Festivals and traditions
The 28 villages of the Hérault Valley invite you to join them in celebrating their traditional festivals throughout the year.
It's the black pig in Saint-André de Sangonis, the ram known as lo Picart in Saint-Jean-de-Fos, the snail in Saint Pargoire and in Le Pouget a tramp known as the Boumian. In Gignac, on the Thursday of Ascension, Martin the Ass, the lord of Gignac, is blessed by the priest before parading through the town to the sound of fifes and drums. In 1636, the many excesses of the brotherhoods that guarded the totemic animals attracted the wrath of the Bishop of Béziers, who forbade them from following their effigies. The practice was again prohibited by a royal order issued by Louis XIII in 1685, but the Ass is a thick-skinned animal and the merry revels have continued to this day.
The battle known as Le Sénibelet takes place on Place du Planol where two throwers, representing the people of Gignac, well protected in their padded costumes, use all their strength to throw roots from the trentanel or garou, a shrub local to the area, at the head of an actor wearing a metal helmet, until he is defeated. The battle is a commemoration of the people's struggle against the Saracens in 719, or so legend has it.
Many villages celebrate carnival-time in March with great enthusiasm. The preparations begin several weeks in advance and the processions of flower covered floats are spectacular sights.
On Sundays the colourful cavalcades appear, the floats almost disappearing completely beneath their lavish decorations of crepe-paper flowers.
After a long battle in the service of his faith and crowned with glory, Guilhem decides to relinquish his honours, responsibilities and property to retire to the Gellone valley and lead the austere life of a simple monk. He shares his plans with Charlemagne, and
"At these unexpected words, good King Charles straightened a little and his face grew pale; with a deep sigh and holding back his tears he answered his friend: 'You have wounded my heart with your request, and my soul is deeply hurt by your departure; but your wish is a fair one, and I do not have it in me to oppose you.'" The emperor then offered his relative and friend a precious relic of the Cross to reward him for his services to him personally and to the empire.
The Holy Cross of the Saviour is still celebrated to this day, on 3 May. To mark the festival, little loaves in the shape of a cross are given out as a reminder of the monks of Gellone who shared their daily bread with the pilgrims. According to local tradition, the little cross-shaped loaves offer protection from lightning and floods.
Totemic animals
Several villages also have their own totemic animal, a wooden carcass covered with fabric, which is presented to the people of the village once a year in a festival that still bears the mark of ancient pagan rituals.It's the black pig in Saint-André de Sangonis, the ram known as lo Picart in Saint-Jean-de-Fos, the snail in Saint Pargoire and in Le Pouget a tramp known as the Boumian. In Gignac, on the Thursday of Ascension, Martin the Ass, the lord of Gignac, is blessed by the priest before parading through the town to the sound of fifes and drums. In 1636, the many excesses of the brotherhoods that guarded the totemic animals attracted the wrath of the Bishop of Béziers, who forbade them from following their effigies. The practice was again prohibited by a royal order issued by Louis XIII in 1685, but the Ass is a thick-skinned animal and the merry revels have continued to this day.
The battle known as Le Sénibelet takes place on Place du Planol where two throwers, representing the people of Gignac, well protected in their padded costumes, use all their strength to throw roots from the trentanel or garou, a shrub local to the area, at the head of an actor wearing a metal helmet, until he is defeated. The battle is a commemoration of the people's struggle against the Saracens in 719, or so legend has it.
Carnivals
Many villages celebrate carnival-time in March with great enthusiasm. The preparations begin several weeks in advance and the processions of flower covered floats are spectacular sights. On Sundays the colourful cavalcades appear, the floats almost disappearing completely beneath their lavish decorations of crepe-paper flowers.
The sacred relics of St-Guilhem-le-Désert
The "Vita Sancti Guilhelmi", thought to date from the 12th century and inspired by the chansons de geste, particularly the "Moniage Guillaume", tells the story of William of Gellone's farewell to the world.After a long battle in the service of his faith and crowned with glory, Guilhem decides to relinquish his honours, responsibilities and property to retire to the Gellone valley and lead the austere life of a simple monk. He shares his plans with Charlemagne, and
"At these unexpected words, good King Charles straightened a little and his face grew pale; with a deep sigh and holding back his tears he answered his friend: 'You have wounded my heart with your request, and my soul is deeply hurt by your departure; but your wish is a fair one, and I do not have it in me to oppose you.'" The emperor then offered his relative and friend a precious relic of the Cross to reward him for his services to him personally and to the empire.
The Holy Cross of the Saviour is still celebrated to this day, on 3 May. To mark the festival, little loaves in the shape of a cross are given out as a reminder of the monks of Gellone who shared their daily bread with the pilgrims. According to local tradition, the little cross-shaped loaves offer protection from lightning and floods.
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Office de Tourisme Intercommunal +33 (0)4 67 57 58 83 & +33 (0)4 67 57 44 33 |