Ommegang of Brussels
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The Ommegang of Brussels (french: Ommegang de Bruxelles, nl, Ommegang van Brussel) is a traditional
Ommegang Ommegang or Ommeganck (Dutch: "walk around" (the church, village or city), ) is the generic name for various medieval pageants celebrated in the Low Countries (areas that are now within Belgium, the Netherlands, and northern France). Ommegang ...
, a type of
medieval pageant A medieval pageant is a form of procession traditionally associated with both secular and religious rituals, often with a narrative structure. Pageantry was an important aspect of medieval European seasonal festivals, in particular around the ce ...
, celebrated annually in
Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
, Belgium. Originally, the Ommegang was the largest lustral procession of Brussels, taking place once a year, on the Sunday before
Pentecost Pentecost (also called Whit Sunday, Whitsunday or Whitsun) is a Christian holiday which takes place on the 50th day (the seventh Sunday) after Easter Sunday. It commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and other followers ...
. Since 1930, it has taken the form of a
historical reenactment Historical reenactment (or re-enactment) is an educational or entertainment activity in which mainly amateur hobbyists and history enthusiasts dress in historic uniforms or costumes and follow a plan to recreate aspects of a historical event or ...
of the
Joyous Entry A Joyous Entry ( nl, Blijde Intrede, Blijde Inkomst, or ; ) is the official name used for the ceremonial royal entry, the first official peaceable visit of a reigning monarch, prince, duke or governor into a city, mainly in the Duchy of Braban ...
of
Emperor Charles V Charles V, french: Charles Quint, it, Carlo V, nl, Karel V, ca, Carles V, la, Carolus V (24 February 1500 – 21 September 1558) was Holy Roman Emperor and Archduke of Austria from 1519 to 1556, King of Spain ( Castile and Aragon) fr ...
and his son, Philip II, in Brussels in 1549. As such, it joins the tradition of the great processions of notable riders and giants that are found everywhere in Belgium and northern France. Nowadays, the event takes place twice a year, at the turn of June and July. It is organised by ''Ommegang Oppidi Bruxellensis'', an association close to the
City of Brussels The City of Brussels (french: Ville de Bruxelles or alternatively ''Bruxelles-Ville'' ; nl, Stad Brussel or ''Brussel-Stad'') is the largest municipality and historical centre of the Brussels-Capital Region, as well as the capital of the Fl ...
. Its starting point is in the Sablon/Zavel district in Brussels' historic centre and it ends with a large spectacle at the Grand-Place/Grote Markt (Brussels' main square). Since 2019, it is recognised as a
Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity The Proclamation of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity was made by the Director-General of UNESCO starting in 2001 to raise awareness of intangible cultural heritage and encourage local communities to protect them and th ...
by
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...
.


