The Kludde
On dark Flemish roads, people heard a voice crying 'Kludde! Kludde!' and the clank of chains. The closer it sounded, the further away it really was.
What was reported
The Kludde is a shapeshifting spirit of Flemish folklore in Belgium. It might appear as a huge black dog dragging chains, a horse, a cat, a toad or a bat, often with two small blue flames flickering in front of it. Its name comes from the cry it makes, 'kludde, kludde'.
It was said to jump on the backs of night travellers and grow heavier and heavier, or to lure people into rivers. Some said that when its cry sounded far away, it was near, and that you could never outrun it.
Explanations offered
The Kludde belongs to the family of black dog and night-terror spirits found across north-west Europe. Folklorists see such tales as warnings about travelling at night near rivers and marshes. Its blue flames may be linked to will-o'-the-wisps.
- When
- Told for centuries
- Where
- Dendermonde, Flanders, Belgium
- Witnesses
- Flemish folklore
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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