Editing Ninove (section)

==Nicknames==
[[File:Koepoort,frontside, ninove, belgium.jpg|thumb|right|The ''Koepoort'' city gate]]
Throughout the ages the inhabitants of Ninove were given various nicknames as a title of honour or mockery.

===''Wortelmannen or Wortels''===
The inhabitants were given the title of "wortelmannen" or "wortels" (Dutch for carrot people or carrot) because of an event during the Middle Ages. During a row with the neighbouring city of [[Aalst, Belgium|Aalst]], the people of Aalst decided to besiege Ninove. The inhabitants of Ninove were completely surprised by this attack and were found unprepared. In all the confusion the key to close the city gate could not be found. To bolt the gate, a carrot was used. A passing donkey saw the carrot-bolt and ate it, leaving the city gate unbolted and the militiamen from Aalst free entry of the city.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ninove.be/diensten/ninov/spotnamen.asp |title=Ninove.be |publisher=Ninove.be |access-date=2014-04-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303191604/http://www.ninove.be/diensten/ninov/spotnamen.asp |archive-date=2016-03-03 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===''De Oudste, de Stoutste en de Wijste der Steden''===
Ninove was described by [[Antonius Sanderus]] as the Oldest, the Boldest and the Wisest of Cities. Sanderus wrote in his ''Flandria Illustrata'':

{{cquote|"Ninive quattor habet portas. Hae portae, quamvis possint, vix umquam clauduntur: unde vulgari loco Ninove dicitur antiquissima, audaccissima, sapientissima".}}

Ninove was called the oldest because of the similarity of its name with the ancient [[Assyria]]n city [[Nineveh]], the boldest because it waited on the enemy with open gates and the wisest because the city had no jester or town fool, if one was needed a fool from a neighbouring town was lent.