#remouchamps

[atevegter]

2622 Onderaards

Op de kamer van een collega van mij hing ooit een grote poster van de grotten van Han. Han was zijn voornaam. Het was in de tijd dat we nog een eigen kamer hadden, sinds het flexwerken een zeldzaamheid. Wij zijn niet naar de grotten van Han geweest, maar naar die van Remouchamps. Geen collega die zo heette. Het is een verstandig uitstapje die grotten, want het is buiten 32 graden en onderaards…

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#ate vegter #België #column #dagboek #Remouchamps

[joel-eloy]

#remouchamp #paysage

[bestiarium]

The Sottai [French-Belgian folklore]

Few folklore traditions are as common throughout Europe as the supposed existence of a race of tiny, dwarf-like creatures. Usually hidden from human society, these beings are usually not evil or malicious but do tend to be tricksters.

The Sottai, also called Sotê or Sotai, is a species of tiny leprechaun-like creatures living in Vosges and Lorraine, in France, and also near the Amblève river in Wallonia (Belgium). Specifically, in Belgium they are said to inhabit the caverns of Remouchamps.

The Sottais are characterized by their laziness and absolutely detest physical labour, but they are nevertheless helpful and usually willing to help out people in need. Indeed, there are stories about Sottais helping out workers and farmers and only demanding food in return.

It is known that these little creatures greatly enjoy parties and festivities, and they happen to be excellent dancers as well. Though not particularly dangerous or malicious, they are also exceptionally skilled archers. As a local story from the Ardennes goes, emperor Charlemagne of the Carolingian Empire was greeted by a troupe of Sottais when he was travelling through the Ardennes. Impressed by their archery skills, he invited them to become a part of his royal entourage, but the creatures refused and returned to their homes.

The name ‘Sottai’ might have been derived from ‘sot’ (silly or foolish) or ‘les sottes gens’ which means something like ‘the silly people’. This implies they were known as tricksters and jokers.

The Sottais, however, are all gone today, as they have all been killed by soldiers from Luxembourg. The soldiers collected bundles of dry wood and lit them on fire at the entrances of the cave system which the little folk inhabited. After being smoked out of their homes like foxes in a hunt, the Sottais were slaughtered. Those who managed to escape found out that the military men were being aided by the local population, which the Sottais had always helped out. Shocked by this betrayal and the cruelty of humans, the little folk left forever.

One Sottai remained, however: a local legend from Wallonia tells of Glawenn, a young Sottai with curly hair, the only one who stayed behind. He did not leave with his brethren, because he was hopelessly in love with a human girl named Garite. The tiny Sottai had been friends with the girl since they were little, and he would often bring her gifts which he had crafted with great skill. Garite eventually married a farmer named Thomas, and though it pained Glawenn, he accepted his fate and told Garite that ‘everything I do for you, I would gladly do for your husband and children’.

As the story goes, Thomas had sown rye on his field, but he had rotten luck and nothing would grow on his lands, even though the fields of his neighbours were full of life. One day, in a fit of rage and frustration, Thomas yelled ‘the devil may have this field and everything in it!’

Unexpectedly, a strange whispering sound came floating on the wind and it sounded a lot like someone saying ‘thank you’. Thomas was chilled to his very bones when he looked at his fields and realized that Pierre, his 4-year-old son, was playing there. He understood now that he had given his own child to the devil, albeit unintentionally.

Uncertain what to do, he told everything to his wife Garite. Garite, in turn, went to the cave where the last Sottai lived, hoping that her childhood friend could help them out. Meanwhile, the rye was growing very well, and her son Pierre had grown tall and strong as well.

When the time came for Thomas to harvest his crops, a strange man emerged from a nearby shrub. He was ugly, tall and thin, and wore a strange costume that didn’t resemble anything the locals wore. The man stopped Thomas, and told him that the crops rightfully belonged to him, as did his son Pierre. Thomas had, after all, given him his land and everything in it.

But Thomas was brave and argued that the devil did not have the right to take these things based solely on a loose promise made in anger. The devil retorted that Thomas had indeed given him these things, and it was because of the devil that the crops had grown tall. And so the two argued back and forth until the devil came with a proposal. The next morning, they would play a game, and the winner would receive both the land and the boy.