Etymology

The
Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...
term ''Ommegang'' (originally spelled ''Ommeganck'') means "moving around" or "walking around" (e.g. the church, village or city) and is an old historical evocation of Brussels' largest lustral procession, which took place once a year, on the Sunday before
Pentecost Pentecost (also called Whit Sunday, Whitsunday or Whitsun) is a Christian holiday which takes place on the 50th day (the seventh Sunday) after Easter Sunday. It commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and other followers ...
. The term is similarly used as a generic name for various
medieval pageant A medieval pageant is a form of procession traditionally associated with both secular and religious rituals, often with a narrative structure. Pageantry was an important aspect of medieval European seasonal festivals, in particular around the ce ...
s celebrated in the
Low Countries The term Low Countries, also known as the Low Lands ( nl, de Lage Landen, french: les Pays-Bas, lb, déi Niddereg Lännereien) and historically called the Netherlands ( nl, de Nederlanden), Flanders, or Belgica, is a coastal lowland region in N ...
(i.e. areas that are now within Belgium, the Netherlands, and Northern France). The Ommegang in Brussels was originally an annual Christian procession held in honour of
Our Lady of Victory Our or OUR may refer to: * The possessive form of " we" * Our (river), in Belgium, Luxembourg, and Germany * Our, Belgium, a village in Belgium * Our, Jura, a commune in France * Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR), a government utility regulato ...
, the city's powerful protector, whose statue is currently in the
Church of Our Blessed Lady of the Sablon nl, Onze-Lieve-Vrouw ter Zavelkerk , native_name_lang = , image = Brussels, église Notre Dame du Sablon oeg2043-00070 foto7 2015-06-07 13.28.jpg , image_size = 250px , alt = , caption ...
. The term thus evoked the act of "
circumambulation Circumambulation (from Latin ''circum'' around and ''ambulātus ''to walk) is the act of moving around a sacred object or idol. Circumambulation of temples or deity images is an integral part of Hindu and Buddhist devotional practice (known in S ...
" around a religious symbol (i.e. the
Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...
's statue), in
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...
or , which can be found in many religions and beliefs. This Marian procession gradually acquired a more
secular Secularity, also the secular or secularness (from Latin ''saeculum'', "worldly" or "of a generation"), is the state of being unrelated or neutral in regards to religion. Anything that does not have an explicit reference to religion, either negativ ...
character, and became a social event in which all the city's constituents participate.


History


Origins (–1785)

According to legend, the origin of the Ommegang of Brussels goes back to a local devout woman named Beatrix (Béatrice or Beatrijs) Soetkens. She had a vision in which the
Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...
instructed her to steal the miraculous statue of ''Onze-Lieve-Vrouw op 't Stocxken'' ("Our Lady on the little stick") from the Cathedral of Our Lady in
Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,
, bring it to Brussels, and place it in the chapel of the Crossbowmen's Guild in the Sablon/Zavel district. The woman stole the statue, and through a series of miraculous events, was able to transport it to Brussels by boat in 1348. It was then solemnly placed in the chapel and venerated as the patron of the Guild. The Guild also promised to hold an annual procession, called an ''Ommegang'', in which the statue was carried through Brussels. Through the following decades, what was originally a religious procession took on gradually a more worldly outlook. The Ommegang of 1549 corresponds to a golden age of the procession. From the mid-16th century, the Ommegang not only celebrated the miraculous legend, but from 1549, became intertwined with the
Joyous Entry A Joyous Entry ( nl, Blijde Intrede, Blijde Inkomst, or ; ) is the official name used for the ceremonial royal entry, the first official peaceable visit of a reigning monarch, prince, duke or governor into a city, mainly in the Duchy of Braban ...
