Ros Beiaard Dendermonde
Encyclopedia
Ros Beiaard of Dendermonde is a folkloristic
horse of big dimensions. It differs from the other Ros-Beiaard horses because it is used only once every ten years and because the horse is carried by people. The Ros Beiaard is on UNESCO
's list of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity
.
is carried through the town every ten years by a guild of bearers, called the 'Pijnders'. In keeping with the legend
, four young brothers from Dendermonde (de Vier Heemskinderen) wearing full armour sit astride the horse. The legend of Ros Beiaard is acted out during the procession.
and the Concordate.
In 1850 the brothers were Edmond, Désiré, Henri and Lodewijk Spanogh. The procession celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Court and the Academy of Arts. The historian David Lindanus was also commemmorated and king Leopold II attended the procession.
The inauguration of the statue of Pater De Smet in 1878 entailed a new procession and the knights were Isidoor, Omer, Petrus and Frans Willems. They also celebrated the inauguration of the new lock in the Dender
.
When Polydore De Keyser
, Lord Mayor of London
, visited his birth town Dendermonde in 1888, the Heemskinderen were Henri, Lodewijk, Gustaaf and Alfons Pieters.
In 1899, the Ros Beiaard was ridden by Pieter, Adhemar, Lucinthe and Leo Dieltjens. They celebrated a new bridge over the Scheldt
.
In 1930, Dendermonde celebrated the centenary of the Belgian independence and the Horse was ridden by Henri, Jean, Pierre and Albert Van Damme.
In 1952, Jozef, Rafaël, Pieter and Jan Bombay were the knights. The town hall existed for 500 years and this was celebrated.
In 1958, because of the World's Fair in Brussels
, the brothers Emiel, Albert, Jozef and Luc Leybaert rode the Ros.
In 1975 the brothers Dirk, Wim, Boudewijn and Kris De Jonghe rode the Horse and in 1990 the honour befell the brothers Veldeman and in 2000 the brothers Roy, Nick, Ken and Dean Coppieters.
The task of the Pijnders must not be underestimated, as they occupy a main function in the procession in carrying the horse. The movements of the horse have to be synchronized with the directions of the director. The Pijnders are divided into three groups consisting each of twelve carriers. Every group has its leader who has to set the pace and order the special movements.
who purportedly envy the Dendermonde for its horse.
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
horse of big dimensions. It differs from the other Ros-Beiaard horses because it is used only once every ten years and because the horse is carried by people. The Ros Beiaard is on UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
's list of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity
Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity
The Proclamation of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity was made by the Director-General of UNESCO starting in 2001 to raise awareness on intangible cultural heritage and encourage local communities to protect them and the local people who sustain these forms of cultural...
.
't Peird van Dendermonde
The Ros Beiaard of DendermondeDendermonde
Dendermonde is a Belgian city and municipality located in the Flemish province of East Flanders in the Denderstreek. The municipality comprises the city of Dendermonde proper and the towns of Appels, Baasrode, Grembergen, Mespelare, Oudegem, Schoonaarde, and Sint-Gillis-bij-Dendermonde...
is carried through the town every ten years by a guild of bearers, called the 'Pijnders'. In keeping with the legend
Legend
A legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude...
, four young brothers from Dendermonde (de Vier Heemskinderen) wearing full armour sit astride the horse. The legend of Ros Beiaard is acted out during the procession.
Dimensions and weight
From the ground to the tallest part of the head, the Ros Beiaard is 4.85m high. If one adds the decorations on top, then the horse is 5.8m high. From nose to tail, the Ros is 5.2m long and the width is exactly 2m. The head of the Ros Beiaard is made out of oak wood and it is 120 cm long and 50 cm wide. The horse weighs 800 kg without the brothers on top. The wooden frame has three spaces and has space for 12 bearers or 'Pijnders'.The four 'Heemskinderen'
Every ten years, the selection of the four 'Heemskinderen' is difficult. The criteria are severe:- It has to be four consecutive brothers, without a girl in between.
- They all have to be born in Dendermonde.
- The parents and grandparents have to be born in Dendermonde.
- They have to be between 7 and 21 years old on the day of the procession.
- They have to live in Dendermonde or one of its suburbs.
