The Witch Woman of Deurne

In the village of Deurne, a young man met a beautiful woman at the market. She wore a dark dress and had eyes as dark as the night itself. He was immediately enchanted by her beauty and began to court her. The woman accepted his attentions with a mysterious smile. Within weeks they had grown very close. The youth thought he had found happiness, but he had no idea what fate still awaited him.

One night the young man could not sleep. He followed the woman into the forest outside the village. There he saw something that made his blood freeze: the woman hovered above the ground, sitting on a great cauldron, surrounded by dozens of other dark figures. They flew together through the night to a dark place deep in the forest, where they gathered around a great fire. The youth realized now that he had fallen in love with a witch. He wanted to flee, but she had seen him. With a terrible scream she turned and pointed at him with a bony finger.

The witch spoke terrible words that made the air tremble. She cursed the youth and all his descendants. She declared that he and his bloodline would know misfortune forever. The young man fled the forest and never returned to Deurne. Years later, when he had grown old, he warned other young men: “Beware of women whose eyes are as dark as the night. For all the misery that can befall you if you consort with a witch!” This story was passed down from generation to generation as a warning.