For the first round, both Thomas and the devil had to bring one animal: their opponent had to guess which species it belonged to. In the second round, both players had to come up with a task – something doable and natural – that the other had to complete.

Thomas told the entire story to his wife, who yelled at him for being a complete idiot. She went to see Glawenn again, and the little leprechaun told her “tell Thomas to show up half an hour early, and to do everything I tell him to. I will help him win this contest.”

The next morning, Thomas saw the strangest animal he had ever seen: it was about 60 cm (2 feet) high, had 4 legs, and was covered in colourful feathers. In truth, this was Glawenn, hunched over and covered in feathers. Sure enough, the devil showed up and he could not guess what strange animal Thomas had brought. But he himself had an even weirder creature, the likes of which Thomas had never seen. Luckily, Glawenn saw through the fiendish ruse and understood that it was nothing more than a goat in a fancy disguise. He whispered ‘it is a goat!’ to Thomas and so they had won the first round.

For the second game, Thomas gave the devil some of Glawenn’s unnaturally curly hair, and told him to straighten it. But try as he might, even the devil himself was unable to accomplish this.

Realizing he was defeated, the devil retaliated and told Thomas ‘for your task, you will throw this leprechaun in the Adseux river, and if you refuse, I will have both your son and your land.’

The past few weeks had seen heavy rainfall, and so the Adseux was wild and deep. There was no way Glawenn could possibly survive this. But Glawenn accepted his fate and, with his hand on his heart, proclaimed his love for Garite one final time before jumping to his demise. Mercifully, death came quickly, for the tiny man was smashed against the sharp rocks almost immediately. The river carried his remains to the cavern of Remouchamps, where he was born. Defeated, the devil disappeared.

And so the last Sottai died.  

Sources: La Garde, M., 1865, Le val de l’Amblève. Histoires et scènes ardennaises, 2ième édition, Ve Parent & Fils, 468 pp., p. 237-251. Méchin, C., 2010, Petit dicionnaire des mythes et légendes en Ardenne, édition 2010 revue et augmentée, The Book Edition, 250 pp., p. 227. Institut Archéologique Liégeois, 1852, Bulletin de l’Institut Archéologique Liégeois, Volumes 1-2, Maison Curtius, 568 pp., p. 273-274. (image source 1: Victor Prouvé) (image 2: a 1923 poster advertising the caverns of Remouchamps, where the Sottais supposedly lived. Image taken from ClassicPosterGallery)

#Belgian mythology #French mythology #Leprechauns #Dwarves #mythical creatures #humanoid creatures #mythology #world mythology #myths #sorry for the long post #I found the story fascinating and didn't want to leave anything out

[reflet-de-la-lune]

Château de Montjardin à Remouchamps en Belgique

Photographie d'Auguste Linotte

[histoire-de-dire-et-de-faire]

Lancelot Du Seaux le preux chevalier a Remouchamps B Tournois

#youtube

[jossarisfoto]

#remouchamps #remouchampscave #grottes #belgie #belgique #cave #grot #grotten #grottenvanremouchamps #shotwithcanoneos7d (bij Grottes de Remouchamps) https://www.instagram.com/p/CG6i-9BFVbh/?igshid=1shwor9orjf7h

#remouchamps #remouchampscave #grottes #belgie #belgique #cave #grot #grotten #grottenvanremouchamps #shotwithcanoneos7d

[degenezijde]

We went underground today (:

#Caves #Caverns #grottes de remouchamps

[earthstory]

THE REMOUCHAMPS CAVES, BELGIUM

These caves contain the longest subterranean river known in the world, the Rubicon (not to be confused with the Rubicon in Italy). The caves opened in 1912 and were originally equipped with torches. 8,000 years ago Paleolithic hunters sheltered themselves in the caves; much later the same area was used as a wine shelter. More recently the caves were used as a shelter during World War II. <!-- more --<

Bats can be seen within the cave, as can the niphargus, a blind, translucent shrimp. There are also many stalactites and stalagmites within the passageways; one is thought to resemble the Virgin Mary.

To explore the caves, visitors first take a long walk to a ‘cathedral’ and then take an hour and a half boat ride for 600 metres down the Rubicon.

