​Loerhuys (Looking House)

​In the Looking House you will see a well that tells the story of The People of Laaf. The story is told by Wieteke van Dort.
- Excerpt from Lavenloop -

​'The cone shaped building surrounded by flower pots, situated behind the Leedhuys is the end of our joint journey. Why it looks the way that it does is something you will need to find out for yourselves. Inside you can listen to our story once again accompanied by fine and moving images.   I won’t be joining you in the Loerhuys (looking house) for that is what the building is called. I’m sure you will understand that I do not wish to say my goodbyes to you with tears down my face, it might leave you with a bad impression of this lovely walk. This is why I must take my leave of you here and now. Hear with your ears and listen with your heart.' 

​Translation

​​This dialogue is continuously played in the Loerhuys (Looking House) in the Dutch language. Please find below a translation for your benefit.
​A long time ago, millions of years ago, there lived a merry little folk in the North Pole. For where now it is freezing cold, back then it was nice and warm. This nation consisted of Great Father Laaf, Great Mother Lot and their children, the Laven. They called themselves the People of Laaf.
​One bad day, a very bad day, they were struck by a great disaster because suddenly it was terribly cold and that is exactly the one thing Laven cannot stand. Freezing rain came down from the heavens day and night. Everything died! Naturally, this danger also threatened the Laven for without heat they cannot live. Then they would irrevocably die! Then they die the big death! Of course Laven sometimes just die, but then, like at birth, Mother Lot taps them on their laaf navel to give them life and they go on living happily ever after.
But when the cold air kept getting icier they had to do something. Father Laaf thought deeply. So deeply you could almost hear him thinking: "I have it!” he suddenly shouted. "Laven we will go travel, go deep into the bosom of mother earth, because there it is warm". The Laven began to dig and dig. They dug day and night as if their lives depended on it. Of course it did: “This is our only chance! In the depths of mother earth we can survive!”. The hole grew deeper and deeper.
The deep, dark polar night wrapped itself around the land of the Laven and the Laven disappeared into the big hole. They would never see their own dear land again but they were saved. Before they closed the big hole everyone was counted to make sure everyone was inside.

No! Father Laaf was not in the hole. A few very brave Laven crawled up to the edge of the large hole to look for him. Oh! And there was Father Laaf, frozen stiff! He had been searching for Mother Lot because he did not know she was already safely down in the hole. Great Father Laaf had died the big death! The death from which he will never awaken.
As happy as the Laven were about their salvation, they were terribly sad about the tragic lot of Father Laaf. For the first time in their long lives, the Laven cried. It was the day of great sorrow. The suffering of Great Mother  Lot was so great that the Laven made a plan to comfort her. They created a beautiful golden statue of Father Laaf.

The statue of Father Laaf gave Mother Lot courage again and gave her people new strength. They could move forward and begin their long journey through the depths of the earth...searching for a new land.
​On their thousand year search they came across all sorts of things. Remains of past lives, large animals, animals so big that the curious Laven needed ladders to carve them out. They made beautiful drawings of these animals to capture what it was like back then. 
​The Laven crossed the great oil sea, a sticky mess that stunk badly and where you should be very careful with fire.
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Image Source: Efteling Facebook
​​And everywhere they went they dug a tunnel up to the surface of the earth, to see if the land above was pleasant enough for them to live there forever. This is how the volcanoes were created, from which lava still often spouts. But no matter how far they travelled or how often they came up to look, what they sought they could not find.

​Until one day something strange happened. High above their heads sounded joyous music and suddenly they heard the loud cry "Alaaf! Alaaf!". 

Now you should know that “Alaaf” is actually the collective cry of the Laven. They could not wait and rushed to dig a tunnel and what they saw exceeded their wildest expectations. Colourfully dressed people who sang and danced as if their lives were about nothing but fun. This was their new home land.
​The Laven observed how people built their houses and copied it in their own way. The people of Laaf built their village here in the Efteling and they called it, The Lavenlaar. 
​Take a good look at how they live. They look a bit like us, and who knows, they have learned some things from us maybe we can learn something from them.
​​The translation in a handy PDF
volk_van_laaf.pdf
File Size: 2115 kb
File Type: pdf
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​A handy audio file of the translation
the_people_of_laaf.mp3
File Size: 4768 kb
File Type: mp3
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​​A compilation of all the translations of all the audio stories you may come across in the Efteling.
audio_reference_booklet_version_6.pdf
File Size: 5562 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
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Read the official Efteling version of the story in 'En Ze Leven Nog Lang en Gelukkig' available from the souvenir stores (Only in Dutch)