Le Griolou viewpoint

A lesser-known attraction in Laforêt is the Griôlou slide.

Many tourists have already passed it without knowing it while walking on the rocky ridge that delimits the village of Laforêt to the east and separates it from the Semois. In the heart of this rocky outcrop (Les Rochettes) rises this imposing stone.

Jean-Pierre Lambot, resident of the village and honorary general commissioner of tourism, knows the Griôlou well: "It is a rocky ridge about fourteen meters long and about four meters high ." Facing north, it seems to rise almost vertically , while the opposite side has a steep incline and since that side is smooth , it slides down easily.

The village elders remember. Children and young people used to enjoy sliding . It was said that they were "griôlaient" . In the local dialect, gliding is of course called “Glissi”. The verb "grioler", meaning "to slide", appears in the dictionary of Eastern Sedanic dialects, often very close to the vocabulary used in Laforêt. So Griôlou is the stone on which one grunts, so one likes to slide.

Other stories mention that at the time of Sainte-Agathe, patroness of Laforêt, young and old would gather around the Griôlou to dance. It was always the fair Tuesday , between youth mass and dinner. People usually stayed there until 1pm. Even the old people of the village went there to dance in clogs.

A fertility stone

In addition to being a place of entertainment, Griôlou is also a fertility rock, a category in which we still find the stones known as "érussantes", "écriantes" or "écorchantes". The use of fertility stones is a well-known and often-studied practice. These stones can be rock or natural stones, as well as artificial megaliths.

The use of fertility stones is said to reassure young women regarding their ability to bear children . A rock sticking out of the ground has always attracted attention. In Gaul, the stone cult dates back to prehistoric times. The church considered the sacrifice for the stones a grave sin. Fertility Stones can be used in two ways: either by rubbing or rubbing, or by gliding.

Legendary rock or rock of folklore significance

Strictly speaking, Griôlou is not a legendary stone linked to a wondrous story. We're not in front of a fairy table or a Nutton cave. It is a rock of folklore importance , to which a folklore tradition is linked: in the past, girls used to come there by gliding, hoping to find a husband and have many children.

Willem Vandenameele