Statue du Cerf - Saint-Hubert

This sand sculpture by sculptor Louis Noël adorns the roundabout at the entrance of Saint-Hubert.

The legend of Saint-Hubert:

In the 8th century, Mr. Hubert (born in Aquitaine about 660 in an aristocratic family) is so adept at hunting that he sometimes forgets his primary duties. His life was worldly and he cared little for religion. The more he hunts, the farther he is from God. On Good Friday, instead of going to mass, he can't resist the urge to hunt. Finding no one to accompany him, he set out on his own to practice his favorite passion. Legend has it that he came face to face with an extraordinary deer. The latter carried a luminous crucifix between his antlers. The voice of the deer then growled: "Hubert! Hubert! How long will you chase the beasts in the woods? How long will this vain passion make you forget the salvation of your soul? Hubert, seized with fear, threw himself to the ground and asked the vision, "Lord! What must I do?" "Go to Lambertus, my bishop in Maastricht," said the voice. "Repent. Atone for your sins, as you will be taught.

The deer would have converted Hubert and led him to become bishop of Tongeren and Maastricht as the successor of Saint Lambertus. Popular belief made him a converted hunter and healer of rabies. Over the centuries, his cult spread, making him a real myth (the legend gets its full scope from the 15th century). He was recalled to God on May 30, 727, and he was canonized on November 3, 743, the day on which he is still celebrated today. A statue of the deer, which undoubtedly attracts our attention, can be found today in Saint-Hubert.

Willem Vandenameele