Sophia Elizabeth Peeters

Sophia Elizabeth Peeters (30 June 1833 – 12 January 1916), also known as Vrouw Weyn, was a Belgian ethnologist who studiously published the folklore of the Wase area. She recited and wrote about stories, songs and poems from the region of Sint-Niklaas.

Biography Sophia Elizabeth Peeters was born on 30 June 1833 in Sint-Pauwels as the daughter of a Flemish shepherd and a farmer's daughter from Belsele. Her mother died when she was an infant of only twelve days; she was raised by her maternal grandparents. Sophia's childhood was marked by the stories told around the fireside, stories about witches, devils and other supernatural creatures that her grandparents shared.

On 16 June 1858, Sophia married Ludovicus Franciscus Weyn (1827–1917), a farmer from Sint-Niklaas. They had eleven children and settled on the farm of Ludovicus' parents in the Kleibeke district of Sint-Niklaas.

Storyteller and writer Peeters, also known as Vrouw Weyn (in English: Mrs. Weyn), became a well-known storyteller in her circle. She had a phenomenal memory Five years later, in 1900, a second West Flemish priest came to visit her: Hugo Verriest (1840–1922), a former pupil of Gezelle.

Letter from Sophia Peeters to Guido Gezelle (Sint-Niklaas, 16 January 1897). Public Library in Bruges, Guido Gezelle Archives, 6843 After her death on 12 January 1916 in Sint-Niklaas, Sophia's legacy has continued to live on in the writings she left behind. Although a significant portion of her work was lost, much information was preserved thanks to the publication of her texts in the books of Joos and Janssens, in contemporary magazines such as Volkskunde, Biekorf and Vlaamsche Zanten and, thanks to Marcellijn Dewulf (1898–1980) and Theo Penneman, in more recent publications such as the college magazine Ic Hou.

The Bruges Public Library keeps a letter from Mrs. Weyn to Guido Gezelle and some of her notebooks.

Memorial plaque Because Sophia Peeters is regarded as one of the most important figures in Wase folklore, on Thursday 7 July 2016, 100 years after her death, a memorial plaque was unveiled in her honor in De Salons van Sint-Niklaas. This took place in the context of the presentation of the Leeuwenpenning 2016, an annual event of Davidsfonds Sint-Niklaas. During the presentation, Luc Peleman also eulogized Mrs Weyn.