Belgian Folklore
Belgian traditions and stories are commonly linked to Dutch folklore due to their shared identities as the low countries and germanic heritage, along with the country’s strong ties to its neighbours due to its decentralised and occupied history.The rich lore and history here were traditionally written and spoken in Dutch, but French and other languages are found to contain traditional sources
Themes In Folklore
Although a lack of evidence is found, a strong Celtic influence can be shown in Belgian and Dutch folklore due to their veneration of trees Many tales are derived from Gaulic and Germanic pre-Christian culture.
Another key theme that can be observed in the Benelux is the flooding of cities and ‘lost cities’ hidden under the water due to the region being historically prone to devastating floods.Akey example of this is the Saeftinghe legend, a Dutch tale
BelgianTraditions
Despite its close connections to its Neighbours, Belgium has many unique and entertaining traditions rooted firmly in folklore
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The Ducasse, also known as the Parade of Giants, is held in the town ofAth and is based on the story of David and the goliath and traces its origins to the middle ages. effigies of two giants are paraded around the town, whilst onlookers throw coins at them for good luck
Andenne holds an annual festival near easter called the "Bear Festival".This celebrates Charles Martel's defeat of a bear who was terrorizing the region when he was young Charles' descendants are credited with founding the town ofAndenne.
The Procession of The Holy Blood in Bruges is held onAscension Day and a relic is paraded around the city.The relic, believed to have been found by Derick ofAlsace during the Second Crusade, is said to hold a vial of the blood of Christ Due to its significance as a Christian relic, the parade attracts roughly 50,000 visitors and pilgrims each year
Another important Belgian tradition is the annual Ducasse de Mons, celebrated onTrinity Sunday in the town of Mons.The event is split into two halves: the celebration at Saint Waltrude’s Shrine, and the Lumeçon The Lumeçon is the reenacted combat between Saint George and a dragon