Namur stilt jousting
| Subclass of | stilt walking, combat sport  |
|---|---|
| Country | Belgium |
| Indigenous to | Namur |
| Country of origin | Belgium |
| Intangible cultural heritage status | list of UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage elements in Belgium, Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity |
| Described at URL | https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/01590, https://ich.unesco.org/fr/RL/01590, https://ich.unesco.org/es/RL/01590 |
| Practiced by | échasseur |
| Time of earliest written record | 8 December 1411 |
Stilt jousting be 600-year-old tradition of de city of Namur, Belgium, wey costumed people dey for stilts joust top.[1]
Dem divide de stilt walkers for two teams insyd:
- De “Mélans” joust for yellow den black stilts top. Dem dey represent de old city
- De “Avresses” joust for red den white stilts top. Dem dey represent de fresh city den de suburbs
Both teams dey use jousting stilts, type of stilts dem develop for Namur insyd.
Jouster ein aim be say make e bring down all de jousters from de oda team (Fallen stilt walker no fi get back for ein stilts top).
For December 16, 2021, UNESCO officially register de Namur tradition of stilt jousting for de list of de intangible cultural heritage of humanity top.
History
[edit | edit source]De ban of December 8, 1411 be de earliest official document wey dey document stilt jousting for Namur insyd. De lord of Namur ban de practice for people ova 13 years.[2]
Ova de centuries, jousting for stilts top na ebe de center of major popular festivals for Namur insyd. De major jousts of de Carnival (17th den 18th centuries) fi bring togeda up to 2000 jousters for stilts top.
Jousting for stilts top na dem sanso be welcam gift de people of Namur dey offer to distinguished visitors. Dis dey explain why great names for history insyd attend joust for stilts top for Namur insyd, wey dey include:[3]
- Philip de Good (1439)
- Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor den King of Spain (1515, 1531)
- Phillipe II of Spain (1549)
- Louis XIV of France (1693)
- Peter de Great of Russia (1717)
- Napoleon Bonaparte (1803)
- De Kings of de Belgians Leopold III, Baudouin, Albert II den Philippe.
Namur stilt jousts now nu
[edit | edit source]Dem still dey practice Jousting for stilts top insyd Namur.
De jousters, dem dey bell "Les Echasseurs Namurois" (literally "de stilt jousters of Namur") be part of all de major Namur festivals. De joust of de golden stilt be de most important of de year. Dem dey hold am for de third Sunday of September for de occasion of de Festival of Wallonia. 6,000 to 8,000 people gather for de front of de cathedral make dem support de fifty or so stilt walkers wey be involve.[4]
Accolades
[edit | edit source]2004: Dem recognize am as intangible heritage of de Wallonia-Brussels Federation ("Chef-d'œuvre du patrimoine oral et immatériel de la Communauté Francaise")[5]
2016: Walloon merit officer[6]
2021: dem register Namur stilt jousting for de UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity top.[7]
References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ "The Stilt Walkers of Namur, joust on stilts. Since 1411". Les Echasseurs Namurois. Retrieved 2021-08-03.
- ↑ "Discover the Namur stilts jousts". Les Echasseurs Namurois. Retrieved 2021-08-03.
- ↑ Willemart, Jacques (2016). Les Echasseurs Namurois - The stilt walkers of Namur. Luc Pire. ISBN 978-2507054243.
- ↑ "The Golden Stilt, highlight of Namur folklore at the heart of the Festival of Wallonia". Les Echasseurs Namurois. Retrieved 2021-08-03.
- ↑ "Inventaire des Chefs-d'oeuvre du Patrimoine oral et immatériel". Communauté Francaise de Belgique. Wallonia Brussels Federation. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
- ↑ "Distinction du Mérite wallon". Connaitre la Wallonie. Service Public de Wallonie. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
- ↑ "UNESCO - Namur stilt jousting". ich.unesco.org. Retrieved 2021-12-18.