1.
History of Belgium
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The history of Belgium predates the founding of the modern state of that name in 1830. Belgiums history is intertwined with those of its neighbours, the Netherlands, Germany, France, due to its strategic location and the many armies fighting on its soil, since the Thirty Years War, Belgium has often been called the battlefield of Europe or the cockpit of Europe. It is also remarkable as a European nation which contains, and is divided by, Belgiums formation, like that of its Benelux neighbours, can be traced back to the Seventeen Provinces within the Burgundian Netherlands. The Eighty Years War, led to the split between a northern Dutch Republic, and the Southern Netherlands from which Belgium and Luxembourg developed and this southern territory continued to be ruled by the Habsburg descendants of the Burgundian house, at first as the Spanish Netherlands. Invasions from France under Louis XIV led to the loss of what is now Nord-Pas-de-Calais to France, the French Revolutionary wars led to Belgium becoming part of France in 1795, bringing the end of the semi-independence of areas which had belonged to the Catholic church. The king set up his own private colonial empire in the Belgian Congo, Belgium was neutral but its strategic location as a pathway to France made it an invasion target for Germany in 1914 and 1940. Conditions under the occupation were severe, in the postwar period Belgium was a leader in European unification, as a founding member of what has become the European Union. Brussels is now host to the headquarters of NATO and is the de facto capital of the European Union, the colonies became independent in the early 1960s. Politically the country was once polarized on matters of religion and, in recent decades, it has faced new divisions over differences of language and the unequal economic development. This ongoing antagonism has caused far-reaching reforms since the 1970s, changing the formerly unitary Belgian state into a federal state and it is now divided into three regions, Flanders in the north, Wallonia in the South, and bilingual Brussels in the middle. There is also a German-speaking population along the border with Germany, on Belgian territory Neanderthal fossils were discovered at Engis in 1829-30 and elsewhere, some dating back to at least 100,000 BCE. The earliest Neolithic farming technology of northern Europe, the so-called LBK culture and its expansion stopped in the Hesbaye region of eastern Belgium around 5000 BCE. The Belgian LBK is notable for its use of walls around villages. A slightly later-starting Neolithic culture found in central Wallonia is the so-called Groupe de Blicquy, one notable archaeological site in this region is the Neolithic flint mines of Spiennes. Farming in Belgium however failed to take permanent hold at first, the LBK and Blicquy cultures disappeared and there is a long gap before a new farming culture, the Michelsberg culture, appeared and became widespread. Hunter gatherers of the Swifterbant culture apparently remained in the north of Belgium. In the third and late fourth millennia BCE, the whole of Flanders shows relatively little evidence of human habitation, although it is felt that there was a continuing human presence, the types of evidence available make judgement about the details very difficult. The Seine-Oise-Marne culture spread into the Ardennes, and is associated with megalithic sites there, the same pattern continues into the late Neolithic and early Bronze Age
2.
Belgians
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Belgians are the citizens of the Kingdom of Belgium, a federal state in Western Europe. There is also a substantial Belgian diaspora, settling primarily the United States, Canada, Belgians are a relatively new people. The 1830 revolution led to the establishment of an independent country under a provisional government, the Belgian people are descendants of the Celtic Belgae and Germanic peoples such as the Frisians, Franks, and the Saxons. The Latin name was revived in 1790 by the short-lived United Belgian States which was created after a revolution against Austrian rule took place in 1789, from the sixteenth century, the The Low Countries or The Netherlands, were referred to as Belgica in Latin. Belgians are primarily a nationality or citizen group, by jus soli, also known as birthright citizenship, since many Belgians are at least bilingual, or even trilingual, it is common for business, social and family networks to include members of the various ethnic groups composing Belgium. The Brussels-Capital Region occupies a unique political and cultural position since geographically and linguistically it is an enclave within the unilingual Flemish Region. Since the independence of Belgium in 1830, the title of the Belgian head of state is the King of the Belgians rather than the King of Belgium. Within Belgium the Flemish, about 60% of the population, form a clearly distinguishable group, set apart by their language, however, the popular perception of being a single polity varies greatly, depending on subject matter, locality and personal background. Generally, Flemings