Ros Beiaard (Dendermonde)

Traditionally, four young brothers from Dendermonde ("de Vier Heemskinderen"; the Four Sons of Aymon) ride the horse in full armour.

Since 2008, the Ros Beiaard and the accompanying procession is recognised as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO, as part of the bi-national inscription "Processional giants and dragons in Belgium and France".

[1] The Ros Beiaard of Dendermonde is carried through the town every ten years by a guild of bearers, called the Pijnders.

In keeping with the legend, four young brothers from Dendermonde (de Vier Heemskinderen) wearing full armour sit astride the horse.

The inauguration of the statue of Pater De Smet in 1878 entailed a new procession and the knights were Isidoor, Omer, Petrus and Frans Willems.

When Polydore de Keyser, Lord Mayor of London, visited his birth town Dendermonde in 1888, the Heemskinderen were Henri, Lodewijk, Gustaaf and Alfons Pieters.

In 1930, Dendermonde celebrated the centenary of the Belgian independence and the Horse was ridden by Henri, Jean, Pierre and Albert Van Damme.

In 1958, because of the World's Fair in Brussels, the brothers Emiel, Albert, Jozef and Luc Leybaert rode the Ros.

The guild of the Pijnders originated in the 14th century and had the monopoly on loading and unloading ships and cellars with wine and beer.

refrein: De vier Aymons kinderen jent Met blanke zweerd in d'hand Ziet ze rijden 't Zijn de schoonsten van ons land 't Ros Beiaards ogen fonk'len Zijne brede manen kronk'len En hij wendt hem fraai en vlug Met vier broers op zijnen rug.