Hammershield in the Congo

[Hammers]

Not really, but in Brussels. I spent the weekend in Brussels gorging myself on moule frietes, top fermented beer, waterzooi and last but not least french comics (french as in the language; the are not necessarelly naughty at all). The comic shops in Brussels are sans pareil. Got a big stack of Blake & Mortimer (Pulp), Baru, Bourgeon (SF), Tardi (Gothic Horror) and more. (Be still my beating heart!). I will have to hide the receipts from the wife among the Christmas expenses.

But I digress. On the past beautiful Sunday morning I went to the The King Leopold II Museeum of Colonial Genocide and Daylight Robbery in Tervuren (also known as Musee Royal de Afrique Central). The exhibition about the Belgian/Congo relations was quite sobering. Still, the museeum is a museeum of itself, if you catch my drift. Built as a propagande tool for the Congo Free State it is full of fantastic colonial stuff in a beautiful setting: masks, weapons, tools, macabre stuffed animals and bugs (and, Lord!, there are some quite disgusting parasitic gnats and tics in those parts). I hope they will, eventhough it is in many ways upsetting, keep it that way so one in the future will understand the colonial mindset.

[Grimm]

must be there !!!! must tell my wife now we make hollyday in Brussels  :wink:

[Grimm]

PICTURES ??

[Helen]

Sounds like you enjoyed your visit Peder

What was their WW1 section like for East Africa?

[Hammers]

Sounds like you enjoyed your visit Peder

What was their WW1 section like for East Africa?

Smallish, I am sorry to say. It was quite interesting to see that the Belgian Congo Askaris wore not the tan uniform typical of the the Tiraeures Senegalese, the KAR or the Östafrika Schutztruppe. It was more of a dark green khaki (because of the jungle?).

The were some very nice examples of african-arab clothes of east Congo to. The usal white khaftan and mamelucks with colorful square patches which should be a treat to paint on my baluchii/africans in arab gear.


Oooh: also I saw the famed anioto, "leopard man cult" assassin in leopard suite, iron claws and paw-print staff:

[Hammers]

PICTURES ??

No pictures, I am afraid.

But here's a link:

http://www.africamuseum.be/

[Helen]

Thanks Peder, every bit of information helps.
Glad you enjoyed the trip.

[Geudens]

You can find some (uniform) pics at my site:

http://www.rudi-geudens.be/html/oorlogsmuseum_colonial01.htm

http://www.rudi-geudens.be/html/oorlogsmuseum_colonial02.htm

http://www.rudi-geudens.be/html/deepest_darkest_africa_01.htm

Strange you didn't mention the Congolese "palmbeer" (& other variants...) served in the cafetaria of the museum...  :wink:

Rudi

[Hammers]

Strange you didn't mention the Congolese "palmbeer" (& other variants...) served in the cafetaria of the museum...  :wink:

Rudi

I did try it, the black mamba flavoured, just as the witchdoctor ordered! And, boy, did I ever see my ancestors...!

I am lying again. I did try the palmnut flavoured one. Not bad, it tasted just like the Carlsberg flavoured.