LL-L "Traditions" 2004.08.28 (02) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

======================================================================
L O W L A N D S - L * 28.AUG.2004 (02) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
http://www.lowlands-l.net * lowlands-l at lowlands-l.net
Rules & Guidelines: http://www.lowlands-l.net/index.php?page=rules
Posting: lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org or lowlands-l at lowlands-l.net
Server Manual: http://www.lsoft.com/manuals/1.8c/userindex.html
Archives: http://listserv.linguistlist.org/archives/lowlands-l.html
Encoding: Unicode (UTF-8) [Please switch your view mode to it.]
=======================================================================
You have received this because you have been subscribed upon request.
To unsubscribe, please send the command "signoff lowlands-l" as message
text from the same account to listserv at listserv.linguistlist.org or
sign off at http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html.
=======================================================================
A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian B=Brabantish D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian
L=Limburgish LS=Lowlands Saxon (Low German) N=Northumbrian
S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic V=(West)Flemish Z=Zeelandic (Zeêuws)
=======================================================================

From: Roger Thijs, Euro-Support, Inc. <roger.thijs at euro-support.be>
Subject: LL-L "Traditions" 2004.08.27 (09) [E]

> From: Global Moose Translations <globalmoose at t-online.de>
> Subject: LL-L "Traditions" 2004.08.26 (02) [E]
>
> This "bumping" thing also seems to be connected to the American (and
> probably Britsh?) tradition of violent, ritualistic "hazing" of newcomers
in
> schools colleges, sports teams, fraternities etc., which I haven't
> encountered or heard about in this form anywhere else. What these
youngsters
> do to people who are supposed to belong to their own group of "friends"
> often goes way overboard, even leading to serious injuries and death.

This is still common in regional clubs at Belgian universities.
The ceremonies are "doop" and "ontgroening".

The Leuven University Student Codex prescribes (in the blue pages) a soft
procedure, practically though things depend on the creativity of the club's
presidency.
In the history of the club I belonged to ("Hesbania", the regional club of
students from Limburgish Haspengouw at Leuven University) one death casualty
has been recorded, around 1937.
Common things were e.g. in Hesbania: put marmelade on someone's belly, throw
some corn in it, put a chicken on his/her stomach for piching up the grains.
(Preparing and eating the chicken afterwards).
Students are free to adhere to clubs (and club membership is shrinking).
Other university organizations, as some faculty cercles, may have a "doop"
as well, but it was generally softer.
Other circumstances: I'm only aware of a couple of soft "doop"-ceremonies
in "student's homes".
(So one risked to be baptized several times, when belonging to different
organizations and cercles)
"Dopen" was done in the beginning of the year, "ontgroening" at the end of
one's first year.
First year students, called "schachten", were hazed the year around.
Tough incidents generally were remembered for a while, and
contributed to one's career in the club. A couple of nights in city jail
certainly was an asset for electability in the clubs' "praesidium".

"Doop"-ceremonies at Brussels University (VUB) were quite often sexually
very humiliating for people affected. I'm sure describing things in detail
would trespass the standards of this list. At the French section (ULB) some
circles admitted paying spectators for getting money in the cash box.
(My experience dates from the end of the sixties and the early seventies. As
president at Leuven university of "Hesbania" for one year, and of the
"Limburgse Gilde" for another year, I was invited regurarly at events of
different clubs at Leuven, Ghent and Brussels Universities.)

More recently:
About 5 years ago, at the LUC, Limburgs Universitair Centrum, in
Hasselt-Diepenbeek a casualty with a broken neck was reported in te
newspapers. (The students had to wade through a pool of night soil; the poor
fellow overestimated the dept, dived into it, and broke his neck).
A Flemish film "Ad Fundum", with a "doop" casualty is available on DVD.

"Dopen" was also a current practice for newcomers in the army. Nowadays we
just have a "professional" army, and I do not know how things are going now.

"Dopen" / "Taufen" in a soft sense:
In the seventies I did a summer job for Babcock-Persta in Essen (Germany,
Ruhr area; a sales office with about 60 people; I was there at the time for
translating Framatome standards for nuclear plants from French into German).
Every day several things needed to be "eingetauft". Aniversary, moving, new
car etc. Basically it was limited to beer drinking from 2 pm on (0.5 liter
bottles), and the "lucky" fellow was paying.

Regards,
Roger

================================END===================================
* Please submit postings to lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org.
* Postings will be displayed unedited in digest form.
* Please display only the relevant parts of quotes in your replies.
* Commands for automated functions (including "signoff lowlands-l") are
  to be sent to listserv at listserv.linguistlist.org or at
  http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html.
======================================================================