Dear readers, it’s been a while, but the Flemish folktales are here! This post will tell you more about two witches who made the coastline unsafe and some sailor superstitions that I have always found fascinating. New to this article is the voiceover in which you can hear me reading these stories. Do listen if you like, and please forgive me for my accent! :-)
De Roesschaert
In the 18th century a woman who was known as de Roesschaert lived in a crumbled cottage in the dunes around Blankenberge. It’s said she never left her home but she was happy and lived the best life she could away from the busybodies and blabbermouths who populated the markets and squares. Others say she used her magical abilities to torment the locals. Whatever the case, people avoided the dunes and never came near it during the night. If they had to visit the grassy mounds of sand during the day, they made the sign of the cross while they mumbled a prayer to protect them from the ‘evil’ that was undoubtedly happening inside this wicked and godless home.
One night, a terrifying storm descended on the coastal region, wrecking everything that was in its path, and the witch had no choice but to abandon her cottage. Her home was now nothing but a pile of wooden debris and many of the fishermen’s cottages were destroyed as well, but for the locals there was no sadness, there was no grief, there were no tears. When they saw that the witches’ house had been destroyed, a spontaneous feast broke out, and they danced until the early hours of the morning.
De Roesschaert watched as the they revelled and toasted to the loss of the only thing that had been precious to her. Heartbroken, she went to the beach and entered the sea, but she would not remain in the salty water for long. De Roesschaert would return, but not as the witch they had all known her to be. She appeared in the shape of a cat, a dog, even a donkey and several other animals to cause suffering to those who had cheered while she had been so devastated. Sometimes she even appeared as a fisher because the fishers were those she wanted to torment the most, and they were terrified. None of the fisherman dared to go to the sea again as it was said she amused herself by conjuring storms and capsizing boats.
It was a miserable day when after months of terror a man came along who claimed to know how to make de Roesschaert harmless. The fishers had to be baptised again with seawater. During that ceremony they received a new name. This name was often mocking in nature and it was believed the witch would be unable to hurt them if she didn’t know their real names.
In other versions of this tale, there’s no cottage and de Roesschaert isn’t a witch, but a devil. According to these versions, fishers received a nickname in case the devil devised some conniving plan and wanted to track the fishermen down. If he didn’t know their real names, he would not know their whereabouts while they’re on land, or it would at the very least, slow him down.
Babbe Roere
Not much information can be found about Babbe Roere, but the tales surrounding her are darkly spellbinding. She was feared not just for being a witch, but also because she was said to be a nixie who could transform herself into a crow. Spotting a black bird on the mast of a ship meant that the ship was going to sink, and this was especially true if the bird was a crow. She did more than just resting on the topmast. She was also known for enchanting shrimp fishers who went with their horses into the sea. She lured them deeper and deeper into the water until they drowned. This part of the story reminds of the tale of The Eternal Fisher who was responsible for drowning people in a very similar way and whose story can be found in this previous post about ghost ships and other spectres that haunt the seaside.
If you’re from Belgium, you might be wondering where Jeanne Panne is, her story is after all the most famous one of all the witches who lived near the sea. Even though her tragic tale does have some elements from folklore, I have decided not to mention her in this post because as you probably already know, she was a real victim of the 17th century witchcraft trials of which there were regrettably many in coastal towns.
Superstitions
Sailors all over the world are known for their tendency to be very superstitious, and the same is true for Flanders. A superstition I have always loved is that they would attach a broom to the mast of the ship to ward off evil spirits and devils while another superstition says a boat should never be cleaned with a broom. Another way to ward off evil spirits was to throw eggshells into the sea, but the eggshells had to be crushed into little pieces, otherwise the spirits would remain afloat and eventually climb back aboard.
Some also believed that taking animals on a voyage would bring doom. One tale tells about a black cat who had sneaked aboard a small vessel. She was only discovered when night fell and the sailors were already far away from the coast. Some of them suggested throwing the cat into the sea, but the skipper made it very clear that he would throw anyone who dared to do so overboard himself, not out of any concern for the cat but because he feared such an action would anger the spirits of the sea. They decided to wait, but when the glass of two kerosene lamps broke without an apparent cause, the skipper felt they had no other option but to return to the harbour. Some skippers were even so afraid of animals that they forbade the crew to sing songs that mentioned animals. Others disagreed and thought that cats, especially black cats, would bring them good luck.
Elisabeth Vlamyncx, Warding Off Evil Spirits & Belgium
On ko-fi we talked about the tragic story of Elisabeth Vlamyncx who went into hiding when she was accused of witchcraft in the 16th century, but unfortunately didn’t escape being burned at the stake. We also covered three cases in which heads and hands were stolen from Gallows Field because it was believed that the remains of criminals had magical powers and could ward off evil spirits, and then there was a more humorous post on my second favourite country, Belgium. Do consider supporting if you’re able to. Anything you can do to help is appreciated so much, truly makes a difference and means the world to me.
Salt & Mirrors & Cats
In other, but very important news, the literary zine, Salt & Mirrors & Cats is now OPEN FOR SUMBISSIONS! Superstition Sam and I are looking for short stories, poems, essays and artwork that are deeply connected to the world of superstition. You can read the submission guidelines here.
I hope you have enjoyed this post and thank you so much for reading or listening, or both! :-)
Really enjoyed this! I'm not familiar with Jeanne Panne (sorry ik woon in Nederland!) so a post on her would be very interesting.