Dutch Mythology

Gries Gat

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Tradition / Region: Dutch Mythology
Alternate Names: Zwartgat
Category: Dog

The Myth

In the regions around Soest and Slichtenhorst in Utrecht, people once told of a frightening apparition known as Gries Gat.

He was said to appear as a large, ugly, grey beast, most often in the form of a dog. His ears were long, and his eyes were enormous, round as saucers, glowing in the dark. Those who met him rarely did so by choice, for he was known to follow travelers on lonely roads.

If a person walked at night and sensed something behind them, it might be Gries Gat. Should they quicken their pace, the creature would do the same. If they broke into a run, he would keep behind them still, never attacking but never leaving, driving them onward in fear.

There was said to be only one way to trick him. A traveler could shout, “Here I am, and there’s another one behind you!” At that moment, Gries Gat would vanish from behind and suddenly appear at the person’s back instead, as though he had leapt through the air in an instant.

The spirit was often used to frighten children into obedience, a warning of what might follow them if they wandered alone after dark.

Sometimes, it was said, Gries Gat did not haunt the roads alone. On certain nights he was seen in the company of another spirit called Tuutmut, the two of them roaming together through the fields and paths.

So Gries Gat was remembered as a stalking presence of the night — a grey dog-shaped ghost that followed the unwary, never striking, but never letting them forget it was there.

Gallery

Sources

Abe de Verteller. (n.d.). Van aardmannetje tot zwarte juffer: Een lijst van Nederlandse en Vlaamse elfen en geesten. In abedeverteller.nl, from https://abedeverteller.nl/van-aardmannetje-tot-zwarte-juffer-een-lijst-van-nederlandse-en-vlaamse-elfen-en-geesten/

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Flodder

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Tradition / Region: Dutch Mythology
Alternate Names: Flodderduvel
Category: Dog

The Myth

In parts of Noord-Brabant and Zuid-Holland, people once spoke of a lurking spirit known as the Flodder.

He was said to haunt ditches, dikes, ponds, and marshy places, watching from the edges of the water and waiting for someone to pass by alone at night. When the moment was right, the spirit would leap onto the traveler’s back. He wrapped his claws around the victim’s shoulders and forced himself to be carried.

Once he had mounted a person, he could not be thrown off. No matter how hard the victim struggled, the creature clung fast, growing heavier and heavier with every step. Sometimes the Flodder showed himself as a black dog, other times as a cat or even a calf. Often, however, he remained unseen, and the traveler felt only the crushing weight on their back.

Those burdened by him said they could feel wet, frog-like limbs tightening around their neck, and at times the creature would lick their face with a cold, clammy tongue. The victim had no choice but to stagger onward until they reached home, arriving soaked, shaking, and utterly exhausted from carrying the spirit’s weight.

Because of his cruel nature and his power to drag people toward water, many believed the Flodder to be a form taken by the devil himself.

One tale tells of a local officer who boasted that he would capture the creature. He stood beside a brook, watching and waiting, when suddenly he felt an unseen weight drop onto his shoulders. Slowly but irresistibly, the force pushed him downward. Step by step he was driven toward the water, until he was forced into the stream and drowned there.

So the Flodder was remembered as a lurking spirit of wet places — sometimes seen as a black dog, sometimes invisible — waiting for the lonely traveler to pass within reach.

Gallery

Sources

Abe de Verteller. (n.d.). Van aardmannetje tot zwarte juffer: Een lijst van Nederlandse en Vlaamse elfen en geesten. In abedeverteller.nl, from https://abedeverteller.nl/van-aardmannetje-tot-zwarte-juffer-een-lijst-van-nederlandse-en-vlaamse-elfen-en-geesten/

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Bellenman

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Tradition / Region: Dutch Mythology
Alternate Names: —
Category: Dog

The Myth

In the provinces of Noord-Brabant and Limburg, people once spoke of a night spirit known as the Bellenman.

He was said to take the form of a hideous dog or a wolf-like creature, sometimes described as almost a werewolf. Around his neck hung a bell, and chains dragged along his body. Even when he could not be seen, people claimed they could hear the rattling of iron and the dull ringing that announced his presence in the darkness.

