The Gilles are the oldest and principal participants in the

Carnival of Binche The Carnival of Binche () is an annual festival held in Binche, Hainaut Province, Hainaut, Belgium, during the Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday preceding Ash Wednesday. The carnival's history dates back to approximately the 14th century, and it is ...

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

. They go out on

Shrove Tuesday Shrove Tuesday (also known as Pancake Tuesday or Pancake Day) is the final day of Shrovetide, which marks the end of the pre-Lenten season. Lent begins the following day with Ash Wednesday. Shrove Tuesday is observed in many Christian state, Ch ...

from 4 a.m. until late hours and dance to traditional songs. Other cities, such as Ressaix, Leval, Buvrinnes, Épinois, Waudrez,

Anderlues Anderlues (; ; ) is a municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. On 1 January 2006 Anderlues had a total population of 11,578. The total area is which gives a population density Population density (in agriculture: ...

Chapelle-lez-Herlaimont Chapelle-lez-Herlaimont (; ) is a municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. On January 1, 2018, Chapelle-lez-Herlaimont had a total population of 14,900. The total area is 18.10 km² which gives a population den ...

, Estinnes, Le Roeulx, Manage,

Morlanwelz Morlanwelz (; ) is a municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. On 1 January 2006 Morlanwelz had a total population of 18,595. The total area is 20.26 km2 which gives a population density of 918 inhabitants per km2 ...

Seneffe Seneffe (; ) is a municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. On 1 January 2006 Seneffe had a total population of 10,743. The total area is 62.77 km² which gives a population density of 171 inhabitants per km². ...

Nivelles Nivelles (; ; ) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. The Nivelles municipality includes the former municipalities of Baulers, Bornival, Thines, and Monstreux. The Nivelles arrondissement ...

Charleroi Charleroi (, , ; ) is a city and a municipality of Wallonia, located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. It is the largest city in both Hainaut and Wallonia. The city is situated in the valley of the Sambre, in the south-west of Belgium, not ...

and

La Louvière La Louvière (; ) is a city and Municipalities of Belgium, municipality of Wallonia located in the Hainaut Province, province of Hainaut, Belgium. The municipality consists of the following districts: Boussoit, Haine-Saint-Paul, Haine-Saint-Pie ...

have a tradition of Gilles at carnival, but the Carnival of Binche is by far the most famous. In 2003, the Carnival of Binche was proclaimed one of the

Masterpieces 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—such traditions, rituals, dance, and knowledge—and ...

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

.Logan p.223

History

The earliest documented reference to the Gilles is from 1795, when the revolutionary Directorate attempted to prohibit the wearing of masks. The traditional origins are a matter of speculation; one legend connects them to

Mary of Hungary Mary, also known as Maria of Anjou (, , ; 137117 May 1395), queen regnant, reigned as Queen of Hungary and List of dukes and kings of Croatia, Croatia between 1382 and 1385, and from 1386 until her death. She was the daughter of Louis I of Hun ...

, who as governor of the Netherlands in 1549 organised a

Joyous Entry A Joyous Entry (; ) is a ceremonial event marking the entry into a city by a monarch, prince, duke, or governor in parts of modern-day Belgium. Originating in the Middle Ages, it generally coincided with the affirmation or extension of the city' ...

into

Brussels Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...

for the visit of her brother

Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V (24 February 1500 – 21 September 1558) was Holy Roman Emperor and Archduke of Austria from 1519 to 1556, King of Spain (as Charles I) from 1516 to 1556, and Lord of the Netherlands as titular Duke of Burgundy (as Charles II) ...

and

King of Spain The monarchy of Spain or Spanish monarchy () is the constitutional form of government of Spain. It consists of a Hereditary monarchy, hereditary monarch who reigns as the head of state, being the highest office of the country. The Spanish ...

. With the wealth then flowing to Spain from South America, elements of the Gille's costume, in particular the large plumed hat, might have come from attempts to represent an

Inca The Inca Empire, officially known as the Realm of the Four Parts (, ), was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The administrative, political, and military center of the empire was in the city of Cusco. The History of the Incas, Inca ...

costume. Another theory is that the masks, costume, and hunched back are derived from 17th-century ''

commedia dell'arte Commedia dell'arte was an early form of professional theatre, originating from Theatre of Italy, Italian theatre, that was popular throughout Europe between the 16th and 18th centuries. It was formerly called Italian comedy in English and is a ...

'', to which local colour has been added such as wearing clogs. The portrayal is suggestive of the character

Pulcinella Pulcinella (; ) is a classical character that originated in commedia dell'arte of the 17th century and became a stock character in Neapolitan puppetry. Pulcinella's versatility in status and attitude has captivated audiences worldwide and kept ...

, which may have given rise to the name Gille, although confusingly within ''commedia dell'arte''

Gilles The Gilles are the oldest and principal participants in the Carnival of Binche in Belgium. They go out on Shrove Tuesday from 4 a.m. until late hours and dance to traditional songs. Other cities, such as Ressaix, Leval, Buvrinnes, Épinois ...

may also overlap with the character

Pierrot Pierrot ( , ; ), a stock character of pantomime and commedia dell'arte, has his origins in the late 17th-century Italian troupe of players performing in Paris and known as the Comédie-Italienne. The name is a hypocorism, diminutive of ''Pierr ...

Costume

Around 1,000 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

Belgian flag The national flag of the Kingdom of Belgium is a tricolour consisting of three equal vertical bands displaying the national colours: black, yellow, and red. The colours were taken from the coat of arms of the Duchy of Brabant, and the vertical de ...

), trimmed with large white-lace cuffs and collars. The suit is stuffed with straw, giving the Gille a hunched back. Gilles also wear wooden clogs and have bells attached to their belts. 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 orange The blood orange is a variety of orange (fruit), orange with crimson, near blood-colored flesh. It is one of the sweet orange varieties (Citrus × sinensis, ''Citrus'' × ''sinensis''). It is also known as the raspberry orange. The dark flesh ...

s 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. File:0 Binche - Les Gilles le jour du mardi gras (1).JPG, The Gilles wearing their hat with ostrich feathers on

File:0 Les Gilles d'Havré (1).JPG, The Gilles, clad in their costumes and plumed hats File:Binche_Statue_Gille.JPG, ''Gille de Binche'' (1952) by

References

Citations

Bibliography

External links

*
Official site of Binche
*

*
International Carnival & Mask Museum in Binche
* {{In lang, fr, cap=yes}
Traditional tambourines
Belgian folklore Binche Carnivals in Belgium Carnivals La Louvière Spring (season) in Belgium Culture of Wallonia Carnival costumes