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Legends
Fallais
Louis XIV at the time of his departure of Fallais saved a part of the castle from the destruction; the popular common sense gives us a “gastronomic” explanation: the previous day, the big king had really appreciated the “galets” (pancakes) prepared by the women of the village. So, the next day during the fight, to calm down the royal wrath, these women brought pancakes and the king, happy, decided to save the castle.
So for New Year’s Eve, a “galet” shaped like a cross is made and putted on the chimney, near the crucifix, and then the children eat it.
However during Christmas, despite the powerful symbol of the “galets”, the Fallaisiens eat “cougnous “
del
tripe al’ djote” and go to see the big fire “
del
vote”. This fire takes place on Sunday after Mardi gras and guarantees a good picking of apples.
The Nutons in Pitet lived in a sort of small cave on the edge of the wood “du point du jour” (BR04). In the evening, the Fallaisiens could lay a present and a work to do in it, for example to repair a pair of shoes. The next morning, the present has disappeared and the shoes are repaired.
The mysterious locations
At the
Calvary
, start of the walk Hubert Krains, “l’Arbre aux loups” is a location where, until recent days, the popular superstition has seen in several times the divine curse happened.
A
Calvary
is so called when metal crosses, in cast iron or in wrought iron, are installed at the top of a mound.
The witches
The witch of the Jehoulet Bridge
It was no more a secret for anybody that the inhabitants of the Moha’s mill were struck by all sorts of problems. However the Jehoulets brothers implored Saint Catherine and all the Saints of the region, nothing changed. The business was going down. The livestock was becoming ill and died; the members of the family too, if they weren’t attacked…
Every night, grinds, noises and songs resonated in the house. Desperate, the father consulted the seer of Moha. She looked in her crystal ball and told him: “catch the witch who wants to hurt you, and the evil will disappear. This witch will be the first person who will enter in your house.” Unfortunately, the first who entered the house was the servant. She was burned by the brothers. For that, they were sentenced, and their descendants were branded and banished of the region.
“Au pays de Loups-garou Tome 1; farfadets, macrales et autres génies du terroir” de Michelle BARON
Nanèche Potty
When we were speaking with Nanèche Potty, she seemed normal, you had to know her very well to realize that she was a witch… if a cow died, it was Nanèche’s fault; if the livestock was fading, it was Nanèche’s fault; if the thunderstorm broke; it was Nanèche’s fault…
She was the reason of all misfortunes. But what happened to her? To stop her power, you had to catch her when she was giving a potion. It was done and we have never heard about her anymore.
“Au pays de Loups-garou Tome 1; farfadets, macrales et autres génies du terroir” de Michelle BARON
Customs
The throw of the pear took place the day of the Dedication of Saint Sauveur during August, at the Saint Sauveur chapel. It was the location where the jurisdictions of Fallais and Warnant reached their ends, and where the authority of
Brabant
and Liège got together in order to debate about their territory limits for the year. The Mass was celebrated and then a brass band blew the echo of the woods and the small valleys.
The undulating banners of fallais and Warnant were spread out and were placed on the edge of the rock and next to it; a strong young man covered with ribbons was standing up. So, people gave to him a dish with pears or apples cut in slices. He threw one of them as far as he could. The place where the projectile fell down designed where was the limit of the territories.
The Saint Sauveur chapel has also a legend: the love story of Marie de Fumal and the lord of Fallais, Richard (Rigaud). They met at the ceremony of Saint Sauveur and fell in love immediately. Unfortunately, Marie was destined to the lord of Hosdent. She ran away and went to the house of Richard who engaged a fight against the lord of Hosdent at the place “de
la Bruyère
du Tilleul”. Nowadays, this place is called “Les Trois Arbres” (The Three Trees)… and there’s one missing…
Richard, victorious, married Marie. Later, the prince-bishop of Liège, Henri de Gueldre attracted by the beauty of the woman, sent his husband in mission. But Richard, suspicious, turned back and drove out his famous rival from the house.
P16 and 17 “Fallais sur Mehaigne” J. PAYE-BOURGEOIS
The little story of “Les Trois Arbres” (The Three Trees)
The Celts worshiped several gods corresponding to the forces of the nature. They devoted also a faith to trees. Even if it doesn’t exist today, The Three Trees are an old site of devotion.
“Les petits coeurs de Fumal (The little hearts of Fumal) were introduced by Elisa du Fontbaré. They each contained a piece of agnus-dei , a locket in white wax from the altar candles of the Sistine chapel and other churches in
Rome
. Protective star of all children, it takes care of convulsions, sudden death and other dangers for the baby and the mother. As soon as a baby is born in the village, his father takes his bike and rides towards the castle to bring back a locket. “Au pays de Loups-garou Tome 1; farfadets, macrales et autres génies du terroir” de Michelle BARON
Anecdote over the little story of Hosdent
Léon-Louis de Maulde, second last lord of Hosdent received his title in 1764. He didn’t take care very much of the village because he was at the same time, since
1763, a
marquis. He was the older son of the marquis François-Louis de Maulde de
la Buissière
and of the marquise Marguerite de Conflans, lady’s companion of Madame de Pompadour.
Our Léon-Louis was raised in an abbey near
Paris
and as soon as his father died, he married with the marquise Marie-Anne de
la Pailleterie
, cousin of Alexandre Dumas. They had, at first, quietly raised their two children when suddenly, in 1772, our young lord left the management of Hosdent to his brother Emmanuel and took control of the maritime business of his father-in-law. It was a slave ship enterprise between
Bordeaux
and the islands of
America
towards
Africa
! “Hosdent et la...MER”/2001 by Freddy VAN DAELE
Remedies
In Huccorgne: the low fever was curable with a sort of poultice of eggs, nettle, vinegar and flax flour.
"Les paquets” (the packs): small rectangular bag in blue canvas “which were not washed” hanged on a cord of same colour. It contained the remedy against the low fever in a white clutch bag in canvas (camphor, blessed water, soap, salt, pepper, and yeast, sometimes plants like chervil, thyme or rosemary). The content of the bag varied from a village to another. The canvas and the cord should not been bought but asked “on the honour of God”, in other words: obtained for free and sew without knots.
“Croyances populaires au Coeur des blés” F. MAHIELS
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Legends 