The Bellenman was most often encountered by those walking alone at night. Travelers would suddenly sense that something was following them. Footsteps would sound behind them, or the noise of chains would scrape along the road. If they turned, they might see nothing — or only a shadowy shape keeping pace just beyond sight.

He did not usually attack. Instead, he followed his victim silently, driving them forward in fear. The spirit would pursue a person all the way to their door, only stopping once they had reached their home. Then the sounds would cease, and the night would fall quiet again.

Because he was often invisible, many believed the Bellenman belonged more to the world of ghosts than to that of living beasts — a restless presence that wandered the roads after dark, heard before he was ever seen.

And so those who traveled late at night were warned to listen carefully, for the faint ringing of a bell or the dragging of chains might mean that the Bellenman had begun to follow.

Gallery

Sources

Abe de Verteller. (n.d.). Van aardmannetje tot zwarte juffer: Een lijst van Nederlandse en Vlaamse elfen en geesten. In abedeverteller.nl, from https://abedeverteller.nl/van-aardmannetje-tot-zwarte-juffer-een-lijst-van-nederlandse-en-vlaamse-elfen-en-geesten/

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Waterreus

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Tradition / Region: Dutch Mythology
Alternate Names: none recorded
Category: Mermaid, Shapeshifter

The Myth

Along the coast near Scheveningen, people once spoke of a being who rose from the sea and wandered near the shore. From above the water he appeared as a handsome young man, fair-faced and strong, so beautiful that any girl who saw him might fall in love at once. Yet those who knew the tale warned that beneath the surface he was no man at all, but a sea-being with the tail of a fish.

It was said that if a girl truly wished to keep him in the world of humans, there was only one way. She had to draw the sign of the cross upon his forehead three times. If she succeeded, the water spirit would lose his sea-form and become fully human, bound to live on land.

Because of this tale, the people of the coast spoke of such beings as water giants, or waterreuzen, and the name came to be used for others of their kind. They remained figures of both longing and caution — beautiful strangers from the sea, who might be turned into husbands, if only the right sign were made before they slipped back beneath the waves.

Gallery

Sources

abedeverteller.nl contributors. (n.d.). Van aardmannetje tot zwarte juffer: Een lijst van Nederlandse en Vlaamse elfen en geesten. In abedeverteller.nl, from https://abedeverteller.nl/van-aardmannetje-tot-zwarte-juffer-een-lijst-van-nederlandse-en-vlaamse-elfen-en-geesten/

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Zeeridder

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Tradition / Region: Dutch Mythology
Alternate Names: Sea Knight
Category: Mermaid

The Myth

In the year 1305, fishermen sailing on the open sea off the coast of Friesland made a strange capture. In their nets they found not a fish nor a beast, but a figure shaped like a man — a knight of the sea.

He appeared clad in armor, wearing a helmet as though he had come from battle beneath the waves. At first glance he seemed handsome, with a great moustache and thick flowing hair. But when the fishermen looked closer, they saw that both hair and moustache were made not of human strands, but of seaweed, tangled and dripping with saltwater.

The Sea Knight made no attempt to resist, yet neither did he speak. He refused all food and drink, answering no question and uttering no sound. Silent and unmoving, he was taken ashore and brought from town to town across Friesland, where crowds gathered to see the strange being drawn from the depths.

For three weeks he was displayed in villages and cities, a wonder of the sea and a mystery no one could explain. But he never spoke, never ate, and never gave any sign of life beyond his silent presence.

At last, in the town of Dokkum, the Sea Knight died.

And with his death, whatever secret he carried from the depths of the ocean died with him, leaving only the story of the armored man of the sea who had once been hauled from the waters and walked, briefly and silently, among the people of Friesland.

Gallery

Sources

abedeverteller.nl contributors. (n.d.). Van aardmannetje tot zwarte juffer: Een lijst van Nederlandse en Vlaamse elfen en geesten. In abedeverteller.nl, from https://abedeverteller.nl/van-aardmannetje-tot-zwarte-juffer-een-lijst-van-nederlandse-en-vlaamse-elfen-en-geesten/

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Toornmannetje

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Tradition / Region: Dutch Mythology
Alternate Names: Torenmannetjes
Category: Gnome, House dweller

The Myth

In the village of Onstwedde it was once said that small beings lived high in the church tower. These were the Toornmantjes, also called the Torenmannetjes — kabouters who were anything but harmless. From their place in the tower they watched the surrounding land, and when angered, they brought misfortune down upon the fields. Hail would suddenly fall from a clear sky, crops would fail, and farmers would stare helplessly at ruined harvests. Chickens vanished from coops in the night, taken silently, as if by unseen hands.

