More than 200 years ago, there lived a father and his son in a place that is still known as Ellertsveld – the Field of Ellert – In the province of Drente. These gruesome fellows, called Ellert and Brammert, lived in a hole under the ground, and they had stretched a rope over the road nearby. If someone passed, a bell would tinkle in their hideout. Then they would go out to murder their victim, and bury the stolen silver and gold somewhere under the ground.

One day a pretty girl, who was on her way to Norg, passed their hole. As soon as her feet touched the rope, Ellert ran out and put his hands around her throat. However, when he saw what a pretty thing she was, he took her along into their hideout.

Ellert and Brammert got into a row, because Brammert argued that she should have been killed. Ellert, however, wanted to keep her alive and have her as his wife. And that's exactly what happened.

The girl begged for mercy, but it did not do her any good. From that moment on, one of these awful men would always stay behind in the hole, because they were afraid she would escape.

After she had lived with them for a year, they said to each other, "Tomorrow we'll have to go out together. I suppose she will no longer run away, will she?"

As soon as they had left, though, and the girl wasn't able to distinguish them in the distance any more, she ran away as fast as her feet could carry her.

The men returned home earlier than expected, and when they saw that she had left, they ran out each in a different direction in order to catch her again. Ellert, who was a very fast runner, almost caught up with her. He threw his axe at her, but he missed; the axe hit the barn door of the farm to which she was able to flee.

In safety, the girl told everything there was to tell. Thereupon the bailiff and his officers tracked the murderers down and put them in jail. Soon after, they were beheaded.

Even today, as soon as it turns dark, you can still see ghostly White Women hovering over Ellertsveld – they were once the victims of Ellert and Brammert.