The Deogen, also known as De Ogen or The Eyes, is a spirit or creature said to haunt Belgium's Sonian Forest, often appearing as a fog-like mist and accompanied by smaller shadowy figures. Although based on real events, the tale has evolved into more of a campfire story or urban legend, with few sightings reported in recent years.
According to the 1937 book De Kinderen van Het Bezeten Bos, the legend of Deogen began when nuns discovered the burned bodies of children in the Sonian Forest near Brussels. The book claims 80 children were murdered, their bodies scattered and set on fire in the forest, though the more widely accepted number is only eight. Little is known about the actual case, and many believe the book to be fictional.
Description[]
Witnesses often describe seeing a greenish fog, with small black figures darting across roads, causing drivers to veer off course. A child's laughter is said to echo as the mist dissipates. Sometimes, a bloody palm print appears on car windows, only to vanish mysteriously. Earlier accounts describe the fog as gray, orange, or white, accompanied by eerie laughter. The name De Ogen, Dutch for "The Eyes," comes from reports of something large staring at onlookers from within the mist.
Possible Explanations[]
Though rare, shadow figures and the appearance of a child's bloody hand on car windows have still been reported by some. However, pranksters have also been seen touching cars, and the shadowy figures are often thought to be wild boars that roam the forest.