The Buckriders (, ) are a part of South-Eastern Dutch and North-Eastern Belgian
folklore
Folklore is the body of expressive culture shared by a particular group of people, culture or subculture. This includes oral traditions such as Narrative, tales, myths, legends, proverbs, Poetry, poems, jokes, and other oral traditions. This also ...
. They are
witch
Witchcraft is the use of magic by a person called a witch. Traditionally, "witchcraft" means the use of magic to inflict supernatural harm or misfortune on others, and this remains the most common and widespread meaning. According to ''Enc ...
es, who rode through the sky on the back of flying bucks provided to them by the
Devil
A devil is the mythical personification of evil as it is conceived in various cultures and religious traditions. It is seen as the objectification of a hostile and destructive force. Jeffrey Burton Russell states that the different conce ...
to rob and murder common people and church possessions. The trials against the buckriders differed from 'ordinary' criminal proceedings because in many cases a so-called 'ungodly oath' was involved ("I renounce God and swear submission to the Devil"). Once a year, they would visit their master, the Devil, on the '
Mook Heath.
Throughout the 18th century, groups of thieves and other criminals adopted the belief to frighten the inhabitants of southern
Limburg
Limburg or Limbourg may refer to:
Regions
* Limburg (Belgium), a province since 1839 in the Flanders region of Belgium
* Limburg (Netherlands), a province since 1839 in the south of the Netherlands
* Diocese of Limburg, Roman Catholic Diocese in ...
, a province in the southern part of the
Netherlands
, Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
and in parts of what has become since eastern
Belgium
Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...
. Using the name "Bokkenrijders" (buckriders), these criminal bands launched raids across a region that included Limburg, and parts of modern-day
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
. In response to the robberies towns in Limburg started to build defences like moats around them and farms started to develop a closed square building style.
The buckriders were feared and despised by the common people throughout the area because of the ruthlessness and violence the robberies were committed by. The belief existed that the buckriders could travel fast and vast distances through the skies to rob in a widespread area and be home before dawn to remain obscured in their crimes.
Commonly, the buckriders raided small communities, parsonages, churches and more remote farms. Hundreds of buckriders were convicted and sentenced to death.
Because of the link to the
occult
The occult () is a category of esoteric or supernatural beliefs and practices which generally fall outside the scope of organized religion and science, encompassing phenomena involving a 'hidden' or 'secret' agency, such as magic and mysti ...
and witchcraft, authorities accused a large number of potentially innocent men of being buckriders and the majority of suspects were tortured and subsequently convicted of crimes they initially denied having committed. The buckriders were considered both criminals and witches that made a pact with the devil. The witch trials and robbery trials can not be seen separately in that sense: the accusations always included both robbery and witchcraft.
It is estimated that about 1200 men were accused and at least between 425 and 468 men were executed between 1743 and 1796 on the conviction of being a Buckrider. The number of deaths might surpass 500 men due to suspects dying under torture when questioned.
Etymology
Formally, the name ''Bokkenrijders'' (buckriders) was first publicly used in 1774, during the 'trial of
Wellen
Wellen (; ) is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg. On 1 January 2024, Wellen had a total population of 7,490. The total area is 26.72 km2 with a population density of 279 inhabitants per km2.
The municipality consis ...
', a town in what belonged then to the Southern Netherlands. Johan van Muysen slid a letter underneath the door of a farmer called Wouters. The letter contained a threat that Wouters's house would be burned down unless he paid up. Van Muyses claimed to be member of the buckriders and used the word
Satan
Satan, also known as the Devil, is a devilish entity in Abrahamic religions who seduces humans into sin (or falsehood). In Judaism, Satan is seen as an agent subservient to God, typically regarded as a metaphor for the '' yetzer hara'', or ' ...
up to three times. In the trial of Wellen, the term “buckriders” is openly used against Philip Mertens, who wrote a similar threat letter.'
History
Earliest records mentioning the buckriders originate from a tome called ''Oorzaeke, bewys en ondekkinge van een goddelooze, bezwoorne bende nagtdieven en knevelaers binnen de landen van Overmaeze en aenpalende landstreeken'', which approximately translates to ''Causes, proof and discovery of a godless, averted gang of night thieves and gaggers within the lands of 'Overmaas' and adjacent regions.''
This book was written in 1779 by S.J.P. Sleinada (real name Pastor A. Daniels).
