Featured

Een abel spel van Esmoreit, sconics sone van Cecilien by R. J. Spitz

(2 User reviews) 456

By Juliette Moore Posted on Mar 30, 2026

In Category - Future Worlds

Authors: Published By :

Book Language: Dutch

Ever read a medieval story that feels like it could be trending on social media today? That's 'Esmoreit.' Forget dusty knights and predictable quests. This is a wild, 14th-century ride about a Sicilian prince who gets a prophecy at his birth: he'll be killed by his own son. So, his dad does the only logical thing—he sends the newborn baby boy away to Egypt. But Esmoreit grows up, finds out who he really is, and decides to go home. What happens when the son your father tried to get rid of shows up on the palace doorstep? This play is packed with family drama, mistaken identities, and questions about fate that will stick with you. It's short, surprisingly punchy, and proof that people have always been obsessed with messy, complicated families.

File: Een abel spel van Esmoreit, sconics sone van Cecilien by R. J. Spitz

So, I picked up this edition of 'Een abel spel van Esmoreit' (translated as 'A Noble Play of Esmoreit') with zero expectations. It's an anonymous Dutch play from the 1300s, edited by R.J. Spitz. How accessible could it be? Turns out, incredibly.

The Story

King Apolijn of Sicily is overjoyed when his son, Esmoreit, is born. Then a prophecy ruins everything: this child will one day kill him. Terrified, Apolijn can't bring himself to kill the baby, so he sends him far away to Egypt with a trusted servant. Esmoreit grows up as a foundling, unaware of his royal blood. But destiny isn't done with him. He learns the truth and journeys back to Sicily. When he arrives, his father doesn't recognize him. The tension is incredible—a son returning to a father who thinks he's a threat. The play wrestles with whether you can outrun a prophecy, and what happens when you try.

Why You Should Read It

What grabbed me wasn't the archaic language (this edition makes it readable), but the raw human emotions. This isn't just a 'fate vs. free will' lesson. It's about a father's fear, a son's search for belonging, and the terrible cost of a single decision made in panic. Esmoreit isn't a perfect hero; he's confused and driven by a need to know where he comes from. His father isn't a monster, just a man paralyzed by fear. Their eventual confrontation is heartbreaking. It reminds you that these characters from centuries ago wanted the same things we do: security, identity, and love from their families.

Final Verdict

This is a perfect pick for anyone curious about classic stories but intimidated by epic poems like Beowulf. It's short, the plot moves fast, and the family drama is instantly relatable. If you like Shakespeare's plays about mistaken identity and tragic flaws, you'll see where some of those ideas started. It's also great for book clubs—there's so much to discuss about parenting, fear, and whether knowing the future is a curse. Don't let the 'medieval' label scare you off. 'Esmoreit' is a powerful, compact story that proves some conflicts are truly timeless.