Bayard Steed, a historic procession with four youngsters riding a massive horse, returned to the streets of Dendermonde on Sunday, drawing tens of thousands of spectators (May 29). According to media accounts, the brave horse is the focal topic of the colorful procession in Dendermonde, the town of the Bayard Steed. It’s a medieval European pageant.
The parade is generally held every 10 years, although it has been postponed twice owing to the coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic. The 4.85-meter-tall wooden figure known as the ‘Bayard Steed,’ carried by 12 men, has not been seen in public for 12 years. It made its most recent appearance on May 30, 2010. Carolien Van Hecke, director of the Dendermonde municipal museums, revealed that the horse is carried by twelve men in three teams. She stated that they do so since the horse is fairly hefty. The horse weighs 1,000 kg with all of its accoutrements.
The horse measures 5.2 meters in length and is constructed of wood, iron, and other materials. It strode into the town’s central plaza and charged at its attackers. According to authorities, some 86,000 people saw the one-tonne monument pass the Flemish city. It was ‘dancing’ to the beat of a marching band, accompanied by huge figures, acrobats, and 2,000 historical actors. The youngsters were costumed like medieval warriors.
‘At times, the horse dances to the music of the band that is with it, and at other times, it greets (by staggering) particular individuals in certain spots,’ Hecke said, according to Reuters. The parade was included in UNESCO’s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2008, and it will be held again in 2030.
What’s the plot?
The origins of the Saga of the Bayard Steed may be traced back to a medieval chanson de geste – or heroic romance – in which Frankish monarch Charlemagne requests a valued war horse from a local warlord in return for a peace treaty.
Post Your Comments