Lange Wapper

Contributed by Youri Boone

A folk tale figure from Flanders, about whom most stories are concentrated around the city of Antwerp. Lange Wapper is a trickster, who can shift shape from a small child to a towering giant. He likes to taunt his victims, leaping over their houses and pressing his face against the windows, or bending over the roads they walk by. He has a special dislike for drunkards.

Lange Wapper shows similarities with Kludde and Oschaert. He too could not pass an image of the Virgin Mary and the fact many such images have been set up at street corners is the principal reason why Lange Wapper has left the city of Antwerp. He is now said to haunt the sea coast.

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