bub

This week-end, it was "the Doudou". This is a very popular feast and a "masterpiece of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity".


Listen to that while reading (this is the song of the Doudou)
http://ducassedemons.info/media/son/DoudouCombat.mp3

Origins

In 1349, there was the Black Death in Mons, so a procession with the shrine (golden box with the relics of the Frankish Saint, who died in 688) of St-Waltrude was organised. And a miracle occured: the plague disappeared after the procession.

So, every year since 1349, there is a procession with the shrine of St-Waltrude.

*Espace VIDEO-MEDIA du site de la Ducasse de Mons
Video of the "descente de la chasse" (clic on the picture -Look at the nice clothes of those who are in the procession!! They also show what the shrine contains: the skeletton of St-Waltrude. Then, watch at 5'15", the beginning of the procession)




The shrine is then placed on a golden dray, the "car d'or". It is pulled through the street by draft horses, and accompanied by several guilds.





At the end of the procession, the shrine has to go back to the collegiate (cathedral) and the "car d'or" has to climb a steep cobblestoned street. To help the horses with the immense weight, hundreds of people push the dray. Legend says that if the dray doesn’t climb the street, the city will have great misfortune. This happened in 1803, due to the French Revolution, and in 1914 and 1940, due to the First and Second World Wars



Watch the raising of the dray
http://ducassedemons.info/media/film...ntee-Car04.asx
*Espace VIDEO-MEDIA du site de la Ducasse de Mons (clic on the pictures)

Then, since 1380, there is a second, non religious part of th feast: the reconstitution of the combat between Saint George and a dragoon. (There was a dragoon in the church of Mons, which in fact is a crocodile brought back from the Crusades) The dragoon is 10 meters long. He is moved by men dressed in white, and is helped by devils, dressed in dark red.

On the other side, there is St George, with golden clothes, on a horse, who is helped by the "chinchins".




The dragon fights St George and the public by giving tail attacks such as these


The public tries to grab the hair on the tail of the dragoon because it is said to give luck for one year, but there are the "leaf men", covered with ivy leafs, who defend the dragoon and support his tail

http://processionducardor.be/media/f...mb/Pommeau.asx

Saint George (on the horse) tries to kill the dragoon but his lance breaks, and finally kills the dragoon with a pistol

http://processionducardor.be/media/f...risdelance.asx



And of course, the finale
Délirant Final du Concert FIMM le Mardi Soir de la Ducasse de Mons 2005 avant le Grand Feu d'Artifice


(well ive got a problem with the pictures. Watch there Ducasse de Mons - Wikipédia )

__________________
===|:-)