Kobus van der Schlossen (? - 1695) was a late-seventeenth century Dutch

Netherlands

The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

 thief who features prominently in folktales from the North Brabant

North Brabant

North Brabant , sometimes called Brabant, is a province of the Netherlands, located in the south of the country, bordered by Belgium in the south, the Meuse River in the north, Limburg in the east and Zeeland in the west.- History :...

 region. After serving as a soldier in the many wars which left the Netherlands in turmoil, he joined a gang of ex-soldiers called 'de zwartmakers'. Eventually he was captured in Uden

Uden

Uden is a municipality and a town in the province of Noord-Brabant, Netherlands.- History :Uden was first recorded around 1190 as “Uthen”. However, earlier settlements have been found in the areas of the modern day Moleneind, Vorstenburg and Bitswijk and evidence of ice-age settlements has been...

 and imprisoned in Ravenstein

Ravenstein

-Places:*Ravenstein, Germany in the district Neckar-Odenwald, Baden-Württemberg*Ravenstein, Netherlands in Oss, North Brabant-People:*Johann von Ravenstein a Lieutenant in World War I and Lieutenant general in the Wehrmacht during World War II...

 Castle (since demolished). He was executed in 1695 near Velp

Velp

Velp may also refer to either:* Velp, Gelderland - a town in the Netherlands part of Rheden* Velp, North Brabant - a town in the Netherlands part of Grave * The Velp or Velpe, a tributuary of the River Demer, in the Flemish Region of Belgium...

.

According to folklore, he had Robin Hood

Robin Hood

Robin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes....

-like qualities and protected poor widows against greedy landlords, but he also sold his soul to the devil

Deal with the Devil

Deal With The Devil is the fifth studio album by the American heavy metal band Lizzy Borden released in 2000 .A return to form, featuring a cover by Todd McFarlane.2 covers were recorded...

 in exchange for magical powers. With his robber band 'De Zwarte Bende' he made his home in the vast and impenetrable Slabroek forests near Uden

Uden

Uden is a municipality and a town in the province of Noord-Brabant, Netherlands.- History :Uden was first recorded around 1190 as “Uthen”. However, earlier settlements have been found in the areas of the modern day Moleneind, Vorstenburg and Bitswijk and evidence of ice-age settlements has been...

.

Stories were told about his miraculous escapes from the forces of law. De Brobbelbies, an area of Slabroek which still exists, received its name from one of these stories. One day, so the story goes, Kobus accidentally ran into some law-officers in the woods. When he found he couldn't outrun them he jumped into a pond and turned into a water plant ('Bies'). Because of the magical transformation the water started bubbling ('brobbelen'; hence 'Brobbelbies').

Sources

• Reggie Naus, Zwartmakerij in het land van Ravenstein: de Geschiedenis van Jacobus van der Schlossen, 2006.