will seldom identify themselves as being Dutch and vice versa, Walloons are a French-speaking people who live in Belgium, principally in Wallonia. Walloons are a community within Belgium, important historical and anthropological criteria bind Walloons to the French people. More generally, the term refers to the inhabitants of the Walloon Region. They may speak languages such as Walloon. Though roughly three-quarters of Belgiums French speakers live in Wallonia, it is important to note that French-speaking residents of Brussels tend not to identify as Walloons, the German-speaking Community of Belgium is one of the three constitutionally recognized federal communities of Belgium. Bordering the Netherlands, Germany and Luxembourg, the area has its own parliament and government at Eupen, the German-speaking community is composed of the German-speaking parts of the lands that were annexed in 1920 from Germany. However, in these localities, the German language is endangered due to the adoption of French. Roman Catholicism has traditionally been Belgiums majority religion with approximately 65% of the Belgians declaring themselves to be Catholics, however, by 2004, nationwide Sunday church attendance was only about 4 to 8%. Belgium had a population of 10,839,905 people on 1 January 2010, between 1990 and 2000 the increase was only 291,000. The population of Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels on 1 January 2010 was 6,251,983,3,498,384 and 1,089,538, list of Belgians Flemish people Walloons Belgian American Belgian Brazilian Flemish Canadian
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Languages of Belgium
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The Kingdom of Belgium has three official languages, Dutch, French, and German. A number of non-official, minority languages and dialects are spoken as well, the Belgian Constitution guarantees, since the countrys independence, freedom of language in the private sphere. Article 30 specifies that the use of languages spoken in Belgium is optional, only the law can rule on this matter, before the federal structure and the language legislation gradually introduced in the 20th century, French was generally the only language used by public authorities. For example, the Dutch version of the Constitution has enjoyed equal status to the original French one only since 1967, and the German version only since 1991. Though the standard form of Dutch used in Belgium is almost identical to that spoken in the Netherlands, Dutch is the official language of the Flemish Community and the Flemish Region and, along with French, an official language of the Brussels-Capital Region. The main Dutch dialects spoken in Belgium are Brabantian, West Flemish, East Flemish, Antwerp, all these are spoken across the border in the Netherlands as well, and West Flemish is also spoken in French Flanders. Some sub-dialects may be distant from standard Dutch and not be readily intelligible for other Dutch-speakers. Words which are unique to Belgian Dutch are called belgicisms, the original Brabantian dialect of Brussels has been very much influenced by French. It is now spoken by a minority in the Capital region since the language of most inhabitants shifted during the Frenchification of Brussels, the second-most spoken primary language, used natively by almost 40% of the population, is French. It is the language of the French Community, the dominant language in Wallonia as well as the Brussels-Capital Region. Almost all of the inhabitants of the Capital region speak French as either their primary language or as a lingua franca, there are also many Flemish people who speak French as a second language. Belgian French is in most respects identical to standard, Parisian French, but differs in some points of vocabulary, pronunciation, German is the least prevalent official language in Belgium, spoken natively by less than 1% of the population. The German-speaking Community of Belgium numbers 77,000, residing in an area of Belgium that was ceded by the former German Empire as part of the Treaty of Versailles, which concluded World War I. In 1940, Nazi Germany re-annexed the region following its invasion of Belgium during World War II, in national politics, politicians can choose which of the three official languages they want to speak. In the Belgian parliament, simultaneous interpretation is available for those who require it, education is provided by the Communities, Dutch in the Flemish Community, French in the French Community, German in the German-speaking community. Instruction in other languages is prohibited in government-funded schools, also all official communication with the government must be in the official language of the region or community. Inhabitants of a few municipalities are granted an exception to these rules, the measures advocated by the Marshall Plan are heading towards the proper direction, but are doubtlessly quite insufficient to fully overcome the lag. Within the report, professors in economics Ginsburgh and Weber further show that of the Brussels residents, 95% declared they can speak French, 59% Dutch, and 41% know the non-local English
4.
