Raging Farmers Dancing on Raeren Stoneware

The raging farmers dance, the farmers dance on Raeren stoneware pottery.

“WER SIN HOEPT WILT HALDEN GANSZ, LAS DEN HVNDEN ER BRVLVEFT ENDE DEI BVREN EREN DANSZ”
“Whoever wants to keep his head whole perchance, let the dogs have their wedding and the farmers their dance” (Raeren proverb 16^th century⁾

Relief negative "der Bauerntanz" (pottery museum Raren) — Relief negative “der Bauerntanz” (pottery museum Raeren)

Raeren potters from the 16^th century already warn us about the raging farmers during their dance. Let them run wild, let them dance. Even though it’s a dance on the volcano…

The lessons of Raeren potters

We can learn a lot from the Raeren potters. Learn about the stoneware firing. About the salt glaze, about the shape, about the art. And learn about respect for nature.

Respect for the soil from which they mined their clay. And for the clay, from which they formed their pots. And for the forest which gave them means to fire their pots.

Raerens Steengoed (pottery museum Raren) — Raerens Steengoed (pottery museum Raeren)

Raging farmers on sustainably fired stoneware

They fired many days and nights, with wood from the forest. For more than 500 years they fired pots from the Raeren soil. Some years more than 600,000 pots from more than 50 kilns.

They never used more than what the forest had to offer. That is why I can write in the present day about dancing farmers in the Raeren forest. As if it were 500 years ago.

Maybe it was more luck than sense. But perhaps they understood what responsible and sustainable forest management was. Perhaps they wanted to leave behind not only culture for their children and grandchildren, but also responsibility for nature.

Wise spells on Raeren stoneware

On their stoneware pots they wrote spells. For teaching and entertainment. Proverbs in the vernacular, spells for citizens, farmers and country folk.

Dancing farmers in Rage on Raerens Steengoed keramiek (pottery museum Raren) — Dancing farmers in Rage on Raerens Steengoed keramiek (pottery museum Raeren)

No sayings about their own work, no spells about respect for nature. Perhaps that was so obvious that they forgot to write it down. Missed spells on stoneware pottery…

Let raging farmers dance

But spells about the dancing peasants in a frenzy.

“GERAT WER MOSEN BLASEN DEI BVREN DANSSEN ENDE SPRENGEN AF WERNSIE RASSEN”
“Gerhard blow your party; the peasants dance and jump as if they were in frenzy” (Raerense Spreuk16^thcentury)