Folklore of the Low Countries, often just referred to asDutch folklore, includes theepics,legends,fairy tales and oral traditions of the people ofBelgium, theNetherlands andLuxembourg. Traditionally this folklore is written or spoken inDutch or in one of the regional languages of these countries.
The folklore of the Low Countries encompasses the folk traditions of the Benelux countries: the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. This includes the folklore of Flanders, the Dutch-speaking northern part of Belgium,Frisia,Luxembourg andWallonia.
Many folk tales are derived from pre-Christian Gaulish and Germanic culture; as such, many are similar to French and German versions.In 1891, schoolteacher Jules Lemoine and folklorist Auguste Gittée publishedFolk Tales from the Walloon Country. They focused on strictly transcribing and translating tales from original Walloon manuscripts, mostly fromHainaut andNamur.[1] In 1918William Elliot Griffis publishedDutch Fairy Tales for Young Folks:[2] This was followed in 1919 byBelgian Fairy Tales.[3]Also in 1918, Belgian writerJean de Bosschère publishedFolk Tales of Flanders (published in English asBeasts and Men). The Belgian tale "Karl Katz" is similar to both the German folk tale "Peter Klaus" andWashington Irving's "Rip Van Winkle".Charles Deulin was a French writer, born near the Belgian border. He wrote stories based on the folk tales of the countryside.[4]The Nettle Spinner is a Flemish fairy tale later included inAndrew Lang's 1890The Red Fairy Book.
The Woman with Three Hundred and Sixty-Six Children
The Oni on His Travels
The Curly-Tailed Lion
Brabo and the Giant
The Farm that Ran Away and Came Back
Saint Nicholas(Sinterklaas) and Black Pete
The Goblins Turned to Stone
The Mouldy Penny
The Golden Helmet
When Wheat Worked Woe – a version ofLady of Stavoren, orThe Most Precious Thing in the World
Why the Stork Loves Holland
"The Little Dutch Boy" is commonly thought to be a Dutch legend or fairy tale, but is in fact a fictional story,Hans Brinker or the Silver Skates, written by American authorMary Mapes Dodge, and not known in the Netherlands as traditional folklore.[6]
Some old stories reflect the Celtic belief in the sacredness of trees.[citation needed] The oak as a venerable tree is a theme seen in the stories. InThe Princess with Twenty Petticoats, a wise old oak counsels the king; inThe Legend of the Wooden Shoe, another consoles a carpenter.
The Vrouwtje van Stavoren
Dutch folk tales from theMiddle Ages are strong on tales about flooded cities and the sea. Legends surround the sunken cities lost toepic floods in the Netherlands: FromSaint Elisabeth's Flood of 1421, comes the legend ofKinderdijk that a baby and a cat were found floating in a cradle after the city flooded, the cat keeping the cradle from tipping over. They were the only survivors of the flood. The town of Kinderdijk is named for the place where the cradle came ashore.[7] The story is told inThe Cat and the Cradle.
TheSaeftinghe legend, says that once glorious city was flooded and ruined by sea waters due to theAll Saints' flood, that was flooded in 1584, due to amermaid being captured and mistreated, and mentions thebell tower still rings. This is much like the storyThe Mermaid of Westenschouwen [nl] (Westenschouwen) which also concerns the mistreated mermaid, followed by a curse and flood.[7] In some flood legends, the church bells or clock bells of sunken cities still can be heard ringing underwater.
De Reis van Sint Brandaen (Dutch forThe Voyage of Saint Brandan) is a sort of aChristianizedOdyssey, written in the 12th century that describes the legend ofSint Brandaen, a monk from Galway, and his voyage around the world for nine years. Scholars believe the Dutch legend derived from a now lost middle High German text combined with Celtic elements from Ireland and combines Christian and fairy tale elements. The journey was begun as a punishment by an angel. The angel saw Brandaen did not believe the truth of a book on the miracles of creation and saw Brandaen throw it into the fire. The angel tells him that truth has been destroyed. On his journeys Brandaen encounters the wonders and horrors of the world, people in distant lands with swine heads, dog legs and wolf teeth carrying bows and arrows, and an enormous fish that encircles the ship by holding its tail in its mouth. The English poemLife of Saint Brandan is an English derivative.[8]
The first written folklore of the Low CountriesCarolingian romances aboutCharlemagne ("Karel" in Dutch).Karel ende Elegast (Charlemagne and Elegast) is a Middle Dutch epic poem written around the end of the 12th century or early 13th century. It is a Frankish romance ofCharlemagne ("Karel") as an exemplary Christianking and his friendElegast, whose name means "elf spirit" or "elf guest." Elegast has supernatural powers such as the ability to talk to animals and may be anElf. He lives in the forest as a thief. The two go out on an adventure and uncover and do away with Eggeric, as a traitor to Charlemagne.[9]
Van den vos Reynaerde (AboutReynard the Fox) is the Dutch version of the story of theReynard the fox byWillem, that derives and expands from the French poemRoman de Renart. However, the first fragments of the tale were found written in Belgium. It is ananthropomorphicfable of a fox,trickster. The Dutch version is considered a masterpiece, it regards the animals' attempts to bring Reynard to King Nobel's court, Reynard the fox outwits everyone in avoiding being hung on the gallows.[10] The animals in the Dutch version include: Reinaerde or Reynaerde the fox, Bruun the Bear, Tybeert the Cat, Grimbeert the badger, Nobel the lion and Cuwaert the Hare.
