Appels

Appels is a town in the Flemish province of East Flanders in Belgium. It is part of the municipality Dendermonde.

Appels
Town
Appels
Location in Belgium
Coordinates: 51°01′46″N 04°03′15″E
Area
 • Total3.95 km2 (1.53 sq mi)
Population
 (2020-01-01)
 • Total2,848
 • Density720/km2 (1,900/sq mi)
Time zoneCET
Area code052

In 1125 the place is referred to as Apls, a Celtic word for water.[1]

Appels is located near the river Scheldt and is home to Appels Veer, one of the oldest, still operating ferry slips and services in the country. Appels Veer was mentioned in a document confirming the transfer of rights to operate it from Guy of Dampierre, Count of Flanders, to Gregorius, Lord of Appels, in 1253.[2]

Events

Every year, in July, the largest county fair in Dendermonde is held in Appels. During that weekend an Ommegang featuring the Peird van Appels, a large processional giant depicting the magical horse Bayard, is celebrated.[3]

  • Peird van Appels

Dragonhead

In 1934 a dredge found an oak ship fragment that became known as the Appels dragonhead. It was originally thought to be Viking and was sold to the British Museum. Closer investigation revealed it to be Late Roman Iron Age and most likely Saxon in origin.[4][5]

References
  1. Parochie Sint-Apollonia Appels, Thuis komen bij elkaar!. 1995. p. 39.
  2. "Scheldeveer Appels-Berlare" (in Dutch). Inventaris Onroerend Erfgoed. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
  3. "Peird van Appels / Ros Appels" (in Dutch). Retrieved 2024-02-03.
  4. Sven Kalmring; Lena Holmquist (June 2018). "'The gleaming mane of the serpent': the Birka dragonhead from Black Earth Harbour". Antiquity. 92 (363): 742–757. doi:10.15184/AQY.2018.50. ISSN 0003-598X. Wikidata Q113485700. Two figureheads pre-date the Viking Age. Both were found associated with ship fragments (de Laet Reference de Laet1956). The Appels figurehead, excavated in c. 1934 and originally assigned to the Viking Age, has more recently been dated to the Late Roman Iron Age/Migration period (AD 400–615; Kidd Reference Kidd1988).
  5. "figure-head; ship". British Museum. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
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