WAARDENBURG CASTLE, THE NETHERLANDS

Waardenburg Castle nowadays is a remnant of a castle with a polygonal shape dating back to around 1283. The castle was preceded by a wooden castle built in 1265. It was then known as Hiern Castle, named after the hill is was built on. This wooden castle was founded by a Rudolf Cock. His ancestors owned the castle until 1401, which was then known as Weerdenbergh Castle. This name translates as "washland hill". During the Eighty Years War, in the 16th century, the castle was taken by surprise and pillaged. The castle was heavily damaged in the process; only its heavy walls and the shells of the towers survived.

The castle remained a ruin until 1627 when a Johan Vijgh gained ownership and started partially rebuilding the castle. During this rebuilding the bailey and the southwing, in which the entrance gate was situated, were completely demolished. In the following centuries the castle was successively owned by the Aylva and Van Pallandt families. Even in 1895 the eastern wing of the castle was enlarged and fitted with a little stairtower. Today the castle lies separated from the river Waal by a dike. But in earlier centuries the river flowed by its walls. Waardenburg Castle is now owned by the "Friends of the Castles of Gelderland"-foundation.

Faust’s home, castle Waardenburg

Faust is famous because of the story by Goethe, based on a German legend. However, few know that this character really existed. Johann Georg Faust was born in Germany around 1480. It was said that he preyed on his young male students and that he practised magic and alchemy.

His habits and different way of thinking resulted in the story that he had sold his soul for idle pleasure. The devil would be his servant for seven years and help him with his experiments. He is thought to have died in an explosion, caused by his own experiments. Some decided that this was the work of the devil, who had come to collect his soul.

Where Faust died is unclear, but in Dutch stories, it was castle Waardenburg where he met his fate. At the top of the tower is a window with ancient bloodstains on the sides of the frame. It is said that this is where the devil dragged Faust away, and the place still feels like something remained to lurk there forever.

Whether Faust really lived in Waardenburg is not clear, but it is known that he spent some time in the Netherlands, and a very old Leeuwarden tale that the castle’s lord sold his soul to the devil existed long before the Faust legend became popular.

Comments

Mystery Hill: America's Stonehenge

Mystery Hill: America's Stonehenge The ancient site's mysterious history is debated by archeologists and conspiracy theorists alike. In the town of Salem, New Hampshire , stand an odd arrangement of rocks and boulders shrouded in mystery. Occupying about 30 acres of land, the history of this enigmatic place is debated by archeologists and conspiracy theorists alike. Some have offered more contemporary and logical explanations, while others are certain that Phoenicians, Vikings, or Celts are responsible for the site. It was once known as Mystery Hill. Nowadays, it is known as America's Stonehenge. In 1907, the location was briefly mentioned in a book titled History of Salem, N.H. It was attributed to a man named Jonathan Pattee, an eccentric farmer who supposedly built his home on the location and lived there through the mid-19th century. In 1939, Hugh O’Neill Hencken, a curator with Harvard University’s Peabody Museum, gave credence to the theory that Pattee once occu...

ANCIENT ASTRONAUTS IN THE CAVE PAINTINGS OF TASSILI N’AJJER

ANCIENT ASTRONAUTS IN THE CAVE PAINTINGS OF TASSILI N’AJJER Tassili n’Ajjer (Arabic: plateau of the rivers) seems like an endless stretch of unforgiving desert to the modern traveler. It’s a dry and visually harsh looking area, located in south-east Algeria at the borders of Libya, Niger and Mali. However, that initial analysis is somewhat deceiving. Covering more than 28,000 square miles of the Sahara desert and mainly composed of sandstone, Tassili n’Ajjer holds many secrets which have enamored both the scientific community and alien enthusiasts alike. For hidden in the many caves and crevices in the crumbling rock, is a treasure trove of ancient cave paintings and rock art. Since it’s first discovery in 1910, and later exploration in the 1930’s, scientific teams have been searching the area in earnest. What they discovered on the cave walls, was both amazing and surprising; some say the pictures are factual evidence that earth has been visited by alien astronauts. Regard...

THE STONE ON THE CHAIN (UTRECHT, NETHERLANDS)

THE STONE ON THE CHAIN (UTRECHT, NETHERLANDS) A special story is connected to the Utrecht stone (city in the Netherlands), which is riveted to the corner house of the Eligenhof and the Oudegracht number 364. The large stone was originally placed there to protect the house from damage when towing cargo or driving cars. It was already there in 1520. The stone on the chain But there was something wrong with the stone, which looked so ordinary during the day. Imagine... at twelve o'clock at night at New Moon, when you stuck a pin in one of her pale veins, blood flowed out. And that was not all! Not by a long shot... In the middle of the night all kinds of evil spirits, giants, witches and sorcerers came. They danced around the stone. They marched with it over the boulders of the Oudegracht. They bounced like a ball back and forth from the Vollersbrug over the Oudegracht to the Geertebrug. Back and forth! Hoepla! Fuss! It was a terrible noise and the citizens of Utrecht could not fall...

Shadows Corner

Search This Blog