Thursday 7th August - streets of Rivesaltes - from 10h
La fete du Babau (pronounced ba-ba-oh)
Rivesaltes will become a pedestrian-only zone all day long for this fun festival in which the legendary monster, the Babau, reputed to have terrorised Rivesaltes during the middle ages, parades through the streets and is finally ’put to death’ on the banks of the river Agly.
The babau of Rivesaltes is based upon the medieval legend of the "Babau", a monster half-iguana, half-dragon, which scaled the town walls and helped himself to a snack of several children. The festival relives the more dramatic moments of the tale as the Babau parades through the streets accompanied by stilt walkers, fire eaters, jugglers, brass bands and the Rivesaltes giants, Galdric Trencavent and his wife, the giantess Radegonda. At nightfall, the Babau is sacrificed in a dazzling cacophony of noise and fireworks.
Legend says that the babau (pronounced ba-ba-oh) appeared in the village of Rivesaltes at Candlemas in 1290 and gobbled up several children. The seigneur de Fraisse came to Rivesaltes to rid the village of the monster and peace and tranquillity was restored. In fact, one of the monster’s ribs is on display today in the Office de Tourisme at Rivesaltes (although bone experts might well recognise it immediately as a whale bone!)
According to recent research by historian Jean Abelanet, study of the time period shows that the monster terrorising Rivesaltes was indeed real but of the 2 footed variety. It was in fact the seigneur Gavatx de Fraisse, dagger in hand, arriving on a raid to steal and pillage Catalan land and goods, a common practice in the middle ages!
The criminal was later apprehended and beheaded in public on the port, and the story has passed from generation to generation in Chinese whispers which have changed the past into a more romantic version.
The re-enactment of this event takes place on the streets of Rivesaltes on the 7th August. The procession parades through the streets (terrorising the children!) with much noise and colour. The first procession can be seen at 11h and the second at 20h30 (at night it is much more impressive).
Various entertainments will take place throughout the town from 10h00 - 19h00. At 23h, there will be music and dancing at the place du Général de Gaulle, followed by an impressive display of fireworks to finish off the day.