The Toornmantjes were not creatures of constant malice. Like many spirits of the land, they were deeply sensitive to how humans treated them. If respected, they could be helpful, quietly assisting a household or sparing a farmer from loss. But if insulted, ignored, or disturbed, their anger showed itself swiftly and without mercy.

One farmer learned this the hard way. While working his land, he found a small porcelain figurine and thought it charming. He took it home and placed it on the mantelpiece above the hearth. From that moment on, everything in the house began to go wrong. Illness spread among the family, accidents followed one another, and no effort seemed able to restore peace.

Desperate, the farmer called for the priest. The moment the priest saw the figurine, he understood. It was no harmless ornament — it was a Toornmannetje. By removing it from its place and bringing it into the house, the farmer had offended the tower spirits and drawn their wrath upon himself.

The warning passed down in Onstwedde was clear: these little men are not to be mocked or mishandled. Treat them with care, and they may help you. Cross them, and they will answer with hunger, sickness, and ruin. The Toornmantjes remember every slight — and from their tower, they do not forget.

Gallery

Sources

Abe de Verteller contributors. (n.d.). Van aardmannetje tot zwarte juffer: Een lijst van Nederlandse en Vlaamse elfen en geesten. In Abe de Verteller, from https://abedeverteller.nl/van-aardmannetje-tot-zwarte-juffer-een

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Kyrië

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Tradition / Region: Dutch Mythology
Alternate Names: —
Category: Gnome

The Myth

In the Kempen, people once spoke of Kyrië, the king of all kabouters. His name meant “lord,” and he ruled over the little folk from within a kabouterberg hidden in one of the ancient burial mounds on the heath near Hoogeloon. From this mound, Kyrië was said to watch over his people and the land they inhabited, maintaining the quiet balance between humans and the hidden world beneath the earth.

One day, tragedy struck. A hunter, unaware of whom he faced, wounded Kyrië and killed him. Soon after, a mournful cry echoed across the heath, a voice filled with grief calling out: “Kyrië is dood! Kyrië is dood!” The lament was taken up by the kabouters themselves, mourning the loss of their lord.

After Kyrië’s death, the kabouters vanished. It was said that all of them left the Kempen, abandoning their hills and hidden homes forever. From that moment on, the burial mounds grew silent, and the land lost the unseen presence that had once dwelled beneath it. To this day, the story explains why the kabouters no longer walk the Kempen heath—and why the hills feel emptier than they once did.

Gallery

Sources

Abe de Verteller contributors. (n.d.). Van aardmannetje tot zwarte juffer: Een lijst van Nederlandse en Vlaamse elfen en geesten. In Abe de Verteller, from https://abedeverteller.nl/van-aardmannetje-tot-zwarte-juffer-een-lijst-van-nederlandse-en-vlaamse-elfen-en-geesten/

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Zwartbaardkabouter

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Tradition / Region: Dutch Mythology
Alternate Names: —
Category: Gnome

The Myth

Deep in the Veluwe, near Vierhouten, rises the Bonenberg, a hill long believed to be home to the Zwartbaardkabouters—kabouters with dark, black beards who dwell beneath the earth. On certain nights, when the world above is asleep, they are said to emerge and dance in circles around a great fire burning on the mountain.

The Bonenberg itself bears signs of their presence. Its slopes are lush and thick with unusually large plants, nourished by an underground lake and warmed by the hidden heat of the kabouters’ fire below. This unnatural fertility marks the hill as no ordinary place.

Once, a young girl wandering at night saw the fire blazing on the mountain. Drawn by curiosity rather than fear, she approached and asked the kabouters for a few glowing coals. They agreed and let her take some home. But when she reached her house and looked again, the coals had turned into lumps of gold.

Since then, the Bonenberg has been remembered as a place of secret wealth and hidden life, where black-bearded kabouters dance by firelight and where a simple request, made at the right moment, can be rewarded beyond all expectation.

