The oldest mentions of Hekelgem are as
Hecelengim (1105),
Eclegen (1119) and
Heclengem (1148). Historically it has often been referred to as
Hekelghem. The village was situated on the main road between
Brussels and
Ghent, and on the historical frontier between the
Duchy of Brabant and the
County of Flanders (now the provinces of
Flemish Brabant and
East Flanders). In the later Middle Ages and through the Early Modern period the territory was partly subject to the
lordship of Asse and partly to Affligem Abbey, with frequent disputes about their relative rights and privileges, particularly with regard to the woodland and heath surrounding the village. Under French rule the village became a commune in the canton of Asse, as part of the
Department of the Dyle. There were at the time four breweries and two gin distilleries in the village. In 1846 the territory of the commune of Hekelgem was 809 hectares: 312 ha planted with cereal crops, 94 ha with industrial crops (such as
flax and
colza), 141 ha with beets and fodder, 81 ha of meadow, 5 ha of orchards, 7 ha of gardens, 46 ha of woodland, and 6 ha of heath and uncultivated land. The population was 2,021, in 375 households, of whom 513 were school-aged children and 276 on public relief. ==Folklore==