Dutch Mythology

Wylde Wrigge

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Tradition: Dutch Mythology
Alternative Names: Wilde Wrigge, Wild Wrigge
Category: Ghost

The Myth

Wylde Wrigge is an evil spirit from Frisian folklore that perversely rewards wicked people with wealth. Rather than punishing them directly, the spirit makes bad people rich so that they become even more godless and ultimately more miserable. Its gifts are therefore a form of spiritual corruption, turning apparent good fortune into a source of moral decline and unhappiness.

The spirit is invoked in a traditional Frisian expression about someone who has become rich through sheer luck: “All his fortune was thrown through the window by the Wylde Wrigge.” The saying reflects the belief that sudden, undeserved wealth may not be a blessing at all, but the work of a malevolent supernatural force seeking to lead its beneficiaries further into wickedness.

Sources

Van der Veen, Abe. “Van aardmannetje tot zwarte juffer: Een lijst van Nederlandse en Vlaamse elfen en geesten.” Abe de Verteller. https://abedeverteller.nl/van-aardmannetje-tot-zwarte-juffer-een-lijst-van-nederlandse-en-vlaamse-elfen-en-geesten/

Vurige Landmeter

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Tradition: Dutch Mythology
Alternative Names: Fiery Land Surveyor
Category: Ghost

The Myth

The Vurige Landmeter, or Fiery Land Surveyor, is a wandering spirit in Dutch folklore. It is the ghost of someone who moved a boundary stone or marker to alter the boundaries of a property. As punishment for this dishonest act, the spirit is condemned to wander eternally while carrying the stone on its back, unable to find rest.

Those who encounter the ghost may hear it lamenting, “Where shall I put it?” A person who knows the legend can answer, “Just put it back where you took it from!” By following this advice, the spirit can return the boundary stone to its original position and finally be released from its wandering. The tale serves as a supernatural warning against tampering with property boundaries and emphasizes that a wrongfully moved marker must be restored before the guilty soul can find peace.

Sources

Van der Veen, Abe. “Van aardmannetje tot zwarte juffer: Een lijst van Nederlandse en Vlaamse elfen en geesten.” Abe de Verteller. https://abedeverteller.nl/van-aardmannetje-tot-zwarte-juffer-een-lijst-van-nederlandse-en-vlaamse-elfen-en-geesten/

Nachtridders

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Tradition: Dutch Mythology
Alternative Names: Nacht ridders, Night Riders
Category: Ghost

The Myth

The Nachtridders are supernatural beings described in Dutch folklore as spirits or devils that create flames in the sky. According to the folklorist Buddingh, they ride horses through the air and regularly engage in battles with one another high above the ground. Their appearance was associated with mysterious aerial phenomena and fiery displays that could be seen in the night sky.

Sources

Van der Veen, Abe. “Van aardmannetje tot zwarte juffer: Een lijst van Nederlandse en Vlaamse elfen en geesten.” Abe de Verteller. https://abedeverteller.nl/van-aardmannetje-tot-zwarte-juffer-een-lijst-van-nederlandse-en-vlaamse-elfen-en-geesten/

Blauwe Gerrit

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Tradition: Dutch Mythology
Alternative Names: Blauw Garrit, Blue Gerrit
Category: Ghost

The Myth

Blauwe Gerrit, whose name means Blue Gerrit, is a mysterious spirit from Gelderland in the Netherlands. He is known for invisibly climbing onto carts and horses, preventing them from moving forward. When he reveals himself, he is described as having glowing eyes and wearing a fluttering, luminous blue cloak that makes him a striking and unsettling apparition.

Despite his frightening appearance, Blauwe Gerrit can act as a protector of the vulnerable. In one tale, a young girl was threatened with abduction by a predatory knight. Blauwe Gerrit secretly climbed onto the knight’s horse, causing the animal to refuse to move no matter how much the rider tried to make it go forward. Eventually, the knight dismounted to investigate. At that moment, Blauwe Gerrit leapt onto the knight’s neck, rendering him completely unable to move.

The spirit forced the knight to remain outside in the freezing cold for the entire night, giving the girl an opportunity to escape. The story portrays Blauwe Gerrit as a supernatural figure who uses his strange power over horses and people to obstruct wrongdoing and protect those in danger.

