Beware of the Bokkenrijders!
People used to love legends in the Netherlands. People believed in witches, ghosts in haunted houses and demons, but also in Witte Wieven, De Vliegende Hollander and the Bokkenrijders. The other side of the coin was that all sorts of wild stories circulated and often innocent people became the victims of fear. Just look at the persecution of witches, but the Bokkenrijders also had a hard time.
A restaurant with a story
In the south of Limburg, you will find many beautiful locations. Many of those locations are rural, hospitable and cozy. Gasterij Kasteel Terborgh is one of them, but Kasteel Terborgh also has a bloody history. These days, you can eat delicious pancakes, sandwiches and Limburg flans here. And, of course, drink fresh beers on tap.
This place, where you can enjoy lots of goodies today, was the scene of the downfall of the Bokkenrijders in the 18th century. Court sessions were held here and there were dungeons and rackets. A number of Bokkenrijders were also hanged on the gallows here, on this very spot. But what about these Bokkenrijders?
The riders of Limburg
Have you never heard of the Bokkenrijders? In southern Limburg and parts of Belgium, they are both famous and infamous. But who or what exactly were they? Is it a legend, like the Flying Dutchman or is it a true story?
Devilish ritual
Between 1740 and 1798, Limburg and large parts of Belgium were rocked by a wave of arson and violent robberies. The perpetrators particularly targeted large farms and parsonages. These poachings frightened the local population so much that the wildest stories arose. For example, it was claimed that the robbers came riding in from the air on ferocious bucks. This flying would have been possible by reciting the maxim: “over house, over garden, over stake and that to Cologne in the wine cellar.”
Buck riding was seen as a devilish ritual: the Bokkenrijders were said to have made a pact with the Devil. It was whispered that in return the Bokkenrijders had to come to Mookerheide once a year to serve their master, the Devil…
Robin Hood-like status
The Limburg municipality of Schinnen, where Gasterij Kasteel Terborgh is located, was designated the hotbed of the activities of the Bokkenrijders. Its leader, the Black Captain, is said to originate from here. There is now evidence that the Bokkenrijders was not a cooperating gang of robbers, but consisted of individual criminals. During the day they lived and worked in the same villages that they plundered at night.
The robberies were committed because there was great social injustice. The raids on large farms and parsonages gave the Bokkenrijders a Robin Hood-like status. For many of them, the story did not have a happy ending. Of the 600 convicted Bokkenrijders, 90 percent were hanged. They often left the corpse hanging on the gallows for days to deter other Bokkenrijders. Torture was used in the interrogations, condemning many innocent people to death.
The Billygoat riders in Limburg
The Bokkenrijders belong to the immaterial cultural heritage of Limburg and therefore you see them a lot in the streets. So too in the Stammenderbos. This is one of the many mystical woods that surround Gasterij Kasteel Terborgh and, according to legend, belong to the land of the Bokkenrijders. The staff of Gasterij Kasteel Terborgh will gladly help you find a nice walking route in this beautiful forest steeped in history.
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