Gilles
The Gilles are the oldest and principal participants in the
History
The earliest documented reference to the Gilles is from 1795, when the revolutionary
Costume
Around 1000 Gilles, all male, some as young as three years old, wear the traditional costume of the Gille on Shrove Tuesday. The outfit features a linen suit with red, yellow, and black heraldic designs (the colours of the
Gilles also wear wooden clogs and have bells attached to their belts.[3] In the morning, they wear a wax mask of a particular design. After reaching the town hall, they remove these masks for the afternoon. During the afternoon parade, Gilles throw blood oranges to the crowd or at its members, and some wear large, white, feathered hats. Gilles carry ramons, tied bunches of twigs that are said to ward off evil spirits, and baskets in which to carry the oranges.[2]
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The Gilles wearing their hat with ostrich feathers on Shrove Tuesday
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The Gilles, clad in their costumes and plumed hats
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Gille de Binche (1952) by Robert Delnest
References
Notes
- ^ Logan p.223
- ^ a b "17/24.- Wallonia: Gilles de Binche". Retrieved 2009-03-04.
- ^ "Colorful Belgian 'Gilles' dancers mark Mardi Gras". International Herald Tribune. 2009-02-24. Retrieved 2009-03-04.
Bibliography
- Logan, Leanne; Geert Cole (2007). Belgium & Luxembourg. Lonely Planet. ISBN 978-1-74104-237-5.
External links
- (In French) Official site of Binche
- (In French) Official site of Nivelles
- (In French) International Carnival & Mask Museum in Binche
- (In French) Traditional tambourines