Sources

Van der Veen, Abe. “Van aardmannetje tot zwarte juffer: Een lijst van Nederlandse en Vlaamse elfen en geesten.” Abe de Verteller. https://abedeverteller.nl/van-aardmannetje-tot-zwarte-juffer-een-lijst-van-nederlandse-en-vlaamse-elfen-en-geesten/

Zwaardman

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Tradition: Dutch Mythology, Belgian Mythology
Alternative Names: Zwaardman
Category: Ghost

The Myth

The Zwaardman is the ghost of a knight who wanders the earth carrying a flaming sword. In life, he was a proud and wrathful man whose arrogance led him to commit a terrible crime: he murdered a priest inside a church while the priest was celebrating Mass. For this sacrilege, he received a dreadful punishment that continued beyond death.

As divine punishment for his crime, the knight’s castle sank into the ground, and his spirit was condemned to wander forever. Unable to find rest, the Zwaardman haunts the places associated with his legend, appearing as a ghostly knight wielding a sword engulfed in flames.

Stories of the Zwaardman are told in several places, including Uithuizermeeden, Maaseik, Bergeijk, and Sint-Pieters-Rode near Brussels. His legend warns of the terrible consequences of pride, violence, and the murder of a holy man.

Sources

Van der Veen, Abe. “Van aardmannetje tot zwarte juffer: Een lijst van Nederlandse en Vlaamse elfen en geesten.” Abe de Verteller. https://abedeverteller.nl/van-aardmannetje-tot-zwarte-juffer-een-lijst-van-nederlandse-en-vlaamse-elfen-en-geesten/

Gloeiige

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Tradition: Dutch Mythology
Alternative Names: De Glène Kerel, De Gloeiige Man, Gloeiende Gerrit, Gleunigen, Glende Kerels, Sjoufert
Category: Ghost

The Myth

The Gloeiige is a fiery ghostly apparition that appears as a living flame, a fireball, or a blazing projectile. Sometimes it takes the shape of a burning bundle of straw or a flaming thatch of roofing. These spirits are the restless souls of people who brought a curse upon themselves during their lives, particularly unjust land surveyors and arsonists, but also thieves and murderers. Many had sworn false oaths, declaring, “May I burn forever if I lie.” After death, they were condemned to fulfil their own terrible curses, doomed to burn as fiery apparitions.

The Gloeiigen are dangerous spirits that may be summoned by calling or whistling for them. Anyone who calls one and then flees may discover a blackened handprint burned onto their door the following morning. In autumn, the fiery spirits descend from the sky and lash chimneys with their blazing chains. Sometimes they enter houses themselves, striking sinners with their chains and leaving painful brands upon their bodies.

In Venlo, the inhabitants were said to have to provide the Gloeiige with an annual offering consisting of a cartload of sand, a pair of tin shoes, and seven and a half stuivers. These strange demands reflect the spirit’s fearsome place in local tradition, where the souls of those who had sworn false oaths or committed serious wrongs continued to suffer through fire after death.

Sources

Van der Veen, Abe. “Van aardmannetje tot zwarte juffer: Een lijst van Nederlandse en Vlaamse elfen en geesten.” Abe de Verteller. https://abedeverteller.nl/van-aardmannetje-tot-zwarte-juffer-een-lijst-van-nederlandse-en-vlaamse-elfen-en-geesten/

Lange Man

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Tradition: Belgian Mythology, Dutch Mythology
Alternative Names: Lange Man
Category: Ghost

The Myth

The Lange Man is a tall, black apparition shaped like a human figure. Rather than walking, he glides above the ground with his legs held tightly together, his neck stiff and his arms hanging limply at his sides. Despite his frightening appearance, he is said to protect people who travel late at night.

In Maastricht, the Lange Man is said to emerge from a cellar opening during the night before growing to a height greater than the surrounding houses. He peers through people’s windows and knocks on the highest panes of glass, towering over the buildings as he moves through the darkness. He can also transform himself into an old woman or a large, rolling ball, making his appearance unpredictable and unsettling.

Despite his occasional protective role, the Lange Man is also regarded as a harbinger of disease. His nocturnal appearances and strange transformations are signs that illness may soon come to the people who encounter him.

