The Ducasse d’Ath has been removed from the UNESCO list of intangible heritage. This decision was taken because of the “Savage”, a controversial character dressed in black. This is not the first Belgian event to be deprived of this recognition. What is this registration for? And what will this change for the Ducasse?
It is in Morocco that the 180 member countries of Unesco have widely debated on the presence of the “Savage”, this emblematic character of the Ducasse d’Ath. And the words of some diplomats were not kind to Belgian folklore. “A clearly racist and discriminatory character”, accuses Mário B. von Haff, representative of Angola to Unesco.
The Belgian representative to Unesco hoped to obtain a delay, but the international pressure was obviously too strong. The withdrawal of the savage was voted unanimously. “The symbols conveyed by the character of the “Savage” were considered too serious by the committee. The committee expressed itself unanimously in favor of this option”says Maxime Woitrin, Belgian representative to Unesco.
This is not the first time that Belgian traditions have found themselves in the crosshairs of Unesco. In 2019, the International Organization sanctions the carnival of Aalst accused of anti-Semitism. In total in Belgium, around ten events or properties are still on the list of intangible heritage of humanity.
Beer has been there since 2016, the Ommegang is there in 2019 and in 2021, the stilt jousts of Namur have been selected. This results in no financial stake but international visibility. Because concretely, nothing changes for the winners. “We continued life as it was before. We have been involved in many things for years, including transmission to our young people. We had the idea of the evolution of our group towards the opening of the women’s game. And so it didn’t change much at that level”, explains Frédéric Gilon, president of the Namur stilt walkers.
“Applause twice as much next year”
Unesco says it wants to promote mutual respect between communities. But for Luc Petit, director and defender of cultural heritage, the intervention of the United Nations Organization is of a political nature and represents a danger for the perpetuation of ancient traditions.
“What bothers me is that Unesco, which is supposed to defend heritage and folklore, intervenes in folklore under global change or change in opinions. And that, I think, opens a dangerous Pandora’s box. Can “Be that in 3.4 years, depending on whether a state changes or public opinion changes, we can change the folklore. I guarantee you that next year, the “Savage” will be applauded twice as much”, says the director.
The presence of the “Savage” remains a controversial subject and perhaps more popular than ever. Each year, Unesco includes new products in its precious list. This is the case of the French baguette, an emblem of everyday life.