-TEL

http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/caves-remouchamps Image: Pahles at li.wikipedia

#Remouchamps #Cave #river #Geology #Rubicon #Belgium #limestone #karst #nature #landscape #travel #the earth story

[puppary]

Sougné-Remouchamps, Belgium.

#belgium #personal #photography #sougné-remouchamps #travel

[whatdoesshedotothem]

Monday 21 May 1838

9

12 ¼

bowel complaint  had a large motion and went to bed again for an hour and two or three motions on getting up again – not very fit to go to the cavern de Remouchamps but kept quiet and resolved to try – breakfast over at 10 ½ at which hour F57° and fine day – A- and I and the 2 servants and Henri d’Amey the valet de Place off in the caleche of yesterday with another coachman and another pair of horses at 7 7 – in 12 minutes turn left into by road over a little run of water and put on a 3rd horse!!! and Henri asked us all to get out to see the views – A- preferred getting out – I soon saw the humbug and got rather cross about it and in walking weak as I was for 30 minutes up hill and the sun hot (the rest walked 35 minutes to the top or very nearly – we had the house ½ hour) got so heated I had not a dry thread on me – no good precursor  of the cavern – thought I this wont do – so jolted or not resolved to sit still in the carriage and get cool – most terrible road – a very bad cart road – A- could not bear the fright and jolting – her shoulders quite sore – and she walked down the greater part of the hill and into the village (walked above ½ hour) it was indeed a terrible jolting alighted at 2 43 at the little auberge at Remouchamps (very picturesque village wood, rock, and river, and little rock-seated wood-[?] chateau with tower very like the west tower at Shibden) – the woman of the hose furnishing A- and myself each a round straw hat and Oddy a red handkerchief for her head and each of us a blue blouse and thus comfortably and very appropriately costumes we entered the grotte at 3 10 – very little was formerly known – the 2 bridges – the little steam – the height and extent of the cavern, and the quantity and beautiful (tho�� much blackened and occasionally broken of the stalagmites and stalactites  make the cavern an object well worth seeing – much superior to that at Castleton in Derbyshire? saw what they called the old grotte first and then descended 2 ladders (the passage cut thro’ 12ft. deep of rock) into the grotte modern, or new cavern – perhaps the more interesting of the 2 – was it here or about that Henri pointed out one stone of the roof 320ft. long – I was incredulous tho’ it did indeed look a very long stone – but 320ft. I could not quite take in – I can imagine the people do not always shew but the grottes more especially when they have many parties 1 after another – a party of 2 gentlemen and a French girl or French woman went immediately after were out again in an hour or less, and probably did not see both the avenues we entered the grotte at 3 10 and were out again at 4 20 – washed hands etc. left the servants to get bread and butter and A- and I strolled out at 4 ¾ for an hour – into the village – saw cap-shop – went into – it was cap-shop (café) grocers’ and linen-drapers’ shop – nice little jack of all trades village boutique, a civil respectable blue bloused home being salesman – ‘tuille Grecque’ filled cap 2/75 and A- put it on under her bonnet – we had had a little light shower or 2 on the hills (bleak heathery moors) and now a few drops sent us back but cleared up and we walked up the singular picturesque narrow rocky gorge to within ¼ hour of the village of St. Mauve (as pronounced by the peasant we met) – then back to the auberge off home at 4 52 with a cheval de Renfort again to the top of the hill 1 10 hour till 6 2 – home at 7 374 – terrible jolting

SH:7/ML/E/21/0105

yet the mountain air had done me good, and I felt no worse for the cavern – the best-roaded most comfortable cavern I ever was in – only 3 or 4 times to stop, and that merely for 2 or 3 yards at once – home at 7 ¾ - dinner at 8 and sat over it (1/2 bottle food white champagne mousseux) and then slept (A- and I) on the sofa till 10 ½ - fine day (the 2 or 3 little light showers nothing) F58° at 10 ¾ pm – sat up airing our linen by our good wood fire

[michaelblogt]

We gaan naar de Ardennen

We gaan naar de Ardennen

Yeah, we gaan nog eens naar de Ardennen … of toch een beetje.

