Fearremantsje

October 15, 2026 by cazzy99

Tradition: Dutch Mythology
Alternative Names: Verenmannetje, Jantsje mei de fearren, Wietske mei de fearren
Category: Ghost

The Myth

Fearremantsje, also known as Verenmannetje, is a ghostly being said to haunt the cornfields around Twizel in Friesland, the Netherlands. Its name is associated with feathers, and it is also known by the names Jantsje mei de fearren and Wietske mei de fearren. No precise description of its appearance is recorded, leaving its form mysterious.

Adults used Fearremantsje as a frightening figure to scare children, warning them of the ghost lurking among the corn. The idea of a spirit hidden in the field made the familiar agricultural landscape seem dangerous and uncanny, particularly to children who might otherwise wander into the crops.

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/

Kilekanen

October 15, 2026 by cazzy99

Tradition: Dutch Mythology
Alternative Names: Kilekammen, Wâlmûzen, Tientoanen
Category: Ghost

The Myth

Kilekanen are frightening supernatural beings from Frisian tradition, particularly associated with the villages of Menaam and Minnertsga in Friesland, the Netherlands. Adults used stories about these ghosts to frighten children into returning indoors before darkness fell. Children were warned that if they stayed outside after nightfall, the Kilekanen would come and seize them.

Similar beings appear under different names in other parts of Friesland. In Suwâld, comparable creatures are called the Wâlmûzen, while in the Bildt region they are known as the Tientoanen. Their precise appearance and supernatural abilities are not described, as their main role in local tradition was to frighten children away from staying outdoors after dark.

Sources

Slepers

October 15, 2026 by cazzy99

Tradition: Dutch Mythology
Alternative Names: De Slepers
Category: Ghost

The Myth

The Slepers are two ghostly sailors who haunt the Sleperspad, a road between Nes and Ballum on the island of Ameland in the Netherlands. They appear at night, dragging a headless corpse behind them. The terrifying procession wanders along the lonely path, repeating a grim task from which the two spirits can never escape.

The corpse they drag is their former captain, whom they murdered. After committing the crime, the sailors discovered that they could never rid themselves of his body. Bound to their victim by their terrible deed, they are condemned to drag him behind them forever. Their endless nocturnal wandering serves as a punishment for their murder, leaving them trapped in an eternal cycle of guilt and torment.

Sources

Wildeman

October 12, 2026 by cazzy99

Tradition: Dutch Mythology
Alternative Names: Wild Man, Wilde Man
Category: Forest Dweller

The Myth

The Wildeman is a wild, powerful humanoid who lives alone in the depths of the forest. His entire body is covered in thick hair, and he behaves in a savage, uncontrolled manner. He usually wears little clothing, with an apron of oak leaves around his waist and a wreath of leaves around his head. In his hand, he carries a heavy club or an uprooted young tree, which serves as a weapon and a symbol of his immense strength. Despite his uncivilized appearance and wild behavior, the Wildeman is not necessarily evil and may possess a noble heart.

In an Overijssel fairy tale, the Wildeman is portrayed as an extraordinarily strong and uncivilized savage who lives alone in the woods. Despite his rough nature, he helps his brother marry a princess, demonstrating that kindness and loyalty can exist beneath his fearsome exterior. The Wildeman also appears in the sixteenth-century Dutch prose romance of Malegijs. In this tale, the enchantress Oriande discovers a Wildeman on an island. After she shaves him, he is revealed to be a handsome man. He eventually marries the fairy Crisiole in the mountain of the elves.

The Wildeman also appears in heraldry, where his powerful, untamed figure serves as a symbol on coats of arms. He is represented in the heraldic traditions of cities including Sneek, ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Antwerp, and Bergen op Zoom. Occasionally, a wild woman appears alongside or in place of him. Through these stories and representations, the Wildeman embodies the untamed strength of the wilderness, while his occasional acts of loyalty and nobility reveal a more honorable nature beneath his savage appearance.

Sources

“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/

Hantsje Plus

October 12, 2026 by cazzy99

Tradition: Dutch Mythology
Alternative Names: Hantsje Pik
Category: Forest Dweller

The Myth

Hantsje Plus is a frightening bogeyman from Frisian folklore who wanders through the cornfields with a wheelbarrow. He is feared for abducting naughty children and those who stray into the fields, carrying them away in his wheelbarrow. His presence serves as a warning to children to behave themselves and stay away from places where they might encounter the mysterious figure.

Hantsje Plus was also associated with a traditional winter celebration held in the Frisian Woodlands shortly before Christmas. During this festival, people rang bells, made loud noises, and built a large bonfire. The noisy festivities were dedicated to Hantsje Plus, whose figure remained part of local winter customs. In the village of Grou, he was known as the black servant of Sint Pieter. His alternative name, Hantsje Pik, was also used as a name for the Devil, linking the bogeyman with darker supernatural traditions.

