De Boekhoud-familiewebsite/ The Boekhoud family website

The Horse of Uncle Lucas

    There are in Groningen-province three welknown Groningen-symbols, but also outside the province people have some knowledge of them. The first one is the Martinitower and the "Molleboon" is the third one. (If you want to read these stories then klick in the menu on the rightside on the subject). The second symbol is doubtless the song about the "Peerd van ome Loeks" (the Horse of uncle Lucas). That song is welknown in the hole world and environs but particulatly in the province Groningen. What most people don't know is that the song has a historical background and that "Ome Loeks" (Uncle Lucas) really existed. There are several versions about who "Uncle Lucas" exactly was, but the two versions below are most likely.     

The first version.

     The bachelor Lucas (Loeks) Broekmans was about 1910 a carrier-servant with a horse he owned with the name "Graaf" (something like "Earl"). With that horse he worked for the transporter J. Kuipers Lzn.  One day the horse suddenly dropped dead and Lucas was flabbergasted of course. (You might think of a brain- or a hartstroke isn't it?). There is still the rumour about a morn-advertisement put in a newspaper by his friends.

The second version and the most probable.

     Lucas (Loeks) van Hemmen was born in Groningen (city) in the horeca-company "de Slingerij". This company still exist, but nowadays as a pub serving food. Around 1900 the company had a number of stables. On market-days farmers came from afar to the market and stabled their horses in the "Slingerij". So Lucas was brought up with horses and became a jockey and riding-master. Around 1900 he already was wellknown because he participated in trotting-matches. When he was 25 years of age they already called him "Ome Loeks" (Uncle Luke).                                   
     Uncle Luke's lines were not always cast in pleasant places. In 1910 died one of his last horses, the stallion "Appolon" Appolon attacked a stableman and almost squeesed him to death agains a wall. Luke took a hayfork and stabbed Appolon's nose. It was only a little wound but the horse seized a colic cramp and died three days later. 
     According to one of the stories his friends invented (teasingly?) when te horse was dead the song "Uncle Luke's Horse" that is welknown nowedays. If you have loudspeakers and you like to hear the song then click on the black rectangle below.  Don't forget to put the volume up.          
     There are two "official" stanza's that are sung below, but there is a third (middle) stanza that was (and is?) sung by the youth, and of course disapproved by the elder people. (There is a nice proverb in Dutch that is applicable to the elder people: "The cow has forgotten that she was a calf"). The stanza's on the left are written in Groningen-language.   

   Peerd van ome Loeks is dood,                    The horse of uncle Luke is dead,   
   Loeks is dood, Loeks is dood,                     Luke is dead, Luke is dead,
   Peerd van ome Loeks is dood,                    The horse of uncle Luke is dead,
   hardstikke dood.                                       absolute stone dead.
   Guster nog goud gezond                            Yesterday still in good health 
   zwaaide mit steert in 't rond,                       waving his tail about 
   Peerd van ome Loeks is dood,                     The horse of uncle Luke is dead,
   hardstikke dood!                                        absolute stone dead!

   Peerd van ome Loeks is dood,                     The horse of uncle Luke is dead
   Loeks is dood, Loeks is dood                       Luke is dead, Luke is dead
   Peerd van ome Loeks is dood,                     The horse of uncle Luke is dead
   hardstikke dood.                                        absolute stone dead.
   Guster nog goud gezond                             Yesterday still in good health 
   scheet e nog gruine stront.                          he still shit green muck
   Peerd van ome Loeks is dood                       The horse of uncle Luke is dead
   hardstikke dood!                                         absolute stone dead!

   Peerd van ome Loeks is dood,                      The horse of uncle Luke is dead,
   Loeks is dood, Loeks is dood.                       Luke is dead, Luke is dead.
   Peerd van ome Loeks is dood,                      The horse of uncle Luke is dead,
   hardstikke dood.                                         absolute stone dead.
   Har'k hom moar vreten geven                       If I just had given him fodder
   den was e wel in leven bleven.                      he then should still be alive.
   Peerd van ome Loeks is dood                       The horse of Uncle Luke is dead
   hardstikke dood!                                         absolute stone dead!

     And excuse for the quality of the little film. It is borrowd from YouTube and obvious made with a mobile telephone. It is however not the intention to show the quality of the film but how the song sounds. In the beginning and the end of the film you see on the background  the statue of uncle Luke and his horse.