of
Holy Roman Emperor The Holy Roman Emperor, originally and officially the Emperor of the Romans ( la, Imperator Romanorum, german: Kaiser der Römer) during the Middle Ages, and also known as the Roman-German Emperor since the early modern period ( la, Imperat ...
,
Charles V Charles V may refer to: * Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558) * Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain * Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise * Charles V, Duke of Lorraine (1643–1690) * Infa ...
, and his son, Philip II, then-
crown prince A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title is crown princess, which may refer either to an heiress apparent or, especially in earlier times, to the w ...
of the
Seventeen Provinces The Seventeen Provinces were the Imperial states of the Habsburg Netherlands in the 16th century. They roughly covered the Low Countries, i.e., what is now the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and most of the French departments of Nord (F ...
of the Netherlands. On that occasion, Brussels' elites wished to honour the Emperor and his son by organising spectacular equestrian parades in the Sablon and on the Grand-Place/Grote Markt. The Ommegang thus developed into an important religious and civil event in the city's annual calendar.Rudi Schrever, ''Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-ter-Zavelkerk in Brussel''
During the second half of the 16th century, the Ommegang was dependent on political and religious upheavals in the
Spanish Low Countries Spanish Netherlands (Spanish: Países Bajos Españoles; Dutch: Spaanse Nederlanden; French: Pays-Bas espagnols; German: Spanische Niederlande.) (historically in Spanish: ''Flandes'', the name "Flanders" was used as a ''pars pro toto'') was the Ha ...
. The event was described at that time in the diary of a
bourgeois of Brussels In Brussels, as in most European cities, one needed the capacity of bourgeois (equivalent to German burgher or English burgess; in French ''bourgeois'' or ''citoyen'' ''de Bruxelles''; in Dutch ''poorter'' or ''borger'' ''van Brussel''; in Lat ...
, Jan de Potter, who, over the years, mentions that it was sad, ugly or worse, that it did not take place. Between 1580 and 1585, when the city was in the hands of
Calvinists Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John ...
, the procession was simply suppressed. In the 17th century, the Ommegang regained its lustre, under the reigns of the Archdukes Albert VII and Isabella, sovereigns of the
Spanish Netherlands Spanish Netherlands ( Spanish: Países Bajos Españoles; Dutch: Spaanse Nederlanden; French: Pays-Bas espagnols; German: Spanische Niederlande.) (historically in Spanish: ''Flandes'', the name "Flanders" was used as a '' pars pro toto'') was the ...
, as depicted in a series of paintings by the
court painter A court painter was an artist who painted for the members of a royal or princely family, sometimes on a fixed salary and on an exclusive basis where the artist was not supposed to undertake other work. Painters were the most common, but the cour ...
s
Denis van Alsloot Denis van Alsloot or Denijs van AlslootDenis van Alsloot
at the Antoon Sallaert Antoon Sallaert or Anthonis Sallaert (1594–1650) was a Flemish Baroque painter, draughtsman and printmaker who was active in Brussels. Sallaert produced many devotional paintings for the Brussels court of Archdukes Albert and Isabella as we ...
, representing the celebrations of 1615. In the 18th century, the decline of the demonstration began. The last (very small) annual Ommegang took place in 1785, followed by only two sporadic performances in the 19th century. File:Denis van Alsloot - The Ommeganck in Brussels on 31 May 1615. The Triumph of Archduchess Isabella.jpg, ''The Ommegang in Brussels on 31 May 1615. The Triumph of Archduchess Isabella'', by
Denis van Alsloot Denis van Alsloot or Denijs van AlslootDenis van Alsloot
at the Antoon Sallaert Antoon Sallaert or Anthonis Sallaert (1594–1650) was a Flemish Baroque painter, draughtsman and printmaker who was active in Brussels. Sallaert produced many devotional paintings for the Brussels court of Archdukes Albert and Isabella as we ...


