Opsinjoorke

As well as the Moon Extinguishers (see previous post) the flags flying over the centre of Mechelen also show Opsinjoorke in flight:

The bronze statue in front of the Town Hall shows Opsinjoorke in full flight. The original doll was made in 1647. It is carried in ceremonial and religious processions and thrown into the air by means of a large linen cloth. It was originally called Sotscop or Foul Bridegroom, a reference to inebriated husbands who maltreated their wives. Divorce was absolutely forbidden in those days, and so the doll was symbolically punished (thrown into the air) for the sins of these men.

The doll acquired its current name on July 4th 1775 when, during a religious procession, the doll went beyond the reach of the cloth and landed among the crowd. An onlooker from Antwerp put out his arms to ward off the doll, but was accused of trying to steal the Sotscop. After receiving a sound thrashing from the patriotic people of Mechelen, he sent a letter of protest to the Mechelen magistrate pleading his innocence. From then on Sotscop became known as Opsinjoorke, ’sinjoor’ being the nickname of the people of Antwerp!

12 Comments CherryPie on Apr 15th 2014

12 Responses to “Opsinjoorke”

  1. ....peter:) says:

    i loved the story about the Opsinjoorke Cherie… i got a real kick out of it… and i like the bronze statue as well… thank you….peter:)

  2. Ginnie says:

    Now THAT’S a story, Cherry!!! :D And what a fabulous sculpture to show it.

  3. That is an interesting story Cherie and wonderful bronze statue too,
    Thanks for sharing,
    Best Wishes,

    di..xx

  4. Quirky (is not long enough, but is sufficient)

  5. james higham says:

    From then on Sotscop became known as Opsinjoorke, ’sinjoor’ being the nickname of the people of Antwerp!

    Ah, now I’m clear. That’s been troubling me for years.

  6. Astrid says:

    Sinjoor….. we sometimes use Sinjeur….. for a man. It is for us a very old fashioned word.
    Flemish and Dutch do have some similarities, we understand each other when we speak slowly.
    I remember seeing it, Love the picture.