19th century
In 1807, the Ros was ridden by Pieter-Emmanuel, Pieter-Frans, Pieter-Jan and Bernard-Jozef Blomme. The horse was used to celebrate the birthday of Napoleon INapoleon I
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
and the Concordate.
In 1850 the brothers were Edmond, Désiré, Henri and Lodewijk Spanogh. The procession celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Court and the Academy of Arts. The historian David Lindanus was also commemmorated and king Leopold II attended the procession.
The inauguration of the statue of Pater De Smet in 1878 entailed a new procession and the knights were Isidoor, Omer, Petrus and Frans Willems. They also celebrated the inauguration of the new lock in the Dender
Dender
The Dendre or Dender is a 65 km long river in Belgium, right tributary of the river Scheldt. The confluence of both rivers is in the Belgian town Dendermonde....
.
When Polydore De Keyser
Polydore de Keyser
Sir Polydore de Keyser , was a lawyer and the first Roman Catholic since the Reformation to be elected Lord Mayor of London . He was born in the Belgian city of Dendermonde, near Ghent, Belgium....
, Lord Mayor of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, visited his birth town Dendermonde in 1888, the Heemskinderen were Henri, Lodewijk, Gustaaf and Alfons Pieters.
In 1899, the Ros Beiaard was ridden by Pieter, Adhemar, Lucinthe and Leo Dieltjens. They celebrated a new bridge over the Scheldt
Scheldt
The Scheldt is a 350 km long river in northern France, western Belgium and the southwestern part of the Netherlands...
.
20th century
In 1914, the knights were Jan, Leo, Pieter and Edward De Bruyn. The celebration was the appointment of Leo Bruynincx as mayor of Dendermonde.In 1930, Dendermonde celebrated the centenary of the Belgian independence and the Horse was ridden by Henri, Jean, Pierre and Albert Van Damme.
In 1952, Jozef, Rafaël, Pieter and Jan Bombay were the knights. The town hall existed for 500 years and this was celebrated.
In 1958, because of the World's Fair in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, the brothers Emiel, Albert, Jozef and Luc Leybaert rode the Ros.
In 1975 the brothers Dirk, Wim, Boudewijn and Kris De Jonghe rode the Horse and in 1990 the honour befell the brothers Veldeman and in 2000 the brothers Roy, Nick, Ken and Dean Coppieters.
21st century
In 2010 the procession was held in May and the Van Damme brothers rode the horse.The Pijnders
The guild of the Pijnders originated in the 14th century and had the monopoly on loading and unloading ships and cellars with wine and beer. Today, the Pijnders are the only persons allowed to carry the Ros Beiaard in the processions.The task of the Pijnders must not be underestimated, as they occupy a main function in the procession in carrying the horse. The movements of the horse have to be synchronized with the directions of the director. The Pijnders are divided into three groups consisting each of twelve carriers. Every group has its leader who has to set the pace and order the special movements.
The Hymn
The legend is told in the city hymn of Dendermonde. The hymn also refers to the rivalry with the neighbor city of AalstAalst, Belgium
Aalst is a city and municipality on the Dender River, 19 miles northwest from Brussels. It is located in the Flemish province of East Flanders in the Denderstreek. The municipality comprises the city of Aalst itself and the villages of Baardegem, Erembodegem, Gijzegem, Herdersem, Hofstade,...
who purportedly envy the Dendermonde for its horse.
't Ros Beiaard doet zijn ronde In de stad van Dendermonde Die van Aalst die zijn zo kwaad omdat hier 't Ros Beiaard gaat. refrein: De vier Aymons kinderen jent Met blanke zweerd in d'hand Ziet ze rijden 't Zijn de schoonsten van ons land |
't Ros Beiaards ogen fonk'len Zijne brede manen kronk'len En hij wendt hem fraai en vlug Met vier broers op zijnen rug. Hun harnas, schild en lansen blinken bij de zonneglanzen En den beiaard 't voisken geeft daar het Ros zijn eer in heeft. |
O Dendermondenaren Blijft altijd den roem bewaren Van het peerd zo wijd vermaard Als den grootsten man op aard. 't Ros Beiaard is ons glorie en benijdt g' ons die victorie Aelst, gij hebt nog min verstand als ons ridder ros vaillant. |
't Ros Beiaard is verheven heeft zich in het vuur begeven en het week op 't oorlogsveld alles voor zijn groot geweld. |