Sources

Van der Veen, Abe. “Van aardmannetje tot zwarte juffer: Een lijst van Nederlandse en Vlaamse elfen en geesten.” Abe de Verteller. https://abedeverteller.nl/van-aardmannetje-tot-zwarte-juffer-een-lijst-van-nederlandse-en-vlaamse-elfen-en-geesten/

Houwvrouw

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Tradition: Dutch Mythology, Belgian Mythology
Alternative Names: Meltevrouw, Barende Vrouw, Varende Vrouw, Dolvrouw, Bontevrouw, Windsbruid, Winddrolle
Category: Ghost

The Myth

The Houwvrouw is a mysterious female wind spirit said to appear on hot summer days above the Afferdsche heath in Limburg. She can be seen in the shimmering waves of heated air, twisting and spinning as she travels through the sky. As she moves, she carries away everything light enough to be swept up by the wind. After her journey, she rests in an underground dwelling belonging to Aart with the Grey Beard, king of the gnomes, and Wieland the Smith, king of the little elves.

In Belgian Limburg, the Houwvrouw is described as a powerful storm wind that uproots and overturns sheaves of grain, carrying them several metres into the air. Her appearance may take the form of a sudden downpour, a whirlwind, or a swirling gust of wind that sweeps across the land. Farmers fear the destruction she can cause as she tears through fields and scatters their harvest.

The names Houwvrouw and Meltevrouw both mean “marrying woman.” One explanation suggests that people may have interpreted the wind as a sign of a marriage between heaven and earth, as it rises into the sky before descending again. In this way, the Houwvrouw embodies the mysterious and destructive power of the wind, appearing as a supernatural woman whose passage can transform a peaceful summer landscape into a swirling storm.

Sources

Van der Veen, Abe. “Van aardmannetje tot zwarte juffer: Een lijst van Nederlandse en Vlaamse elfen en geesten.” Abe de Verteller. https://abedeverteller.nl/van-aardmannetje-tot-zwarte-juffer-een-lijst-van-nederlandse-en-vlaamse-elfen-en-geesten/

Bornes

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Tradition: Dutch Mythology
Alternative Names: The Bornes, Bornius Ghost
Category: Ghost

The Myth

Bornes is an evil spirit from Zeeland, said to be the wandering soul of a cruel steward belonging to the Bornius family. After death, his restless spirit continued to roam the countryside around Hulst, bringing an ominous presence to the area. He was sometimes associated with the water, where his malevolent nature made him a feared supernatural being.

Bornes is accompanied by a black dog with flaming eyes, a terrifying companion that follows him as he wanders through the darkness. The sight of the ghost and his fiery-eyed hound was a dreadful omen, warning those who encountered them of the spirit’s sinister nature.

Once every hundred years, Bornes reveals his most terrifying form as he races through the night in a blazing carriage. Surrounded by fire, he rushes across the landscape in a supernatural frenzy, bringing terror to anyone unfortunate enough to witness his passage.

Sources

Van der Veen, Abe. “Van aardmannetje tot zwarte juffer: Een lijst van Nederlandse en Vlaamse elfen en geesten.” Abe de Verteller. https://abedeverteller.nl/van-aardmannetje-tot-zwarte-juffer-een-lijst-van-nederlandse-en-vlaamse-elfen-en-geesten/

Zwarte Juffer

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Tradition: Dutch Mythology
Alternative Names: Zwarte Wijven, Zwarte Vrouwen, Sokkeraaiwiefke
Category: Ghost

The Myth

The Zwarte Juffer is a malevolent female spirit known in regional traditions of Groningen, Friesland, Twente, and the Veluwe in the Netherlands. She appears as a mourning woman dressed entirely in black, with an apron pulled over her head to conceal her face. She hides beneath hedges or inside alder bushes, emerging from the shadows to frighten travellers who pass by.

The Zwarte Juffer is said to float along roads and bring misfortune to those who encounter her. She may push people off the road or cause their horses to freeze in place, unable to move. Her presence turns an ordinary journey into a terrifying experience, as travellers find themselves helpless before the mysterious figure.

Seeing the Zwarte Juffer is considered a terrible omen. Anyone who encounters her can expect someone from their immediate family to die soon. Her black clothing and mourning appearance announce death before it occurs, making her a feared apparition associated with grief, bad fortune, and the approach of a family tragedy.

Sources

Van der Veen, Abe. “Van aardmannetje tot zwarte juffer: Een lijst van Nederlandse en Vlaamse elfen en geesten.” Abe de Verteller. https://abedeverteller.nl/van-aardmannetje-tot-zwarte-juffer-een-lijst-van-nederlandse-en-vlaamse-elfen-en-geesten/