Revival (1930–present)

For about a century, Brussels did not celebrate any Ommegang. In 1930, on the occasion of the centenary of the
Belgian Revolution The Belgian Revolution (, ) was the conflict which led to the secession of the southern provinces (mainly the former Southern Netherlands) from the United Kingdom of the Netherlands and the establishment of an independent Kingdom of Belgium. T ...
, some history enthusiasts supported efforts to commemorate once again the event, in the form of a historical procession. The organisers chose not to revive the ancestral "circumambulation", but to make it a spectacle reproducing the sumptuous Ommegang offered, in 1549, by the city of Brussels to
Charles V Charles V may refer to: * Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558) * Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain * Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise * Charles V, Duke of Lorraine (1643–1690) * Infa ...
and his son Philip II. Given the success of this performance, it was decided to repeat it in subsequent years. This was the origin of the current Ommegang. The current event brings together about 1,400 extras, including several dozen
horse rider Equestrianism (from Latin , , , 'horseman', 'horse'), commonly known as horse riding (Commonwealth English) or horseback riding (American English), includes the disciplines of riding, driving, and vaulting. This broad description includes the ...
s,
crossbowmen An arbalist, also spelled arbelist, is one who shoots a crossbow. Background An extensive list of archaic words for medieval crossbowmen is given by Payne-Gallwey. Richardson, in his 1839 dictionary, did not make specific reference to the cross ...
,
archers Archery is the sport, practice, or skill of using a bow to shoot arrows.Paterson ''Encyclopaedia of Archery'' p. 17 The word comes from the Latin ''arcus'', meaning bow. Historically, archery has been used for hunting and combat. In mo ...
, fencers, and
arquebus An arquebus ( ) is a form of long gun that appeared in Europe and the Ottoman Empire during the 15th century. An infantryman armed with an arquebus is called an arquebusier. Although the term ''arquebus'', derived from the Dutch word ''Haakbus ...
iers, to name a few, dressed in period costumes. There are also
stilt Stilt is a common name for several species of birds in the family Recurvirostridae, which also includes those known as avocets. They are found in brackish or saline wetlands in warm or hot climates. They have extremely long legs, hence the grou ...
walkers and traditional processional giants such as the
archangel Archangels () are the second lowest rank of angel in the hierarchy of angels. The word ''archangel'' itself is usually associated with the Abrahamic religions, but beings that are very similar to archangels are found in a number of other relig ...
Saint Michael Michael (; he, מִיכָאֵל, lit=Who is like El od, translit=Mīḵāʾēl; el, Μιχαήλ, translit=Mikhaḗl; la, Michahel; ar, ميخائيل ، مِيكَالَ ، ميكائيل, translit=Mīkāʾīl, Mīkāl, Mīkhāʾīl), also ...
,
Saint Gudula Saint Gudula was born in the pagus of Brabant (in present-day Belgium). According to her 11th-century biography ( Vita Gudilae), written by a monk of the abbey of Hautmont between 1048 and 1051, she was the daughter of a duke of Lotharingia calle ...
, and the Bayard horse. The magistrates and members of the
Seven Noble Houses of Brussels The Seven Noble Houses of Brussels (also called the Seven Lineages or Seven Patrician families of Brussels; french: Sept lignages de Bruxelles, nl, Zeven geslachten van Brussel, Latin: ''Septem nobiles familiae Bruxellarum'') were the seven ...
, dressed in the famous Brussels red scarlet stained in the blood of a bull, preceded by the magistrate of the
Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...
's statue, also still participate in this sacred procession. Since 2011, a personality from the world of the arts is entrusted, each year, with the role of herald, and comments on the show at the
Grand-Place The Grand-Place (French, ; "Grand Square"; also used in English) or Grote Markt (Dutch, ; "Big Market") is the central square of Brussels, Belgium. It is surrounded by opulent Baroque guildhalls of the former Guilds of Brussels and two larger ...
.
Jean-Pierre Castaldi Jean-Pierre Castaldi (born 1 October 1944) is a French actor. He is the father of French TV presenter and radio host Benjamin Castaldi Benjamin Castaldi (; born 28 March 1970) is a French television host, columnist, radio host and producer ...
, Stéphane Bern,
Jacques Weber Jacques Weber is a French actor, director, and writer. Life and career Weber joined the Conservatoire national supérieur d'art dramatique at the age of 20, and won the Prix d'Excellence when he left. He joined Robert Hossein in Rheims, and ...
,
Francis Huster Francis Huster (born 8 December 1947) is a French stage, film and television actor, director and scriptwriter. Biography Francis Huster was born in Neuilly-sur-Seine. His father is Charles Huster, commercial director at Lancia, and his Po ...
,
Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt (born 28 March 1960) is a Franco–Belgian playwright, short story writer and novelist, as well as a film director. His plays have been staged in over fifty countries all over the world. Life Early years Eric-Emmanuel S ...
, and
Patrick Poivre d'Arvor Patrick Poivre d'Arvor (PPDA; né Patrick Jean Marcel Poivre, ; born 20 September 1947) is a French TV journalist and writer. He is a household name in France, and nicknamed "PPDA". With over 30 years and in excess of 4,500 editions of televis ...
, for example, have successively lent themselves to the exercise. Although it has become a historical show, the Ommegang nevertheless preserves many traditional and authentic elements, such as the presence of the Brussels Lineages, the Oaths of Crossbowmen, as well as the Virgin of Victories, and remains a major yearly event in the minds of the people of Brussels. Since 2019, the Ommegang has been recognised as a
Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity The Proclamation of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity was made by the Director-General of UNESCO starting in 2001 to raise awareness of intangible cultural heritage and encourage local communities to protect them and th ...
by
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...
. The event was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the
COVID-19 pandemic in Belgium The COVID-19 pandemic in Belgium has resulted in confirmed cases of COVID-19 and deaths. The virus was confirmed to have spread to Belgium on 4 February 2020, when one of a group of nine Belgians repatriated from Wuhan to Brussels was repor ...
. File:Ommegang Bruselas 2017 08 video.ogg, The
Emperor Charles V Charles V, french: Charles Quint, it, Carlo V, nl, Karel V, ca, Carles V, la, Carolus V (24 February 1500 – 21 September 1558) was Holy Roman Emperor and Archduke of Austria from 1519 to 1556, King of Spain ( Castile and Aragon) ...
and crown prince Philip II in the modern Ommegang File:Ommegang Bruselas 2017 ballesteros.jpg, Grand Oath of Crossbowmen of Brussels participating in the Ommegang File:Cavaliers de l'Ommegang.jpg, Noble riders honouring Emperor Charles V during the Ommegang


