-PHILOSOPHER/HISTORIAN-
DIMITRI GOOSSENS
There’s something probably everyone (excusing those who are too young) will admit to doing, and that’s drinking too much and over-imbibing some of that fantastic Belgian beer. Well, that has been happening for centuries, and while we have embarrassing photos and images we’d rather not admit to making it onto Facebook and the web, even in the olden days, you could still thoroughly embarrass yourself when inebriated.
In Mechelen, the people there have a nickname, the manenblussers, or the moon drenchers. This unusual name originates from one such embarrassing occasion as mentioned above. Too much quenching of thirst can have…memorable consequences…
However long you’ve been living in Flanders, there is a good chance you won’t know everything about where you live, let alone a city or town that is miles away. Fans of Flanders have taken their allegorical microscope and a historian and tracked down some of Flanders lesser-known legends and turn the spotlight on the history you probably walk past every day without even realising it.
In our first Once Upon a Time, our historian Dmitri reveals to us a character as real as Father Christmas but not really so kind…let us take you for a journey back in time and around the streets of Antwerp…
Nothing in life is ever black and white, no one is ever completely innocent - even the famous hero of the people Robin Hood could be accused of being a criminal. When times are hard, people will do what they can to survive, and the same was true in Flanders hundreds of years ago when the bokkenrijders became a watch-word. The truth of the story is hazy, and in the times when word of mouth counted for so much, rumour could be enough to convict you...
Sometimes no matter how much we want a dream to come true, it just doesn’t happen. But it’s amazing the success that can come from using that passion for something else…one great example is from right here in Flanders when a young man, Karel Van Wijnendaele, used his love of cycling to create something using the wheels in a printing machine, rather than the 2 on his bike…
Starting as a journalist, in 1912 he became a founder of the 1912 he became one of the founders of ‘SportWereld’, the first Flemish sport newspaper ever. Not only this, but he also gave Flanders the Tour, with the very first one taking places 100 years ago in 1913. Given the popularity of cycling in Flanders, we’re fairly confident that he would be very impressed with the participation and enthusiasm such as he felt, all those years ago…
Fans of Flanders : Once upon a time
Together with director and cameraman Arne Focketyn I roam the Flemish cities and countryside looking for nice stories, legends, urban myths....We look for the historical truth behind these stories and try to look what they teach us about our history and about humanity.
How many of you have been to Antwerp? You may even live there - possibly for quite a long time, and if so, in the video you'll see some very familiar sights from the city, but here's a question for you; where does the name 'Antwerp' come from? And do you know why there's a huge statue in the Grote Markt with a man throwing a hand? If the answer to either of these is 'no' then you need to watch this video, and let us reveal a little bit of history to you...
Once upon a time, Antwerp wasn't quite the happy carefree place to visit it is today...rivers can be dangerous places...
cent - even the famous hero of the people Robin Hood could be accused of being a criminal. When times are hard, people will do what they can to survive, and the same was true in Flanders hundreds of years ago when the bokkenrijders became a watch-word. The truth of the story is hazy, and in the times when word of mouth counted for so much, rumour could be enough to convict you...
If you've been paying attention to the history of Flanders so far in our Once Upon a Time features you will have noticed that some of the legends are pretty fantastic. This one is similarly eye-opening, in particular, peeking-through-a-keyhole interesting. Intrigued? You should be - it is a story that has all the elements of a true epic if ever someone wanted to make it into a full-blown play; romance, crime, punishment, and some exceptional measures taken in desperate circumstances...
Bruges is most famous for its beautiful historical streets, the beer, and the swans, but there is a love story that has survived the test of time, and sadly, it didn't have a happy ending. We take a walk back in time to retell the story of Minne and Stromberg...
"This story is about honour and humiliation, and how both can decide the fate of an entire city"... any idea which city we're talking about? Troy? Nope, guess again. And maybe guess a little closer to home this time. You are surfing on the Fans of Flanders website after all...
A cup with three handles is quite an unusual thing...especially as we humans have only 2 hands. Ever seen one before? Probably not, but the town of Olen is famous for this little drinking vessel. How did it come about? Legend has it that it involved a thirsty king who stopped off for a drink after hunting...sit back and let us take you back a few centuries...
"This story is about honour and humiliation, and how both can decide the fate of an entire city"... any idea which city we're talking about? Troy? Nope, guess again. And maybe guess a little closer to home this time. You are surfing on the Fans of Flanders website after all...
