Gayant is a processional giant that symbolizes the city of Douai. It is carried through the city for three days each year at the beginning of July as part of an eponymous festival alongside its "wife", Marie Cagenon, and their three "children", Jacquot, Fillon, and Binbin. The family arrives at the belfry at Douai on the final Sunday of the festival, which culminates with Le Grand Cortège (The Grand Procession) in the afternoon.
Gayant is included in UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage List as an example of processional giants and dragons in Belgium and France.
The Gayant family consists of Gayant, his wife Marie Cagenon, and their three children: Jacquot, Fillon, and Binbin.
| Data | Gayant | Marie Cagenon | Jacquot | Fillon | Binbin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First appearance | 1530 | 1531 | 1675 | 1687 | 1715 |
| Current model first made | 1954 | 1954 | 1947 | 1947 | 1947 |
| Height (m) | 8.51 m | 6.26 m | 3.40 m | 3.15 m | 2.42 m |
| Weight (Kg) | 375 kg | 250 kg | 80 kg | 70 kg | 45 kg |
| Carrier(s) | 6 Carriers | 6 carriers | 1 carrier | 1 carrier | 1 carrier |
The giants have gone through multiple rebuilding sessions (NR), restorations (R), and disappearances (D):[1]
| Giant | NR | R | D |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gayant | 1530, 1692, 1703, 1712, 1785, 1801, 1823 | 1700,[2] 1716, 1719, 1723, 1724, 1724, 1741, 1809 | 1792 |
| Marie-Cagenon | 1531, 1714, 1801, 1823 | 1712, 1719, | 1792 |
| Jacqout | 1675, 1801, 1827 | 1719, 1724, 1741, 1780, 1809 | 1792 |
| Fillon | 1678, 1801, 1827 | 1724, 1741, 1782, 1809 | 1792 |
| Binbin | 1715, 1801, 1827 | 1719, 1724, 1741, 1780, 1809 | 1792 |
Since 1827, plans to restore and rebuild the family have been coordinated, occurring in 1859, 1867, 1874, 1881, 1885, 1892, 1912, 1922, 1947, and 1954. Each year, the mannequins, which are constructed of wicker, are cleaned and restored.
Unlike other cities, Douai did not give a name to its giant; it is simply called Gayant (giant) in the language of Picardy, which was in use in Douai at the time of the original festival.
According to local legend, at the end of the ninth century, the townsmen of Scarpe asked for Jehan Gelon to help them if the city were attacked by barbarians. Gelon advised them to take refuge in the tower and to expect him in the event of an attack.
When the city was besieged by the Normans, Gelon, accompanied by his three sons, arrived by traveling through a tunnel in the city and defeated the Normans. The attackers who, while leaving, destroyed his castle and massacred the women there. Gelon and his sons, now traumatized from the loss of their families decide to go to war. According to legend, Gelon died close to Bavay. The legend has it that the inhabitants of Douai, in remembering his acts of bravery, made him a giant—the symbol of the city.
An episode of La Belle Hélène de Constantinople, a famous epic of the 14th century, takes place between Douai and Cantin.[3] Morant and his army ineffectively besiege the tower of the Giant, the perfidious and heathen vassal situated in Douai. This tower is linked by an underground passage with Cantin, where the giant brother of Douai, Maloré, was. Morant decides to take the tower of Cantin, which was easier to break in. Morant rushes to Cantin to help his brother. But Morant takes bulwarks[clarification needed], kills the Giant, and releases Douai and Cantin from the heathen.
Jean Wauquelin (1452) wrote this epic for the Duke of Burgundy Philip the Good in 1448.
Many historians reject the legend of Jean Gelon and prefer to see it as the city's homage to Saint Maurand. Two stories exist about the appearance of Saint Maurand in a dream, preventing the French capture of a city.
The most commonly accepted example goes as follows: In 1479, the French invaded Douai, then Burgundian. On 16 June 1479, several French troops tried to open the Door of Arras; it was believed that St. Maurand prevented them from intruding. Several of his sacred artifacts were treasured within the church of Sacré-Coeur.[4]
The second story says that the procession of the giant had already begun, so the identification with the Saint came later. In 1556, St. Maurand told the guard of Sacré-Coeur's church to "sound the matins." Subsequently, a knight of Light, Saint Maurand appeared to fight against Gaspard de Coligny.[5]
In the 19th century, several accounts in the form of tales or plays take a Gayant-like character and reinvent his history. "Intrepid Gayant", one of the "Tales of King Cambrinus" written by Charles Deulin is a well known tale: The giant of Douai becomes a wild child brought up by a she-bear, which takes it for one of her own because of his breadth and his bear-like strength. A logger finds him, adopts him, and the child becomes an adult.
The giant[which?] has had his current form since 1954. The earliest description dates to 1530,[6] and describes the character as twenty-two feet tall, wearing the costume of a feudal man of war in medieval armor with gloved hands. The mannequin was created by the corporation of the Manneliers. Until 1598, only one carrier was needed to move it. In 1665, it needed five carriers for the wicker mannequin. The appearance of the giant is no longer the same. The helmet has been removed, and he wears a wig. The lance has been replaced by a war hammer. The Sabre appeared beside the body in 1700. In 1703, during the construction of the new Gayant, the painter Martin Saint Leger was charged to paint specific colors for each giant. The helmet was reinstated, and then between 1724 and 1741, the giant wore a cap of rabbit fur. Absent from 1792 to 1801, its return is marked by the will to equip Gayant with the fashion of the day (Consulate). In 1823, the feudal style returned. The artist Wallet[clarification needed] then draws corresponding clothing of the time of Francis I. The sketches of Wallet[7] were used as the model for all the restorations. Although in 1827, a cotton coat was added as well as a streamer of scarlet serge on the upper part of the lance.
The Gayant are the stars of the documentary "Giant!" by Thomas Deshays, released in France on March 21, 2018.
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