Gallery

Sources

Abe de Verteller contributors. (n.d.). Van aardmannetje tot zwarte juffer: Een lijst van Nederlandse en Vlaamse elfen en geesten. In Abe de Verteller, from https://abedeverteller.nl/van-aardmannetje-tot-zwarte-juffer-een-lijst-van-nederlandse-en-vlaamse-elfen-en-geesten/

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Woutermannetje

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Tradition / Region: Dutch Mythology
Alternate Names: Woatermankes, Woudhermannekens, Wouterkens
Category: Gnome, Forest dweller

The Myth

On the island of Ameland, people once spoke—half in fear, half in warning—of the Woutermannetjes, tiny man-like beings who lived among the dunes and in the nearby woods. They were said to come out at night, when paths were quiet and travelers were alone.

Those who wandered after dark risked an unpleasant encounter. The Woutermannetjes would creep close and prick walkers in the legs with pins, or, as later told to children, bite their legs without being seen. The pain was sudden and sharp, leaving the victim frightened and confused, never quite sure what had struck them.

Children, especially, were warned about them. Parents would say: “Be careful, or the woatermankes will take you away.” In this way, the little beings became part of everyday discipline and night-time fear, lurking just beyond the dunes or trees.

What the Woutermannetjes truly were was never entirely clear. Some believed their name came from water, making them spirits of wet ground and dunes. Others thought it came from woud—the forest—making them woodland beings. Older traditions blur the distinction even further. In earlier centuries, similar creatures were described as house spirits, helpers and tricksters who lived close to humans, while at the same time being linked to fauns or wild spirits of nature.

Thus the Woutermannetjes stood on a boundary: between house and wilderness, safety and fear, water and wood. Small, unseen, and sharp-toothed or sharp-pinned, they remained figures used to explain night terrors, restless dunes, and the uneasy feeling of being watched when walking alone after dark.

Gallery

Sources

Abe de Verteller contributors. (n.d.). Van aardmannetje tot zwarte juffer: Een lijst van Nederlandse en Vlaamse elfen en geesten. In Abe de Verteller, from https://abedeverteller.nl/van-aardmannetje-tot-zwarte-juffer-een-lijst-van-nederlandse-en-vlaamse-elfen-en-geesten/

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Sommeltje

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Tradition / Region: Dutch Mythology
Alternate Names: –
Category: Gnome

The Myth

On Texel, among the dunes and old burial mounds, people long believed in the Sommeltjes—small earth spirits no taller than a child’s waist. Their home was said to be the Sommeltjesberg, a grassy burial hill near the village of De Waal, where they hid their treasures beneath the sand and danced together in the moonlight.

The Sommeltjes lived only by night. Sunlight was deadly to them: if caught by the sun’s rays, they would turn to stone. Because of this, they slept hidden beneath dunes, hills, and pits during the day. At night they emerged silently, moving like shadows over sand and grass. They could make themselves invisible and slip into houses through the smallest cracks or openings.

They loved shining objects above all else. Copper kettles, silver coins, and anything that gleamed might vanish overnight. Yet the Sommeltjes were not purely thieves. Sometimes a stolen kettle would return, polished until it shone like new, and filled with food or drink—as if to remind people that the spirits were capricious rather than cruel.

On Wieringen, they were also said to live in a hollow known as the Sammeltjeskuil, where small clay pipes—sammeltjespiipkes—were found. These tiny pipes were believed to be used by the Sommeltjes themselves when they gathered at night to smoke and whisper beneath the stars.

Children were warned to behave, lest the Sommeltjes come creeping out of the hill to take them. At the same time, parents told their young ones that newborn babies were brought by the Sommeltjes, carried secretly through the dunes under cover of darkness.

Neither fully kind nor fully malicious, the Sommeltjes belonged to the land itself—spirits of sand, moonlight, and buried things. To respect the dunes was to remain safe; to mock or challenge the little night-folk was to invite loss, fear, or stone-cold silence.

Gallery

Sources

Abe de Verteller contributors. (n.d.). Van aardmannetje tot zwarte juffer: Een lijst van Nederlandse en Vlaamse elfen en geesten. In Abe de Verteller, from https://abedeverteller.nl/van-aardmannetje-tot-zwarte-juffer-een-lijst-van-nederlandse-en-vlaamse-elfen-en-geesten/

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