Dutch folklore also concerned the Christian saints and British themes of King Arthurchivalry andquests:
Biographies of Christian saints and stories ofChristian miracles were important genre in the Middle Ages. Original Dutch works of the genre are:
Het Leven van Sint Servaes (Dutch forThe Life ofSaint Servatius), was a poem written circa 1160-1170 byHendrik van Veldeke, a Limbourg nobleman, is notably the first literature on record written in Dutch. This is an adaptation of the Latin,Vita et Miracula.[11]
Beatrijs (Dutch forBeatrice), written in the last quarter of the 13th century, possibly byDiederik van Assenede [nl], is an original poem about the existing folklore of a nun who deserts her convent for the love of a man, and lives with him for seven years and has two children. When he deserts her, she becomes a prostitute to support her children. Then she learns thatMary (mother of Jesus) has been acting in her role at the convent and she can return without anyone knowing of her absence. This legend is the Dutch adaptation of the Latin,Dialogus Miraculorum of 1223 andLibri Octo Miraculorum of 1237.[12]
Mariken van Nieumeghen is an early 16th century Dutch text that tells the story of Mariken who is seduced by the devil (named Moenen). He promises to teach her all the languages of the world and the 7 arts (music, arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, grammar, logic, and rhetoric). Later she repents and performs acts of penitence.
According to Griffis, mythology ofWodan on theWild Hunt sailing through the sky, is thought to have been one of the tales that changed into tales of ChristianSinterklaas traveling the sky.[3]Zwarte Piet (Dutch for Black Pete) is his assistant.
Roman van Walewein [nl] is a notably original poem written in Dutch by two authorsPenninc [nl] andPieter Vostaert [nl][13] and is a story of Walewein (Dutch for "Gawain"), one of King Arthur's knights on a series of quests to find a magical chessboard forKing Arthur.
Lancelot is a translation from British Arthurian romance.
Perceval is a translation from British Arthurian romance.
Graalqueeste (Dutch forQuest of the Grail) is a translation from British Arthurian romance.
Arthurs Dood (Dutch forArthur's Death) is a translation from British Arthurian romance.
Folk art can also be seen in puppet and marionette theatres. The story ofGenevieve of Brabant, a virtuous wife wrongfully accused of infidelity, was first presented in 1716 inBrabant. In the mid-18th century, it became very popular among traveling puppet companies.[14]
The subject matter of the oldest Dutchfolk songs (also calledballads, popular songs or romances) is very old and can go back to ancient fairy tales and legends. In fact, apart from ancient tales embedded in the 13th century Dutch folk songs, and some evidence ofCeltic andGermanic mythology in the naming ofdays of the week and landmarks (see for example the 2nd century inscription to goddessVagdavercustis), the folk tales of the ancient Dutch people were not written down in the first written literature of the 12th century, and thus lost to us.
One of the older folk tales to be in a song isHeer Halewijn (also known as Van Here Halewijn and in English The Song of Lord Halewijn), one of the oldest Dutch folk songs to survive, from the 13th century, and is about a prototype of abluebeard. This song contains elementsmythemes of Germanic legend, notably in "a magic song" within a song, that compares to the song of the ScandinavianNix (strömkarlen), a male water spirit who played enchanted songs on the violin, luring women and children to drown.[17]
Other folk songs from the Netherlands with various origins include:The Snow-White Bird, Fivelgoer Christmas Carol, O Now this Glorious Eastertide, Who will go with me toWieringen, What Time is It andA Peasant would his Neighbor See. Folk songs from Belgium in Dutch include:All in a Stable, Maying Song ("Arise my Love, Shake off this Dream") andIn Holland Stands a House.[18]
The paintings ofPieter Brueghel the Elder fromNorth Brabant, show many other circulating folk tales, such as the legend ofDulle Griet (Mad Meg), 1562.Jheronimus Bosch (or Jeroen Bosch) is a world famous draughtsman and painter fromNorth Brabant. He painted several mythical figures that he placed in heaven or hell. Examples are the tree man, The Ears with the knife, The Devil on the chair, The Choir Devil and The Egg monster.
Flying Dutchman – a pirate and his ghost ship that can never go home, but are doomed to sail "the seven seas" forever; note this legend originated in England theater; according to some sources, the 17th century Dutch captainBernard Fokke is the model for the captain
Giant Brothers Dan, Toen, Ooit and Nu – Many stories exist around these 4 giants. They enjoy national fame through the premiere amusement park 'Land van Ooit'.
Governor of ever – a fictional character in the Langstraat region
Hugo van den Loonsche Duynen, the leader of a legendary gang called "The buckriders". Hugo is also one of the main characters in "Villa volta", a madhouse ride in themepark "The Efteling".
