The Doudou originates in the Middle Ages. In 1349, because the city of Mons was touched by the plague, the authorities decided to organise a procession with the shrine of Waltrude. The shrine was brought to Casteau. At the same time, the shrine of Vincent Madelgarus that is based in Soignies was also taken to the same place. A miracle happened and the plague disappeared after this Procession. In 1352, the date was fixed on Trinity Sunday. After 1380, the fraternity of Saint George has appeared in the procession. The reconstitution of the combat between Saint George and a Dragon took his place in the feast. Because of the ’’less religious’’ origin, the combat was excluded from the procession in the 19th century. The separation between the religious parts of the feast and the non religious began at this time. The procession did not take place during the French revolution, in 1803 and during the two world wars.
Planning
The feast begins from the Saturday before Trinity Sunday to the next Sunday. As an eight-day festival with a specific liturgy, it can be called an octave.
The Procession
The descent of the shrine takes place on the Saturday evening. During a religious ceremony, the shrine is taken down from its Altar. The Priest gives the shrine to the town authorities for the duration of the festival. Then a procession with torches begins in the streets of the town. On the morning of Trinity Sunday, the shrine is placed on the Car d’Or, which is a gildeddray, and the procession begins. The Car d’Or is pulled through the streets by draft horses. The carriage is accompanied by several guilds that represent the history of the region. At the end of the procession, the Car d’Or has to climb a steep, cobblestone street, the Rampe Sainte-Waudru. To help the horses with the immense weight, hundreds of people gather behind to push. Local superstition holds that if the Car d'Or doesn't reach the top of the hill in one go, the city will suffer great misfortune. This happened in 1803, due to the French Revolution, in 1914 and in 1940, just prior to the First and Second World Wars. At the end of the week, the shrine is returned to its rightful place in Sainte-Waudru Collegiate Church with great ceremony.
The game of Saint George
This game is played on the Trinity Sunday between 12:30 and 13:00. It represents the fight between Saint George and the dragon. The fight is called Lumeçon. This name comes from the old French name Limaçon The combat happens on the central square of Mons. The length of the dragon is about 10 metres. The end of his tail is covered with horses' hairs. The dragon is displaced with the help of the white men. Saint George is protected by the Chinchins who represent dogs. The dragon is helped by the devils. Each devil is armed with a cow bladder full of air. With this weapon, they knock the Chinchins and the public that are placed all around the arena. The dragon attacks Saint George with his tail. The dragon also attacks the public. So the public is also an important participant in the fight. People try to take the mane of the tail because it is said to bring luck for a year. Finally, there are also the Leaf men that are covered with real leaves of ivy. They help the dragon by defending and supporting his tail. The combat is precisely choreographed. Saint George on his horse turns clockwise. And the dragon turns in the other direction.. Saint George tries to kill the dragon with his lance but the lance always breaks on contacting the dragon's skin. Saint George uses a pistol and finally kills the dragon on the third try. At 13:00, the participants leave the square, people rush into the arena to find the last lucky manes which have fallen on the ground. And the carillon of Mons rings.
Other information
A big concert is organised the Friday evening before Trinity on the central square of Mons.
