The Castle of Laarne, by Jacques Sturm (1807-1844).
Somewhere in East Flanders, just east of Ghent, sits the Kasteel van Laarne, a formidable moated fortress of grey stone and whispered memories. Its towers have seen nobles rise and fall, its walls have held courtly banquets and wartime secrets—but among its most enduring stories is one far more intimate and tragic: the tale of The Weeping Maid.
The tale originates in the 17th century, when a young maidservant named Margriet entered the castle’s service. She was a local girl, known in the nearby village for her gentle heart and striking beauty. But life behind the thick stone walls of Laarne was not always kind.
It’s said that Margriet caught the unwanted attention of the castle’s lord—a man of power and pride. When she resisted his advances, he turned vengeful. One stormy night, she vanished. The official word was that she had fled. But other servants spoke of a scream from the tower, muddy footprints on the cellar stairs, and a fireplace hastily sealed with new stone.
Years later, during renovations, human remains were reportedly found behind a wall near the tower. A small brooch—Margriet’s—was recovered alongside them. Since then, stories persist of strange happenings: unexplained sobbing in the halls, cold drafts from nowhere, a flicker of movement in the shadows. Some claim to have seen her—pale, dressed in servant’s garb, staring silently from a high window before vanishing into the air.
They call her the Weeping Maid.
The Castle of Laarne in 2025.