Jan Klaassen – a trumpet player from the army from the villageAndel
Jan van Hunks – alleged Dutch pirate whose soul was taken by the devil after beating the devil at pipe-smoking contest onTable Mountain, andDevil's Peak (Cape Town), South Africa. Whenever a cloud appears of Table Mountain it is said that van Hunks and the devil are at it again.
Jarpisser – a historical figure from the city of Tilburg who collects his urine in a jar for the ammonia
Jokie de Pretneus – the fictional jester famous of the cartoons inThe Netherlands andBelgium
Knight Granite – a strong fictional Knight from the Langstraat region
The Gang of Oss – a real robber gang was active from 1888 until 1934. The gang is mostly romanticized in theNorth Brabant and some compare it withRobin Hood's gang
Pier Gerlofs Donia "Grutte Pier" – a Frisian pirate and freedom fighter (known for wielding a 2.15 meter sword, and able to behead several enemies at the same time), who was around 7.5 feet in tall
Reintje The Fox orReinaart the fox – a fox from fables, fairy tales, rhymes and songs; a statue stands in Zealand, in the town of Hulst
Saint Radboud – bishop of Utrecht from 900 to 917, grandson of the last King of the Frisians
Saint-Jutte – a fictional saint; the priest of Breda said: "Carnival will return to Breda during the Mass of Saint Jutte," which actually meant that it would 'never' come back.
Tuisto (Tuisco) – the mythical ancestor of all Germanic tribes
Thyl Uylenspiegel – 1867 novel by Charles De Coster recounts the adventures of a Flemish prankster during the Reformation wars in the Netherlands
Walewein (Dutch for "Gawain") – a knight in Arthurian legend
Witte Wieven - stories of "wise women" date back at least to the 600s. In some places they were known as Juffers or Joffers ("ladies"). Historically, the witte wieven are thought to be wise women, herbalists and medicine healers.
Oberon 'King of Elves'Brabo and thegiant's hand; sculpture in theGrote Markt, AntwerpKlaas VaakLange Wapper,Het Steen in Antwerp
Alves – Small nature spirits or earth men; according to the myths they would live on the surface; usually they are shown squatting and walking on hands and feet.
Beeldwit – a good witch without evil intentions; mostly found on wheat fields
Elves – female winged light spirits originating from Germanic and Norwegian mythology.Moss Maidens were known as tree spirits or wood elves.
Gnomes – dwarf-like beings who instruct the kabouters in smithing and construction. They design the firstcarillons (groups of bells) of the Netherlands – fromThe Kabouters and the Bells[19]
Goblins – or sooty elves, have both dwarf and goblin traits, fromThe Goblins Turned to Stone[19]
Kabouter – (Dutch forgnome) short, strong workers. They build the firstcarillons (groups of bells) of the Netherlands – fromThe Kabouters and the Bells[19]
Nuton - (Walloon forKabouter but with similar linguistic roots tolutin). Nutons share the same origins as elves, but caves, caverns and underground tunnels form the bulk of their habitat according to local folklore, more alike to the dwarves of the Germanic world.
Lange Wapper (also known locally as the "Longue Schlongue") is a Flemish legendary giant and trickster whose folk tales were told especially in the city of Antwerp and its neighbouring towns.
The Mark – a night demon ofWalloon areas of Belgium and Flander's borders
Mara – from Scandinavian countries, a malignant female wraith who causes nightmares
Macralle – Macralle is a word fromLiège Walloon designing a witch. Also a malignant female, she is said to be responsible for many painfull events, such as winter.
Grogigroeber – In Luxembourgish folklore, Grogigroeber is traditionally depicted as possessing an unusually large phallus as a result of a pact with the mythical beingKabouter an attribute often interpreted symbolically in the context of fertility or masculine strength within regional traditions
Nightmares – female horses who sit on people's bellies at night after they've eaten toasted cheese; female goblins in their true form; fromThe Goblins Turned to Stone[19]
Ossaert – a mocking water spirit – invented by adults to keep children safely away from water
Waterwolf – an example of animalisation (link lifeless things to a dangerous animal). The rough waves from the sea, which is a constant threat to the low country, is given the name 'Waterwolf'.
Werewolf – the Germanic and Norwegian variant of the Greek Lycan; the Werewolf would need the full moon to change shape. There are stories about Werewolfs in the towns ofLoosbroek andVught.[20] In some stories a connection is made with theBeeldwit.
Witte Wieven (dialectal, meaning "white women") – similar tovölva, herbalists and wise women
Dekker, Ton; Kooi, Jurjen van der; Meder, Theo, eds. (1997).Van Aladdin tot Zwaan kleef aan. Lexicon van sprookjes: ontstaan, ontwikkeling, variaties (in Dutch). Kritak: Sun.
Kooi, Jurjen van der (1984).Volksverhalen inFriesland: lectuur en mondelinge overlevering: een typencatalogus (in Dutch). Stichting Ffyrug/Stichting Sasland.
Meder, Theo.Dutch folk narrative. Meertens Instituut, Amsterdam. File retrieved 3-11-2007.
Meijer, Reinder.Literature of the Low Countries: A Short History of Dutch Literature in the Netherlands and Belgium. New York: Twayne Publishers, Inc., 1971.
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