A reminder of the Bokkenrijders in Valkenburg

by Flachsfotografie

This reminder of the Bokkenrijders is on a chimney of a property on Gosewijnstraat in Valkenburg.

According to popular belief, the Bokkenrijders were persons or spirits who rode through the air on bucks. In the 18th century, this was the name given to a gang of thieves, extortionists and perpetrators of violent robberies.

The billygoat-riding gangs were intermittently active in the period between 1740-1798 in present-day Dutch South Limburg and Central Limburg, Belgian Limburg and the Belgian and Dutch Kempen, the Belgian Voer region, the Land of Herve, the region around Liège and some areas just across the German border near Herzogenrath.

The raids and extortions generally targeted farms and parsonages in the countryside. Later, the billygoat riders gained a Robin Hood-like status with some.

Today, it is thought that there were several criminal gangs and individuals, who had no connections with each other. It is also believed that a large proportion of the approximately 1,200 accused and around 500 convicted were innocent, as most confessions were extracted through torture.

The Bokkenrijders are part of Limburg's intangible cultural heritage.
Information source: Visit Zuid-Limburg.