See also

*
History of Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
*
Culture of Belgium Belgian culture involves both the aspects shared by all Belgians regardless of the language they speak and the differences between the main cultural communities: the Dutch-speaking Belgians (Flemish) and the French-speaking Belgians (mostly ...
*
Seven Noble Houses of Brussels The Seven Noble Houses of Brussels (also called the Seven Lineages or Seven Patrician families of Brussels; french: Sept lignages de Bruxelles, nl, Zeven geslachten van Brussel, Latin: ''Septem nobiles familiae Bruxellarum'') were the seven ...
* '' Association Royale des Descendants des Lignages de Bruxelles''


References


Notes


Bibliography

* * * *


Further reading

* Leo van Puyvelde, ''L'Ommegang de 1615 à Bruxelles'', Brussels, Éditions du Marais, 1960 * Jean Jacquot, ''Fêtes et cérémonies au temps de Charles Quint.'', Fédération internationale des sociétés et instituts pour l'étude de la Renaissance, 1975 * Arthur Haulot, ''Cette nuit-là, l'Ommegang de Bruxelles'', Brussels, Ed. Trois Arches, 1980 * Daniel Frankignioul (dir.), Brigitte Twyffels, Michel Staes, Claude Flagel, Alfred Willis, ''Pleins Feux sur l'Ommegang, La Reconstitution du Cortège en 1930 par Albert Marinus.'', Brussels, Fondation Albert Marinus, 1997 * Rosine De Dijn et Siegfried Himmer, ''La Grand-Place de Bruxelles, fastueux décor de l'Ommegang'', Eupen, Grenz-Echo Editions, 1997 * Isabelle Lecomte-Depoorter, ''Ommegang'', with illustrations of
René Follet René Follet (10 April 1931 – 13 March 2020), sometimes known by the pen name Ref, was a Belgian illustrator, comics writer and artist. Biography René Follet was born in Brussels in 1931.De Weyer, Geert (2005). "René Follet". In België gest ...
, Éditions Glénat, 1999 * Olivier de Trazegnies, Louis-Philippe Breydel, ''L'Ommegang'', (trilingual), Brussels, Renaissance du Livre, 2007


External links

{{commons category, Ommegang in Brussels
Ommegang Oppidi Bruxellensis

Brussels Ommegang Infos
Annual events in Brussels Parades in Belgium Culture in Brussels History of Brussels Spring (season) events in Belgium Recurring events with year of establishment missing