Folperd van der Leede was a lord with jurisdiction over the area of Leerdam in Zuid Holland just under Utrecht. Just like his son Pelgrim van der Leede, he had signed a contract with the devil that prolonged his life and allowed him to sin without consequence. Though related to the van Arckel family, he hated his offspring with a passion and desired nothing more than to overtake the area of Haastrecht.
Jan XIII van Arckel[]
Among Folperd's many failed assassination attempts, he bribed a sacristan to lock the church doors in Haastrecht so he could burn down the building, but his target and cousin Jan XIII[1] left shortly before the doors were locked. When Folperd later discovered that sir van Arckel wasn't killed, he retaliated by breaking the dykes of the Lek river, flooding the lands of Haastrecht and killing many people in the process. In celebration of this tragic event, he threw a party in Gouda for him and his minions. After eating and drinking to his fill, Folperd left intoxicated. Witnesses say he mysteriously disappeared into thin air that night, leaving but 3 drops of blood on the street cobbles where he was spirited away.[2]
The Haunting Of Folperd[]
After sir Folperd's death, the van der Leede castle in the countryside of Leerdam became haunted. Reports speak of poltergeist activities, with even pious folks being thrown about the castle rooms by a spiritual force. It is said Folperd's son Pelgrim broke down the castle for this very reason. While it is true Pelgrim had a new castle built, sources still speak of the forsaken castle in the countryside a few years after he died.[3]
References[]
- ↑ http://www.historischeverenigingleerdam.nl/de-geschiedenis-van-de-parochie-leerdam_96.html
- ↑ http://www.historischeverenigingleerdam.nl/het-kasteel-aan-het-recht-van-ter-leede_150.html
- ↑ J. van Lennep: Nederlandsche Legenden In Rijm Gebracht - Het Huis Ter Leede / Adegild (2de Druk)