Barchem, Netherlands — Gelderland (folk belief)

Witte Wieven: The White Women of the Mist

Folklore — not a documented case

On the heaths and ancient burial mounds of the eastern Netherlands, white-clad female spirits were believed to dance on misty nights. A hollow near Barchem is remembered as their home.

The Witte Wieven, or “White Women”, are mysterious female spirits of folk belief in Gelderland, Overijssel and Drenthe, in the eastern Netherlands. They are said to appear in long white garments within the mist that rises over heaths, marshes and prehistoric burial mounds.

The stories in this section are folk tales and legends; they are not verified, real events and should not be confused with the rest of the archive.

From the same region