengeance upon his adversary and started a rebellion that ended the domination of the Hapsburgs in Switzerland. The name Switzerland refers to the conspiracy of three towns that had sworn oaths against the Habsburg regime. The towns were Uri, Schwyz, and Unterwalden. Eventually the conspiracy was shortened to Schwyz and outsiders began referring to the area as Schwyz land which became Switzerland. This breakdown of feudalism and increase of nationalism found its roots in the legend of William Tell. Which is more important the technology of the crossbow or the virtue of liberty expressed in Tell’s actions?

The most famous event of the 14th century (1300s) was the Black Death. 1 in 4 people lost their lives during this plague carried in fleas on rats. A study of the Black Death has gained in popularity in recent years because of new diseases that continue to threaten modern countries. A couple of diseases worth mentioning are the Avian Flu and mad cow disease as examples. There are two ways to combat this type of pestilence. You can use technology as William Tell had done with his cross bow. A flue vaccine makes a good cross bow analogy here and to this day the Swiss still use the cross bow as an icon of quality in the goods they produce. Or many people have also found solace in virtue. The elements of liberty in our William Tell story above are synthesized into an isolationism with the help of technology. When we develop ways of keeping people away from us then we can protect continuity against change resulting from the introduction of new people and ideas and even fleas. The Swiss were able to accomplish this with sheer topographical advantage. They not only had crossbows but they also possessed superior knowledge of the terrain. They climbed to the heights and threw rocks upon their adversaries to protect against changes brought by foreign invaders. In the case of Switzerland the changes were increased taxes. They protected their stable way of life by isolating themselves from change. Do we ever protect ourselves today by isolating ourselves? I think that it is easy to see how our border crossings are harder for people and cattle or birds when there is a threat of mad cow disease or the Avian flu.

I am thankful for the Haburghs and Swiss for giving us the virtue of Isolationism. Isolationism is a noun in the language of virtue. Its components are liberty and continuity.


Young Walter and his father William walk across the meadow with no regard to the hat on the pole placed by the Reeve Gessler in their passing.
The legend


Statue of William Tell and his Son in Altdorf, Switzerland from Wikipedia. Link to full story.
William Tell from Bürglen was known as an expert marksman with the crossbow. At the time, the Habsburg emperors were seeking to dominate Uri. Hermann Gessler, the newly appointed Austrian reeve of Altdorf raised a pole in the village's central square with his hat on top and demanded that all the local townsfolk bow before it. As Tell passed by without bowing, he was arrested. He received the punishment of being forced to shoot an apple off the head of his son, Walter, or else both would be executed.
Tell had been promised freedom if he shot the apple. On November 18, 1307, Tell split the fruit with a single bolt from his crossbow, without mishap. When Gessler queried him about the purpose of the second arrow in his quiver, Tell answered that if he had ended up killing his son in that trial, he would have turned the crossbow on the reeve. Gessler became enraged at that comment, and had Tell bound and brought to his ship to be taken to his castle at Küssnacht. In a storm on Lake Lucerne, Tell managed to escape. On land, he went to Küssnacht, and when Gessler arrived, he shot him with a crossbow bolt.
This defiance of the Austrian reeve sparked a rebellion, leading to Switzerland's independence.