The saga, which unfolds over several years, kicks off in Flanders in 1568. Peasants, rebelling against Spanish rule, are sacking churches. One such gang, carrying the huge head of a statue taken from a church, stumbles onto land owned by a farmer, Nettelneck, when it's attacked by Spaniards. Only one Dutchman escapes, and after he and Nettelneck's wife make love, the result is ...