This pastor, who lived in
Landgraaf
Landgraaf (; ) is a municipality in southeastern Limburg, Netherlands, forming part of the Parkstad Limburg agglomeration. ''SnowWorld'' is the largest indoor ski piste in Europe.
Population centres
* Nieuwenhagen
* Schaesberg
* Ubach over W ...
, knew several buckriders personally. The author tells us that these robbers made a pact with the
Devil
A devil is the mythical personification of evil as it is conceived in various cultures and religious traditions. It is seen as the objectification of a hostile and destructive force. Jeffrey Burton Russell states that the different conce ...
and rode their bucks at night.
The common people told stories about them flying through the sky, pronouncing the following spell: 'Over huis, over tuin, over staak, en dat tot Keulen in de wijnkelder!' (across houses, across gardens, across stakes (fences), even to
Cologne
Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...
into the wine cellar!).
Both worshiping and riding a goat have been associated with the Witches' Sabbath and other devilish practices for centuries. According to old folk tales, people who had made a pact with the devil moved at night on bucks.
The present interpretation is that a number of criminal gangs robbed houses and committed other crimes, using the myth to their advantage. Also, many of the buckriders that were arrested are thought to be innocent, as confessions were obtained through torture. The condemnation of people because of an impious oath or their alleged alliance with the devil can be compared to the witch trials in Europe between 1450 and 1750 with brutal persecutions.
In the Overmaasse trials the term 'buckriders' is only mentioned late, probably under the influence of the trial in Wellen. The word 'buck' does appear here in a lawsuit in 1773. In that trial, Mathijs Smeets from
Beek
Beek (; ) is a town and municipality in the southeastern Netherlands, in the province of Limburg. As of 2012, Beek has a population of about 16,400, of which about 8,800 live in the town of Beek.
The municipality of Beek makes part of the re ...
claimed that he and 42 others had sat on large bucks at night and flown to
Venlo
Venlo () is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in southeastern Netherlands, close to the border with Germany. It is situated in the province of Limburg (Netherlands), ...
to commit a robbery there.
In historiography, two opposing observations arise about the buckriders:
* The buckriders are said to consist of a large, wicked gang.
* It could be a (partial) illusion of the judiciary at the time.
The first view is found among those who believed that the buckriders have really formed a large gang and had not yet been punished harshly enough. Critical historians, however, who do not accept the torture statements at face value, consider the punishment exaggerated. The pioneer of this trend, Attorney General Gaspard de Limpens, wrote in 1774 about the convicts: "Their statements are full of contradictions, varying versions and violations of logic and the laws of gravity." "They have been punished too harshly and the majority are innocent." "The torture makes those questioned confess what the justice system wants to hear."
image:Bonderkuil12122008.jpg, De Bonderkuil in
Wellen
Wellen (; ) is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg. On 1 January 2024, Wellen had a total population of 7,490. The total area is 26.72 km2 with a population density of 279 inhabitants per km2.
The municipality consis ...
where nineteen buckriders were executed in 1776
Buckriders and witch-hunts
The fact that the buckriders were tried and prosecuted for their pact with the devil, resembles the witch-hunts during the Early Modern Period. Historians place these buckrider-hunts alongside other prosecuted 'godless' people: heretics and witches. These kinds of fullscale trials last took place in Limburg.
Limburg was the last European region where such superstitious legal excesses took place en masse.
The witches were a popular belief, but also in the eyes of the justice system witches were a reality. The accused were convicted on the basis of witchcraft as much as the robbery chargers and they were in most cases executed when found guilty. It is unclear how many people were involved in the actual robberies and that were convicted for it, but the widespread area and long period of time these occurred suggests many smaller groups. This played into the belief that the buckriders could travel fast and vast distances through the skies to rob in a widespread area.
The trials against the buckriders differed from 'ordinary' criminal proceedings because in many cases a so-called 'ungodly oath' was involved ("I renounce God and swear to the devil"). This impious oath, typical of buckriders in this tradition, is said to have originated in the Lands of
Overmaas
The Lands of Overmaas (; ) were a collection of lordships near Limburg in the Low Countries which were attached to the Duchy of Brabant and existed from the 13th to 18th centuries.
Acquired by the Valois Dukes of Burgundy along with Brabant in ...