Het is vandaag 07-07-2019, het is mooi weder en dus ook een mooie dag voor een uitstap. Deze uitstap zouden we een beetje verder doen, maar eerst moesten we wat kilometers met de auto afleggen… Onze eerste stop was in Moelingen, waar we op een terras aan de oevers…

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#ardennen #aubel #aywaille #belgie #natuur #remouchamps #val dieu

[atevegter]

2617 herinneringen

de laatste week is begonnen. vrijdag zijn we weer thuis. wat blijft er van zo’n vakantie eigenlijk over aan herinneringen? die eerste twee weken, wat weet ik daar nog van? ik weet al bijna niet meer hoe ik zojuist, zoooooojuist, ik denk aan juliana bij de inhuldiging van beatrix 30 april 1980, dat zijn pas herinneringen, koffiezette. afijn, ik zet dus elke morgen koffie. met de dolce gusto cups,…

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#ate vegter #column #dagboek #Dolce Gusto #kikkerbilletjes #koffiezetten #sougné-remouchamps #stoelen

[trail-addicts]

Our friend Job Bokmans is killing the trail! Check our travel page! Link in bio 📷 by me Rik Harms #trail #enduro #ride #trailaddicts #remouchamps #belgium #trailriding #drop #alpinestarsracing #alpinestars #orbea #rocks #woods #fully #enduroracing #goodtimes

#alpinestars #fully #orbea #trailaddicts #drop #rocks #trail #enduroracing #ride #alpinestarsracing #woods #goodtimes #trailriding #belgium #remouchamps #enduro

[alatariel-nenharma]

Korte tussenstop. Wachten op de fanatiekelingen Dennis en bas. #remouchamps #belgie #ardennen #thegoodlife #wielrennen #racefietsen

#thegoodlife #belgie #racefietsen #ardennen #wielrennen #remouchamps

[reflet-de-la-lune]

Brume sur la vallée de Remouchamps, au dessus de la Redoute

Photographie de Vincent Michel

#Belgique #Belgien #België #Belgium

[marcantoinephotographie]

Strange Wallonia.

I was born in Aywaille, at the gateway to the Ardennes in Wallonia, lulled by the tales, legends and folklore of the region. The stories were mainly conveyed orally and were told at the time of the big fires, carnivals, ... I discovered them also through the books of Marcellin La Garde, Belgian romantic writer born in 1818 in Sougné - Remouchamps and died in Saint-Gilles in 1889. The folklore groups of the region also had a mixture of history and legends, it was the Macrales de Dieupart, (witches), the Cabris of Val d'Amblève, (little goats), the Sotais, (goblins) , ... As a child I often found myself in the deep Ardennes forests in search of the places evoked by La Garde, (The bloody stone of Nierbonchera, the castle of Amblève, the last sotai of the cave of Remouchamps, ...) many traveled through Wallonia and discovered other traditions and stories. From all this I keep a love and an ever greater curiosity for this strange Wallonia. I came up with the idea of ​​developing a more brutal series of photographs in black and white on this subject, in his image.

Welcome to my vision of Strange Wallonia.

Marc Antoine • July 2019

Etrange Wallonie.

Je suis né à Aywaille, aux portes de l’Ardenne en Wallonie, bercé par les contes, les légendes et le folklore de la région. Les récits étaient principalement véhiculés oralement et se racontaient au moment des grands feux, des carnavals, … Je les ai découverts aussi à travers les livres de Marcellin La Garde, écrivain romantique belge né en 1818 à Sougné - Remouchamps et décédé à Saint-Gilles en 1889. Les groupes folkloriques de la région entretenaient aussi un mélange d’histoire et de légendes, c’était les Macrales de Dieupart, (sorcières), les Cabris du Val d’Amblève, (petites chèvres), les Sotais, (lutins), … Enfant je me suis souvent enfoncé dans les profondes forêts ardennaises à la recherche des lieux évoqués par La Garde, (La pierre sanglante de Nierbonchera, le château d’Amblève, le dernier sotai de la grotte de Remouchamps, …) J’ai beaucoup sillonné la Wallonie et découvert d’autres traditions et récits. De tout cela je garde un amour et une curiosité toujours plus grande pour cette étrange Wallonie. Il m’est venu l’idée de développer une série de photographies plus brute en noir et blanc sur ce sujet, à son image.

Bienvenue dans ma vision de l’Etrange Wallonie.

Marc Antoine • Juillet 2019

#strangewallonia