Nello and Patrasche: a dog of Flanders

The most Belgian (and Flemish) persons are perhaps Nello and Patrasche. They are fictional characters and their story ‘A dog of Flanders’ is not completely true, but based on a couple of true events. Despite this, the fictional story by Marie-Louise de la Ramée and the scene of the sleeping Nello and Patrasche in the cathedral of Antwerp in Belgium is known all over the world. However, not everyone knows this story. That is why is wrote this blog post. Enjoy!

Who are Nello and Patrasche?

As mentioned, Nello and Patrasche are the main characters in the fictitious story ‘A Dog of Flanders’. So it is wrong to think that these two names represent people. But who is who then? There is some info on Wikipedia, but let me tell you everything I know, begin a Belgian living in Flanders myself.

Nello is the name of a boy who grew up during the 19th century on the countryside near Hoboken, a village near the city of Antwerp in Belgium (Europe). As an orphan, he is raised by his grandfather called Johan. Nello helps his grandfather’s business of delivering milk by cart.

It is during their delivery route that they find an abandoned and mistreated dog, that they name Patrasche. In these days, dogs were often used to pull little carts, like a milk cart. So Nello and his grandfather quickly decide to take care of the dog and to also use it for their cart, while treating the dog well. This makes Nello and Patrasche good friends while helping each other through thick and thin.

‘A dog of Flanders’: the story of Nello and Patrasche

The story ‘A dog of Flanders’, translated in Dutch as ‘Een hond van Vlaanderen’, was written by Marie-Louise de la Ramée, who was also known under her pen name Ouida.

Marie-Louise de la Ramée wrote this gripping story about the paupers and the rural life in Flanders during the 19th century. The poor leading characters being grandfather Johan, Nello and his dog Patrasche.

After their meeting, as described, Nello and Patrasche prosper. With the help of his dog, Nello takes over his grandfather’s milk business, falls in love with a girl and shows a talent for drawing. But soon the book takes a dark turn into a downward spiral.

Grandfather Johan becomes ill, Nello is no longer allowed to see his girlfriend because he comes from a poor family and he loses his milk business in a fire. His last hope, an art contest, also fails.

The story of Nello and Patrasche also has a very sad ending. Nello and his dog become even more impoverished and die of deprivation in the Cathedral of Antwerp, the place where Nello used to admire the paintings of Belgian Baroque painter Rubens.

Who was the author Marie-Louise de la Ramée (Ouida)?

The fact that de book had such a sad ending was a deliberate choice by auhor Marie-Louise de la Ramée (often known under her pseudonym Ouida). She was, after all, a known animal rights activist.

It is not surprising that whith her book ‘A Dog of Flanders’ and the story of Nello and Patrasche, Marie-Louise de la Ramée wanted to denounce animal abuse in rural Flanders and Belgium in the 19th century. The presence of child labor in industrialized Belgium shocked her so much that she had to write this story.

Nello and Patrasche in Japan and the United States of America: big business

You would not think it, but Nello and Patrasche are big celebrities in Japan. In Flanders and Belgium, the story is known to a minority of the population. In Japan, just about everyone seems to know the two.

Especially thanks to an animated series that many Japanese children grew up with, the story of Nello and Patrasche is so well-known. The self-sacrifice of the boy captures their imagination.

Even in the United States, ‘A Dog of Flanders’ is better known than in Belgium. There have been several films produced about it, with one of them featuring the famous actor John Voight in the role of grandfather Johan.

The statue of Nello and Patrasche at the cathedral of Antwerp

Because ‘A dog of Flanders’ is so popular in Japan, many Japanese tourists also come to Antwerp. Especially the cathedral in Antwerp is on their itinerary, because of the story where the sad ending of the book takes place in this church.

A statue has already been erected in Hoboken, but the more recent statue of Nello and Patrasche in front of the cathedral in Antwerp will be the most visited and photographed, and in my opinion also the best one, of the two.

The statue at the front door of the cathedral in Antwerp shows Nello and Patrasche peacefully (?) sleeping under a blanket made out of the cobblestone from the square surrounding them. The statue thus depicts the tragic final moment of the deprivation of both Nello and Patrasche, who found each other as best friends and also departed together.

Nello and Patrasche: a comic book, movie, book, walk …

There has already been a lot of commercialization around the story of Nello and Patrasche. Think, for example, of movies, documentaries, a beer (of course, it’s Belgium!), tour walks, the book itself …These mainly attract foreign tourist though.

In Belgium, and especially in Flanders, young people know Nello and his dog Patrasche mostly from the comic book Suske and Wiske. As a child, I myself read this comic book, which was already published in 1985, and was deeply impressed and moved by the story. That is why I thought it was worth bringing this story to the attention again on my blog.

I hope you had a nice read and be sure to get to know Nello and Patrasche! And if you want to read about another important dog in history, read about the story of the civil war dog Sallie Ann Jarret.