Mythology in the Low Countries
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Pre-Christian traditions of veneration of trees, springs and woods native to the Low Countries survived in Christianized guise into the Middle Ages. Sources for the reconstruction of such traditions include the accounts of the Anglo-Saxon missionaries to the region, medieval and modern folklore and legend. From ancient regional mythology, most names of ancient gods and goddesses in this region come from local tribal lore, Many of the deities are the same as eastern Germanic Deities, Wodan is Dutch for Odin, the god of war and leader of the Wild Hunt. The Wild Hunt was retold in Dutch with Wodan leading under different guises, Gait with his dogs, Derk with his dogs, Derk with his boar, Donar is Dutch for Thor the god of thunder. In Dutch the days of the week are named for Germanic gods, finally some deities were regional or specific to one clan, Arduinna was the Celtic goddess of the Ardennes forest. Nehalennia was a goddess of travellers in Zeeland, where over 160 stone votives depicting her image were located in the sea, Vagdavercustis was an ancient goddess of the Batavians mentioned on an altar near Cologne. Tanfana is another more mysterious goddess recorded in the 1st century AD, the Dutch words witte wieven and wittewijven in Dutch dialects means white women. They were spirits of the women who died of heartbreak after their men had been untrue to them and they would live on in the mists and appear when it was night and misty. They would attack men who were untrue to their women by getting them lost in the mists, the moss maidens, who appear in Old Dutch and Southern Germanic folklore were known as tree spirits or wood elves, often chased in the Dutch version of the Wild Hunt. The Kabouter was the Dutch name for the kobold, a household spirit, the first epic heroes, kings and leaders of The Low Countries, considered mythological, in the sense of supernatural and foundational, include, Tuisto - the mythical ancestor of all Germanic tribes. Mannus - ancestor of a number of Germanic tribes, son of Tuisto, ing - founder of the Ingaevones tribe, son of Mannus. Istaev - founder of the Istvaeones tribe, son of Mannus, redbad, King of the Frisians Folcwald - hero of Frisian tribes. Finn - hero of Frisian tribes, Frisian lord, son of Folcwald, merovech, semi-legendary founder of the Merovingian dynasty Objects considered magical or sacred in the Low Countries included, Oak trees, springs and wooded groves had sacred and medicinal powers. Corn dollies were thought to hold the spirit of the corn in harvest rituals, Amulets and charms were worn on the head or the arms for protection and veneration of the gods and goddesses. Neolithic ground axes were collected, thought to be Donars lightning, farmers hung these axes in their homes to protect against lightning strike, in accordance with the belief that lightning never strikes the same place twice. After the influence of Christian missionaries, the original mythologies were lessened in power, the witte wieven for example became ghosts haunting sacred sites. However sacred beliefs and practices continued, often incorporated with Christianity, in a good example, the 12th century poem from the Netherlands Karel ende Elegast, an elven being is described as the hero who befriends and helps the Christian king Charlemagne in the forest. In the Hieronymous Bosch painting, Cure of Folly, 1475-1480, the main missionaries of the Netherlands were Willibrord, Bonifatius and Saint Eligius
5.
Folklore of Belgium
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Much of Belgian folklore is unique to the region in which it is commemorated. Many aspects of folklore are manifested in public processions and parades in Belgian cities, traditions which are alive for the amusement of locals. The term folklore is used in Belgium in a wider sense than in English, chiefly to denote all cultural events open to the public such as traditional festivals. Excluded from folklore are individual traditions, like the celebration of Easter, food, the procession in the town of Binche is one of the best known in Belgium. The Carnival of Binche takes place on Mardi-Gras before Lent, participants wear elaborate costumes in the national colours of Red, Black and Yellow. During the parade, they throw oranges at the crowd, in 2003, it was recognized by UNESCO as one of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. Each summer, the town of Ath holds a procession known as the Parade of Giants. The procession, which traces its origins to the Middle Ages, commemorates the marriage of two giants, a mock ceremony is held in a church, and afterward, the giant fights a shepherd David, in front of the town hall. Onlookers throw coins at the effigies of the giants as they pass for good luck and it is clear that the Christian story of David and Goliath was influential to this festival. The town of Andenne holds a festival each year three weeks before Easter known as the Bear Festival, the story told about the festival is that it commemorates young Charles Martels defeat of a bear which was terrorizing the region. The bear also features on the coat of arms. Sainte-Begge, allegedly related to Martel, is credited with founding the city in 684,2,000 people participate in the parade, in