(according to the trial of Hendrik Becx in Nieuwstadt in 1743) and then spread to
Loon
Loons (North American English) or divers (British English, British / Irish English) are a group of aquatic birds found in much of North America and northern Eurasia. All living species of loons are members of the genus ''Gavia'', family (biolog ...
.
During the 18th century there were seven buckrider trials. In the Wellen-Haspengouw trial, this is stated in black and white in the court documents. A common question there is: "Aren't you a member of the gang from across the
Meuse
The Meuse or Maas is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea from the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta. It has a total length of .
History
From 1301, the upper ...
, the so-called buckriders?" That is why people speak of buckriders in the sense that they are suspects and convicts of massive witch trials conducted in that sense. The witch trials and robbery trials can not seen separately in that sense: the accusations always included both.
Raids and raiders
Trials against buckriders differed from 'common trials against common criminals' if the suspect had performed the god-denying oath: 'I forswear God ... etc.' This so-called oath of heresy is a stereotypical aspect of the buckriders myth. Since the convicts were accused of this oath and a pact with the devil, we can define this as a late form of
witch-hunt
A witch hunt, or a witch purge, is a search for people who have been labeled witches or a search for evidence of witchcraft. Practicing evil spells or Incantation, incantations was proscribed and punishable in early human civilizations in the ...
.
Prosecution of buckriders were ruthless, even by those day's standards. More than 90% of the convicted received capital punishment. Many confessions were gained by means of torture, or by fear for it.
There are seven periods of different buckrider trials. The first took place during 1743 – 1745, and the last during 1793 – 1794.
Known associated deaths
*
Gabriël Brühl – sentenced to death by hanging, 10 September 1743.
* Geerling Daniels – died of two self-inflicted stab wounds, 28 January 1751.
* Joseph Kirchhoffs – sentenced to death by hanging, 11 May 1772.
* Joannes Arnold van de Wal ("Nolleke van Geleen") – sentenced to death by hanging, 21 September 1789.
Cultural Significance
In
Limburg
Limburg or Limbourg may refer to:
Regions
* Limburg (Belgium), a province since 1839 in the Flanders region of Belgium
* Limburg (Netherlands), a province since 1839 in the south of the Netherlands
* Diocese of Limburg, Roman Catholic Diocese in ...
, the buckriders are now embraced as part of cultural heritage.
In the 19th century, under the influence of Romanticism, a flood of stories about buckriders emerged, pioneered by the
Sittard
Sittard (; ) is a city in the Netherlands, situated in the southernmost province of Limburg.
The town is part of the municipality of Sittard-Geleen and has almost 37,500 inhabitants in 2016.
In its east, Sittard borders the German municipal ...
author Pieter Ecrevisse. As of 2015, more than 1,300 titles have been published on the subject. In the buckrider story, crime is strongly linked to magic and witchcraft. These popular themes resulted in a colorful collection of folk tales, in which the subject has become increasingly distant from historical facts.
In
Valkenburg Valkenburg means ''falcon castle'' in Dutch and can refer to:
* Valkenburg aan de Geul, a town and municipality in the province of Limburg
** Valkenburg Castle, ruined castle near Valkenburg aan de Geul
* Valkenburg, South Holland, a village in the ...
, the buck weeks take place every year in October with various activities, including the bokkemért (buck market) and the Witches' Kitchen is a reminder of the gang of robbers. The buckriders festival takes place in
Klimmen
Klimmen (Limburgish: ''Klumme'') is a village in the Netherlands, Dutch province of Limburg (Netherlands), Limburg. It is located in the municipality of Voerendaal, about 7 km west of Heerlen.
History
The village was first mentioned in the ...
each year.
A plaque was installed in 1999 on the facade of the Museum Land van Valkenburg, formerly the town hall of
Valkenburg Valkenburg means ''falcon castle'' in Dutch and can refer to:
* Valkenburg aan de Geul, a town and municipality in the province of Limburg
** Valkenburg Castle, ruined castle near Valkenburg aan de Geul
* Valkenburg, South Holland, a village in the ...
and the scene of the Valkenburg buckrider trials in the 18th century, in memory of the many innocent convicts. The buckriders play a major role in Valkenburg folklore. For example, the residents of the
Geul
The Geul (, ; ; ) is a river in Belgium and in the Netherlands, where it is a right-bank tributary to the river Meuse.
