Cantus

A cantus (Latin for "singing", derived from cantare) is an activity organised by Belgian, Dutch, German, French, and Baltic fraternities.

Nearly all of the songs predate World War II and refer to either drinking, the student's (love) life or the history and past of the home country, city or region.

In Antwerp, Hasselt, Leuven and Aalst, the codex used is that published by the KVHV (Katholiek Vlaams Hoogstudentenverbond or Catholic Flemish Students Union).

And at the end of that same year the SC Ghent started publishing a codex for the societies in West Flanders, mainly Courtrai.

Those who are from Catholics highschools and universities of Brussels and Wallonia mostly choose Le Bitu Magnifique published by the Academicus Sanctae Barbae Ordo.

The biggest Belgian codex is the Florex published by the Corporation Brabantia Bruxelliensis, both in French and Dutch, with more than 2300 pages divided into two parts.

[1] These punishments usually involve the drinking of beer in unusual, humorous or sometimes degrading ways if the culprit has committed a grave offence.

Some clubs even include special rites for attaining the position of schacht, with the preceding status of fetus.

They are not part of the corona and are supervised by the schachtenmeester or schachtentemmer in less (Dutch for 'tamer of freshmen') (in French, they're called 'Président de baptême' or 'maître des bleus'), who answers only to the authority of the senior.

"Cantus" (c. 1900), painting by Georg Mühlberg