costume, and 250 Teddy bears are thrown to the public from the town hall. The town of Stavelot holds the Blanc Moussis festival, participants wear white sheets and hoods, and masks with pointed noses. The festival recalls the monks of the 15th century who were forbidden from celebrating carnival because of their laziness, participants wander the streets of the town putting up posters. In the afternoon they shower the crowds with confetti while hitting them with pork bladders, the folklore of the Ardennes, in the province of Luxembourg, is particularly rich. The Ommegang is one of the most popular festivals in Belgium, including 2,000 participants. The name derives from the old Flemish word omme meaning around, the procession moves from the Grand Sablon to the Grand Place and features Knights and stilt-walkers. The procession itself is said to date to the 13th Century, each year, the procession attracts some 50,000 visitors and pilgrims
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Belgian cuisine
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Belgian cuisine is widely varied with significant regional variations while also reflecting the cuisines of neighbouring France, Germany and the Netherlands. It is sometimes said that Belgian food is served in the quantity of German cuisine, outside the country, Belgium is best known for its chocolate, waffles, fries and beer. Belgian cuisine therefore usually refers to dishes of Belgian origin, or those considered typically Belgian, Belgian cuisine traditionally prizes regional and seasonal ingredients. Ingredients typical in Belgian dishes include potatoes, leeks, grey shrimp, white asparagus, Belgian endives and local beer, in addition to common European staples including meat, cheese and butter. Belgians typically eat three meals a day, with a light breakfast, medium or large-sized lunch and small dinner, Belgium has a plethora of dishes and products that are local to a specific area. Examples include waterzooi from Ghent, the biscuit from the town of Dinant. While their local origins are acknowledged, most such dishes are enjoyed throughout Belgium, boterhammen / Tartines, Slices of rustic bread and an uncovered spread, often pâté or soft cheese, served on a cutting board. A typical variety is a slice of bread with sliced radishes, charcuterie, particularly smoked ham and pâté, often made of game such as wild boar. The forested Ardennes region in the south of Belgium is renowned for this type of food, salade Liégeoise, a salad with green beans, bacon, onions and vinegar. It is usually associated with Liège, tomate-crevette / Tomaat-garnaal, a snack or starter of grey shrimp and mayonnaise stuffed into a hollowed-out raw tomato. Moules-frites / Mosselen-friet, mussels cooked or steamed with onions and celery served with fries, the recipe has often been referred to as the countrys national dish but is also popular in the neighboring Nord region of France. Carbonade flamande / Stoverij, a Belgian beef stew, similar to the French Beef Bourguignon, served with bread or fries and mustard. This is also considered one of the dishes, along with moules-frites. Steak-frites Waterzooi, a stew and soup of chicken or fish, vegetables, cream and eggs. Gegratineerde witloof / Chicons au gratin, a gratin of Belgian endives in béchamel sauce with cheese, often the endives are wrapped with ham. Kip met frieten en appelmoes / Poulet-frites-compote, konijn in geuze / Lapin à la gueuze, rabbit in gueuze, which is a spontaneously fermented beer from the area around Brussels. Filet américain, Very finely minced ground beef eaten raw and cold and it is spread on a sandwich or bread with and sometimes topped with a sauce, usually with Sauce américaine, and served with fries. When served as a dinner, it is mixed with onions and capers like steak tartare, paling in t groen / Anguilles au vert, Eel in a green sauce of mixed herbs
7.
Religion in Belgium
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Christianity, in particular Roman Catholicism, is the largest religion in Belgium. According to Eurobarometer, as of 2012 about 65% of the population is Christian, members of Protestant, Eastern Orthodox churches and other Christian denominations make up 7% of the population. The second-largest religion in Belgium is Islam, which accounts for 5% of the population as of 2009, in 2012, the proportion of all immigrants with Islamic backgrounds on the total population was estimated to be 8. 1%. As of 2016 the proportion of Muslims in the French-speaking regions is 7%, 23% in Brussels, Belgiums policy asserts the separation of church and state, and freedom of religion of the citizens is guaranteed by the countrys constitution. According to a 2010 Eurobarometer poll, 37% of Belgian citizens believe there is a God, 31% believe there is some sort of spirit or life force. 