Steenvoorde's international summer carnival - Our heritage, our popular traditions
La Belle Hélène takes its name from a 14th-century chanson de geste recounting her adventures in love and her journey to find her two sons.
La Géante was released with varying regularity until 1910.
At the time, La Belle Hélène was identified with the young, seductive flower-seller at the local markets, who attracted lovers with her outspokenness and generous curves. Considered immoral, the Géante fell into disuse and was abandoned in a shed in the early 20th century.
Re-created in 1980, the Géante brings back memories of the young, seductive Flemish flower-seller at the markets in the Steenvoorde district.
In 1993, La Belle was restored and given a new look.
In 2005, for its 25th anniversary, the Belle Hélène was entirely recreated in wood and woven wicker in the pure tradition of the Géants of Northern France.
La Belle Hélène is 4.30m tall and weighs 65kg.
Carried by one person, she has a peculiarity: movable arms that rise when she dances.
The young Flemish woman is dressed in brightly colored weekday clothes:
blue apron, white sleeves, red linen skirt and a bouquet of flowers in her hand.
Owned by the association "Les Amis de Gambrinus", La Géante, with musical accompaniment by the Steenvoorde Philharmonic, won first prize for dance at the Lille Festival des Géants Portés in 2003 and 2005.
In 2009, La Belle won 1st prize in the Buckingham Christmas Parade.
In 2012, La Belle Hélène also won first prize for dance in the "Géants portés par un porteur" category at the 1st "Festival de danses des Géants portés" in Nieppe.
In 2015, on the occasion of the second Ducasse de Géants portés, the musical piece "Belle Hélène" was unveiled, performed by the Philharmonie de Steenvoorde composed by its director Nicolas Decroix for the very special occasion of the Géante's 35th anniversary, and destined to be its anthem.
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Pascal Cnockaert
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References and sources: Bulletin Officiel Municipal 3ème trimestre (1964) -Bulletin Officiel Municipal N° 2 (1970) - Steenvoorde Info N°4 Juin (1994) - Revue Le Lion de Flandre Artois Boulonnais Hainaut N° 30 Juin (1943) - Jean Yves Cnapelynck, photo archive (Carnaval de Steenvoorde 1950 et 1951) - L'homme qui fabrique des géants, Nord-France (1948) - La Ballade des Géants de la Flandre maritine Française, Maurice Millon (1970) - Indicateur des Flandre, April 1979 - Indicateur des Flandres, Geo Hennebelle - Voix du Nord Hazebrouck, April 1981 - Patrimoine oral, audio recording:Georges Delaeter et Michel Haverbeque (1979) - Fiche PCI en France - La légende de "Rosalie" la Géante du Ryveld, Michel Loosen (1993) - Géants du Nord/Pas-de-Calais, Robert Chaussois (1998) - Dictionnaire des Géants du nord de la France, Gérard Tourpier (2007) - Gigantia, Un Mundo de Gigantes (2021) - Web archives: geant-belle-helene-org - les-amis-de-fromulus.com - mcsteenvoordois.fr - musique-steenvoorde.fr.