Geography
The source of the Geul is at about above sea level in northeastern Belgium near the German border, south of th ...
city are referred to as bök ("bucks") during carnival time. In the park at
Den Halder Castle there is a bronze statue of a buck that refers to the nickname of residents, not directly to the gang. Since October 2016, there has also been a monument in
Klimmen
Klimmen (Limburgish: ''Klumme'') is a village in the Netherlands, Dutch province of Limburg (Netherlands), Limburg. It is located in the municipality of Voerendaal, about 7 km west of Heerlen.
History
The village was first mentioned in the ...
that commemorates the miscarriage of justice where 60 executions took place in five years at the end of the 18th century. In the center of
Schaesberg
Schaesberg (; ) is a neighbourhood of Landgraaf and former village in the Netherlands, Dutch province of Limburg (Netherlands), Limburg.
History
The village was first mentioned in 16th century as Gaesberg. The etymology is unknown. Schaesberg ...
in the municipality of
Landgraaf
Landgraaf (; ) is a municipality in southeastern Limburg, Netherlands, forming part of the Parkstad Limburg agglomeration. ''SnowWorld'' is the largest indoor ski piste in Europe.
Population centres
* Nieuwenhagen
* Schaesberg
* Ubach over W ...
there is a statue of a buckrider, just like in
Stein
Stein may refer to:
Places Austria
* Stein, a neighbourhood of Krems an der Donau, Lower Austria
* Stein, Styria, a municipality in the district of Fürstenfeld, Styria
* Stein (Lassing), a village in the district of Liezen, Styria
* Stein a ...
,
Sint Joost
Sint Joost () is a Dutch village in the municipality of Echt-Susteren.
History
The village was first mentioned in 1294 or 1295 as "De curte Sancti Judoci", and refers to Saint Judoc. Sint Joost is a linear settlement which developed around a Va ...
,
Geleen
Geleen (; ) is a city in the southern part of the province of Limburg (Netherlands), Limburg in the Netherlands. With 31,670 inhabitants in 2020, it is part of the municipality of Sittard-Geleen. Geleen is situated along the river Geleenbeek, a ri ...
, in
Herzogenrath
Herzogenrath (; ; ) is a municipality in the district of Aachen in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It borders the Dutch town of Kerkrade, the national border in one section running along the middle of a main road and even directly ...
(Germany) and in
Maaseik
Maaseik (; ) is a city and municipality in the Belgian province of Limburg. Both in size (close to 77 km2) and in population (approx. 25,000 inhabitants, of whom some 3,000 non-Belgian), it is the 8th largest municipality in Limburg. The to ...
,
Wellen
Wellen (; ) is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg. On 1 January 2024, Wellen had a total population of 7,490. The total area is 26.72 km2 with a population density of 279 inhabitants per km2.
The municipality consis ...
and
Overpelt
Overpelt (, ) is a town in the municipality of Pelt and a former municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg. In 2018, the municipality of Overpelt had a total population of 15,478.
The municipality consisted of the following pop ...
(Belgium).
Several carnaval groups are named after the buckriders throughout the affected area.
* The legend is used as the theme for a
madhouse attraction called
Villa Volta
Villa Volta is an attraction in the amusement park Efteling in the Netherlands. It is a rare type of ride known as a madhouse, a variation of a haunted house, where the visitors get the illusion that either the building, the visitors themselves ...
in the amusement park De
Efteling
Efteling () is a fantasy-themed amusement park in Kaatsheuvel, the Netherlands. The attractions reflect elements from ancient European myths and legends, fairy tales, fables, and folklore.
The park was opened on May 31, 1952. It evolved from a ...
.
* The Belgian metal band
Ancient Rites
Ancient Rites is a Belgian black metal band formed in 1988. Initially, the lineup consisted of guitar players Johan and Phillip, drummer Stefan, and Gunther Theys on bass and vocals.Rivadavia, Eduardo " Ancient Rites Biography, ''AllMusic'', M ...
released the album
Laguz
or is the reconstructed Proto-Germanic name of the ''l''-rune , meaning "water" or "lake" and meaning "leek". In the Anglo-Saxon rune poem, it is called "ocean". In the Younger Futhark, the rune is called "waterfall" in Icelandic and "wa ...
in 2015, containing the song Von Gott Ontfernt (Bij Nacht En Ontij). The content of this song is about the buckriders and portrays them as a group that resisted the secular and ecclesiastical power of that time.