27% do not believe there is any sort of spirit, God, also in dispute are how many Catholic Belgians have become deists or have joined small Protestant churches. The Belgian constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the government generally respects this right in practice, however, government officials have the authority to research and monitor religious groups that are not officially recognized. There are a few reports of societal abuses or discrimination based on religious belief or practice, Belgian law officially recognizes many religions, including Catholicism, Protestantism, Anglicanism, Islam, Judaism, and Eastern Orthodoxy, as well as non-religious philosophical organizations. Buddhism is in the process of being recognized under the secular organization standard, official recognition means that priests receive a state stipend. Also, parents can choose any recognized denomination to provide education to their children if they attend a state school. Adherents to religions that are not officially recognized are not denied the right to practice their religion, Roman Catholicism has traditionally been Belgiums majority religion, with particular strength in Flanders. However, by 2009, Sunday church attendance was 5. 4% in Flanders, nationwide, Sunday church attendance was 5% in 2009, down from 11. 2% in 1998. Nevertheless, Catholicism remains an important force in Belgian society, the Archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels and Primate of Belgium, Jozef De Kesel, is well-liked, with the Brussels daily Le Soir calling him a spiritual son of the popular Cardinal Godfried Danneels. Until 1998, the Roman Catholic Church annually published key figures such as Sunday Mass attendance, in 2006, it announced that Mass attendance for the Christmas period was 11. 5%, and weekly Mass attendance 7%, for the Flanders region. Since 2000, Sunday church attendance in Flanders has dropped by 0. 5% each year, the rate of decrease was previously 1%. Roman Catholicism, is the largest religion in Belgium, as of 2012 about 65% of the population is Christian, with 58% being members of the Roman Catholic Church. Belgium had 13 Anglican churches as of 2012, including the Pro-Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in Brussels and they are part of the Church of Englands Diocese in Europe. In 1566, at the peak of Belgian Reformation, there were an estimated 300,000 Protestants, the Administrative Council of Protestant and Evangelical Religion in Belgium is a coordinating group that mediates between many Protestant groups and the government
8.
Art of Belgium
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Despite its size, Belgium has a long and distinguished artistic tradition that goes back to the Middle Ages, considerably pre-dating the foundation of the current state in 1830. Art from the making up modern Belgium is called in English Netherlandish up to the separation with the Netherlands from 1570 on. Important monasteries in Belgium were centres of production in Carolingian art and Ottonian art, in the Renaissance Antwerp Mannerism was an early attempt by Flemish artists to respond to Italian Renaissance art, with Romanism a later phase. Dutch and Flemish Renaissance painting culminated in the work of Pieter Bruegel the Elder in one direction, Flemish Baroque painting is dominated by the figure of Rubens, though like his pupil Anthony van Dyck, he spent much of his career abroad. There was also a development of specialized genres in painting, paralleling those in Dutch Golden Age painting to the north. Among them the masterpiece of Renier de Huy and perhaps of the whole Mosan art Baptismal font at St Bartholomews Church, Liège. The architecture of Romanesque churches of the Walloon country is also named Mosan, for example the Collegiate Church of Saint Gertrude in Nivelles, ornamental brassware is also a part of Mosan art and Hugo dOignies and Nicholas of Verdun important metalworkers. During the so-called Northern Renaissance, Belgium experienced an artistic boom, the cities of Bruges and Antwerp, some of the richest in the region, became artistic centres during the period. The artist Peter Paul Rubens painted in Belgium between 1609-1621, working for many royal patrons from his studio in Antwerp, Rubens house in Antwerp, the Rubenshuis, is now a museum. Anthony van Dyck, celebrated for his painting of British court, joachim Patinir Henri Blès are generally called mosan painters. Lambert Lombard was a Renaissance painter, architect and theorist for the Prince-Bishopric of Liège, gérard de Lairesse, Bertholet Flemalle were also important painters in the Prince-Bishopric of Liège. Many of these are paintings and scenes of peasants partaking other outdoor enjoyments viewed from an elevated viewpoint. Originating in France, the Impressionist style was adopted by Belgian artists. Anna Boch, Eugène Boch, Georges Lemmen and Théo van Rysselberghe were all influential Belgian impressionist or neo-impressionist painters, other known impressionist painters were Félicien Rops, Floris Jespers, Fritz de Brouckère or even Constant Permeke. Their style was close to symbolism, the avant-garde CoBrA movement appeared in the 1950s. Surrealism developed in Belgium during the inter-war period, the best known Belgian surrealist, René Magritte, exhibited in 1927 for the first time. Jacques du Broeucq was a sculptor of the 16th century, known for his religious scenes and as the teacher of the famous Italian late-renaissance sculptor Giambologna, who was himself born in Flanders. Constantin Meunier was an influential Belgian sculptor of the late 19th-early 20th century, known for his figures, meuniers work was very popular around Europe, coinciding with the rise of the political Labour movement in the late 19th century