In our new Once Upon A Time historian Dimitri Goossens takes us back to 1225 AD, a time when the lovely city of Leuven was a far more dark and dangerous city. And in this city lived a girl called Margriet, or fiere Margrietas she is now known, for her courage was great. Unfortunately, it did not save her. Margriet was brutally murdered and thrown into the river Dijle. But little Margriet refused to sink...
Don't like the head you were born with? Well, there's something you can do about that. All you need to do, is find the herbakkers of Eeklo, the rebakers if you will. According to the legend, if you want a better life, just let the herbakker chop off your head and rebake it in the oven…
This is the heartbreaking story of the poor boy Nello and his dog Patrasche, who roamed around Flanders during the 19th century. Oddly enough, the story is way more famous in Japan than it is in Flanders...
A beautiful woman, a jealous man, a touch of witchcraft, a good portion of lust and of course a big dose of mystery to shroud it all… yes, ladies and gentlemen, historian Dimitri Goossens is back with another delightful urban tale. First up this season: Tielt and the story of Tanneken Sconyncx.
We don't know how long you've been in Belgium, but we bet you've paid at least one visit to the city of Bruges. You may have noticed a lot of swans in the canals, but did you know there's a story behind them? Once upon a time in medieval Flanders...
14 years ago, the Big Bad Wolf made a comeback in Flanders: in 2000, no chicken or sheep was safe in the Waasland. And then, just like that, as mysteriously as he had arrived, he was gone...
It sounded like a great plan. We were to go to the moors of Kalmthout and tell you all about this curious natural phenomenon called ghost light (dwaallicht). Unfortunately, unlike the A-Team, our plans don't always come together...
He's back! Dimitri the historian, wearing his faithful black, leather coat, ready to tell you all about a book we in Flanders hold dear: The Lion of Flanders, aka De Leeuw van Vlaanderen, a book written by Hendrik Conscience in 1838. Why we cherish it? Well, we'll let Dimitri explain that one to you, shall we?
Remember we started telling you a story last week? The story of The Lion of Flanders (De Leeuw van Vlaanderen), a book written by Hendrik Conscience in 1838? Well, today it's time for part two, the one where the golden knight steps onto the page. Enjoy!
It's time for part three of our De Leeuw van Vlaanderen saga, yay! And we have no doubt the question has been bugging you since we showed you part one and two: is The Lion of Flanders fact or fiction? Let's find out, shall we?
All good things must come to an end. So after the first, the second and the third part of our saga revolving around Hendrik Conscience's literary classic De Leeuw van Vlaanderen, it is now time for the fourth and final part. The one that links history to present-day Flanders. Enjoy!
You might not be able to tell by looking at him, but our Once Upon A Time historian Dimitri Goossens is quite a rascal. So when we asked him to tell us the tale of a famous rascal from way back when, known as Tijl Uylenspiegel, he of course jumped at the opportunity...
One of the most famous landmarks and tourist hotspots in Brussels is Mannekin Pis, and many have often wondered firstly, how such a little statue (he's only 58cm tall) can attract such a crowd of photographers, and secondly, why is a little boy peeing such a symbol for the Belgian capital city. But, in order to answer this question, you do need to remember two things; that heroes come in all shapes and sizes, and this is Belgium, where attitudes to the calls of nature are far from prudish, and often, far from private...
Once upon a time, Brussels was not the peaceful tourist destination it is now...
Horses have always been the inspiration for many legends and myths. Of course, Flanders has it's very own mythical horse story. One that takes us back to a time of knights and people killing each other with chess boards...
When you say 'Limburg' and 'history', you say 'mines'. But in some parts of Limburg you should also say 'witchery' as there is one particular mine where, if rumour is to be believed, a witch has roamed for years (and probably still does). People call her the 'putheks' or witch of the pits if you will. Who she actually was? Well, we'll let Dimitri explain that to you, shall we ?
We've already told you quite a few historic tales in our 'Once upon a time'. But somehow we never quite got around to telling the story of the great city of Antwerp. So, eager to get the record straight, Dimitri dug up his best Antwerp accent to tell you all about 'sinjoren', Spaniards, merchants, publishers and that typical Antwerp arrogance.
After the events covered in part one, things took a turn for the worst. The start of the rebellion against Spanish rule....some heads will fall.
In this third and final episode of our trilogy things definitely take a turn for the worse. But after darkness comes light....and a new beginning. But for many heroes of our tale, that beginning did not take place in Antwerp anymore...