* In 1917 wrote
Frederik van Eeden
Frederik Willem van Eeden (3 April 1860, Haarlem – 16 June 1932, Bussum) was a late 19th-century and early 20th-century Dutch writer and psychiatrist. He was a leading member of the Tachtigers and the Significs Group, and had top billing amo ...
the theater play De Bokkenrijder of het Skelet (The Buckrider or the Skeleton).

* In the 1990s, the youth series De Legende van de Bokkenrijders appeared on Dutch and Flemish television, featuring
Gene Bervoets
Eugène Joanna Alfons "Gene" Bervoets (born 26 March 1956 in Antwerp) is a Belgian actor. He has performed in more than 60 films since 1979.
Selected filmography
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bervoets, Gene
1956 births
...
,
Joost Prinsen
Joseph Jules Thomas Prinsen (born June 9, 1942) is a Dutch actor, television presenter, singer and writer. He performed in the popular Dutch television programmes '' De stratemakeropzeeshow'', ''Het Klokhuis'', and ''De Zevensprong'', and he also ...
,
John Leddy
Johannes Nicolaas Leddy (12 January 1930 – 25 December 2022) was a Dutch television and film actor. He was most known for his roles as Jan Engelmoer in the television series '' De kleine waarheid'' and as Koos Dobbelsteen in ''Zeg 'ns Aaa''.
...
and
Bartho Braat. This series is based on books by
Ton van Reen, specifically Ontsnapt aan de Galg (1986).
* Composer
Rob Goorhuis wrote the music work Innocent Condemned ("Onschuldig veroordeeld"), based on stories about the buckriders.
* Pop group
Carboon released the album De Bokkeriejers in 1994 with 15 songs about the gang. The song Bokkeriejersblood (1997) by Schintaler is one of the many other songs written about the bokkenrijders.
* The Belgian production house Het Geluidshuis released an audio story in 2016 titled De Bokrokker. This parody tells the story of a blacksmith in
Bokrijk
The Bokrijk Provincial Domain (, ) is a park and museum complex near Genk, Province of Limburg in Belgium. It is known for its open-air museum which displays a large collection of historical buildings from across Flanders which presents the hist ...
who unsuspectingly joins the buckriders and thus sows death and destruction.
* In the low-budget film Zondebokken (Scapegoats),
Maaseik
Maaseik (; ) is a city and municipality in the Belgian province of Limburg. Both in size (close to 77 km2) and in population (approx. 25,000 inhabitants, of whom some 3,000 non-Belgian), it is the 8th largest municipality in Limburg. The to ...
filmmaker
Rocky Grispen brings the episode of the buckriders to life. The film premiered in
Hasselt
Hasselt (, , ) is the capital and largest City status in Belgium, city of the Provinces of Belgium, province of Limburg (Belgium), Limburg in the Flemish Region of Belgium.
As of 1 August 2023, Hasselt had a total population of 80,846. The old ...
on November 16, 2023.
File:Schaesbergbeeld.jpg, Statue of a buckrider on the marketplace in Schaesberg
Schaesberg (; ) is a neighbourhood of Landgraaf and former village in the Netherlands, Dutch province of Limburg (Netherlands), Limburg.
History
The village was first mentioned in 16th century as Gaesberg. The etymology is unknown. Schaesberg ...
File:Valkenburg, Den Halderpark, standbeeld Bok.jpg, Statue in the Den Halder Park in Valkenburg
File:Bokkerijder in Maaseik.jpg, Buckrider in Maaseik
File:Heerlerheide Der Bokkeriejer 2.jpg, Statue''Carnavals Association De Bokkeriejesj'' in Heerlerheide
File:Termaar-Bokkerijderskruis (1).JPG, Field cross at the gallows of Margraten
Margraten (; ) is a village and a former municipality in the southeastern part of the Netherlands.
On 1 January 2011 this former municipality merged with a neighbouring one, which resulted in the new Eijsden-Margraten municipality.
Preceding d ...
on which two alleged buckriders were hanged
References
External links
*
De Bokkenrijders: gruwelijke misdaden én executies*
Website Bokkenrijdersgenootschap* {{in lang, nl}
Artikel bokkenrijders op Historiek.net
Belgian legends
Dutch legends
European demons
German legends
Germanic legendary creatures
Heerlen
Culture of Limburg
Outlaw gangs
Supernatural legends
Folklore of the Benelux
Belgian folklore
Dutch folklore