Sources

Blauwbroek

October 11, 2026 by cazzy99

Tradition: Dutch Mythology
Alternative Names: Blue Breeches
Category: Flame

The Myth

The Blauwbroek is a mysterious ghost from the Dutch province of Gelderland, said to wander across the heath in the form of a glowing sheaf of thatch. By day, it becomes a large, invisible spectre, capable of interfering with travellers despite remaining unseen. It can abruptly push people off the road without warning and even bring horses to a complete standstill, leaving those who encounter it helpless before an invisible force.

According to local tradition, the spirit was once a land surveyor or an arsonist, though the precise origin of the figure remains uncertain. Its name, meaning “Blue Breeches,” is probably derived from the little blue flame associated with its appearance, which resembles a pair of trousers. The Blauwbroek thus combines the eerie imagery of a wandering fire with the frightening idea of an unseen spirit that can obstruct people and animals along the road.

Sources

Hellewagen

October 11, 2026 by cazzy99

Tradition: Dutch Mythology, Belgian Mythology
Alternative Names: Spookwagen, Hell Wagon
Category: Flame

The Myth

The Hellewagen, or Spookwagen, is a terrifying ghostly carriage that races through the night between midnight and one o’clock. It is drawn by black or invisible horses and sometimes travels through the air, accompanied by a deafening, hellish rumble. Inside the carriage, blood-red lights illuminate its interior, while its spectral coachman glows and spits fire. The entire vehicle shines with an ominous supernatural light as it thunders through the darkness.

The Hellewagen is said to be the punishment of wealthy sinners who exploited and oppressed the common people. In one tale, a late-night wanderer heard the carriage approaching with a tremendous clatter. Yet when it drew near, it suddenly vanished, only to reappear a few metres farther along the road. The apparition is believed to be the restless spirit of a dissolute nobleman, condemned to ride eternally through the night in his blazing carriage.

Sources

Glène Kerel

October 11, 2026 by cazzy99

Tradition: Dutch Mythology, Belgian Mythology
Alternative Names: De Gloeiige (Engelsman), Gloeiende Gerrit, Gleunigen, Glende Kerels, Sjoufert
Category: Flame

The Myth

The Glène Kerel, also known as the Gloeiende Gerrit or Sjoufert, is a fiery ghostly figure condemned to burn because of a curse he brought upon himself during his lifetime. He usually appears as a living flame, but may also take the form of a blazing ball of fire, a fiery projectile, or a burning bundle of straw or thatch. The spirit is often said to have once been an unjust land surveyor, an arsonist, a thief, or a murderer. Many had sworn false oaths, declaring that they would burn forever if they were lying. After their deaths, these words became their eternal punishment.

The Glène Kerel wanders through the darkness as a burning apparition, frightening travellers and responding to those who call or whistle for him. Anyone who summons the fiery figure and then flees may discover a blackened handprint burned into their door the following morning. The spirit’s punishment is not limited to wandering the roads, however. During autumn, the fiery men are said to descend from the sky and scourge chimneys with burning chains. Sometimes they enter houses themselves, striking sinners with their chains and leaving painful burn marks as a sign of their supernatural punishment.

In Venlo, tradition held that the community had to provide the fiery man each year with a cartload of sand, several pairs of tin shoes, and seven and a half stuivers. These offerings formed part of the local relationship with the dangerous spirit, whose blazing appearance and burning chains made him a feared presence in the region.

Sources

Ouwe Beer

October 10, 2026 by cazzy99

Tradition: Dutch Mythology
Alternative Names: –
Category: Flame

The Myth

Ouwe Beer is the name for a Dwaallichtje.

During his life, he was a farmer who moved the boundary stones and thereby stole land from his neighbors. He was also said to have made a pact with the devil.

When he died, his coffin was too light, but when it was placed on the hearse, it was suddenly too heavy. He must wander eternally as a ball of fire or a weak, flickering light. During the day, he hides in a hollow tree.

Sources

Abe de Verteller. (2014). 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/

Dwaallicht

October 10, 2026 by cazzy99

Tradition: Dutch Mythology
Alternative Names: –
Category: Flame

The Myth

The Dwaallicht is a mysterious wandering light that appears at night, floating above the ground or over water. It may appear as a single flame or as several lights, glowing white, yellow, green, or blue. Blue Dwaallichten are said to reveal the locations of hidden treasures, tempting those who encounter them to follow their flickering glow into the darkness.

These wandering flames are commonly believed to be the souls of criminals or unbaptized children, doomed to roam the places where they committed their crimes or where they perished. They often appear above marshes, pools, and other bodies of water, where they hop and dance toward unsuspecting travellers, leading them astray until they become lost or drown. A wanderer may release a trapped soul by baptizing it, allowing it to find peace. However, they may suddenly be surrounded by a thousand more lights seeking baptism, forcing them to continue until dawn.

The Dwaallicht possesses other strange powers and meanings. It is said that a person can become invisible by rubbing themselves with the fat of these little flames. The lights may also appear as omens of future construction, heralding the place where a house will later be built or where a canal or railway will eventually run.