Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-08-21
GIANTS IN A CONGRESS.
Curious Collection Of Them Seen In Brus-
brussels dispatch to tho London Times July

lhi"SS'f ul-pntch 10 tho lousSu AhhcS' guy
23d.l
For weeks past the foreign readers OF
Brussels Newspapers must have been puz-
zled by meeting with paragraphs such as
Antigon and bis wife Pallas have arrived
and taken up their quarters al the
town stores or Goliath, his wife, and
their son are expected tonight, ana
Will be lodged at the Communal School
No. 9" and the like. The tact Is that
general meeting of the giants and other
representatives. of popular legends OK all
the towns Of Belgium had been arranged
~ on the principal features OF the great
national fte. and It was certainly not the
least interesting feature of them. Today
We had the privilege of seeing them all
from grave 20 gay. from the tallest down
TO the smallest-walk together IN coriele
such as was never seen before. and which
will not toe soon forgotten by those who
witnessed IT,
The origin of the giants dates, Of
course. from very remote times, ana the
quaintest legends are attached TO them.
Considerable expense and trouble have
been incurred 10 dress them well tor to-
days solemnity, and they looked, indeed,
very neat and smart. Numerous musical
bands were interspersed among the oor1ege,
which was ushered in by gendarmes on
horseback, and opened with the group OF
~. Michael. the patron saint of Brussels,
on horseback, followed by the dragon
conducted by maidens. The historical
carriage of the Amman of Brussels, with
an escort Of horsemen, preceded whole
family of newly giants-the giants
of the future twenty small giants, eighteen
caparlsoned horses, the relatives Of the
small giants. and the elastic giants.
After these new-fangled personages came
l. old In
Micke. Grandpapa, Grandmamma, My Tn
Gle. and the Grand Turk. Very funny II
is to see the giants peep in OF the first and
second floors of the houses which they
pass as if they were TO find out all family
secrets. The people walking underneath
the giants and bearing them have to
do their task well, too, for the movements
Of each giant must be in keeping with his
character. An ogre giant must move Ike
an ogre, and the motion of funny giant
must be funny. On q chariot followed lit
tie Mannekin. surnamed " the Oldest bur-
CESS OF Brussels" who did not seem too
much fatigued from last Sundays work.
when he served wine to the people in the
same way in which he acts every day as
fountain IN the Rue de lEtuye.
Mauueken. who enjoys yearly income
Of 20Of. beQueathed 10 him many wears ago
by an old maid, which income serves to
keep up his very varied wardrobe, Che Is
by turns an old nobleman, u civic guard,
and burgess had put on his rich Louis
XIV costume, with the Cross of st. Louis.
which Louis XY. had conferred on him. A
society bearing the hlgh-sOundlng
and ancient title Of 'SOciete du
Grand Serment Royal de 81. Georges
preceded the pretty groups, he
Mayors Entry into the Village The
Village Wedding and The Bringing
in Of the Harvest The ancient woTkmen's
society, the Companions of 81. Lawrence,
accompanied with becoming pride their
giants Alieke and Janneke. and also the
wheel Of fortune and the MeyboOm. Il tree
which IS erected every year IN Brussels in
commemoration of y repulse 500 years ago
of the people of Client. who had come to
attack the people of Brussels. In quick
succession moved now the societies of the
Humpbacks of the Anchor, the old Guild
of Fencers Of 81. job, the 'Cockchafer
Hunters. with their music, and the golfers
IN working gear.
And now came the turn OF the provincial
giants and legends. First of them was the
famous Doudou of Mons, COMMUNICATING
the triumph of Christianity. The giants
of Nivells, ArganIn, hIs wife, their son,
and the horse Hdet had a very
creditable appearance. The company
of the Grand Serment from Hal walked
before the giants from GrammOnt. The
small town of Nilvorde figured in the cor
Hge with FIVE giants its queer Op Sig
norken. and Ath had sent the complete
Biblical set, Goliah with his wife, the shep-
herd David. and the devil. Great regret was
felt at the absence of the horse Beyaard.
from Tormende, which | had occasion TO
describe in the Times about two years ago
but Alost, which has also horse Beyaard,
had sent the giants usually attending
on -Polydoor, Polydora, and Polydoor-
ken. At the request of the organizing COM
mttee. Tarascon. IN france, had consent
ed to send its palladium La Tarasque,
once an anthropophagist monster, SAID q
have been tanned and cured Of its bad
habits by ST. Martha, who had gone with
Mara Magdalen 10 Iarascon TO convert the
people there TO Christianity. Two very
tlerce-looking giants were those from Nieu-
port and Hasselt the last called De LANCE
man. and long indeed he isl