Martin and Martine

Martin and Martine is at the same time the Jaquemart S and the giants of Cambrai. They count among the jaquemarts most famous with those of the clocks of Dijon (brought back of Courtrai in 1382 for Philippe Bold the) and of Venice (1496), where two bronze Moors who sound the hours are placed in top of the Tower of the Clock.

Jaquemarts

At the 14th century of many public edifices are equipped with a monumental clock which strikes the hours using an automat. The word jaquemart (or jacquemart ), which indicates these automats and whose origin is dubious, appears in 1375 according to the the Petit Robert . The character is armed with a hammer to fulfill his function and one consequently allots the role of blacksmith or man-at-arms to him. One often associates one, two or three to him accomplices. Martin does not escape the rule: he has as a Martine partner, and he is, according to the most spread legend, at the same time blacksmith and combatant.

Martin and Martine thus fit in a tradition which is not specific to the only town of Cambric.

Legends of Martin and Martine

According to the legend most usually accepted, Martin and Martine would have lived at the 14th century and would have saved the city by pushing back the enemy, armed with their mallet. Martin, of origin Moor, was blacksmith with Cambrai. About 1370, the lord of Thun-l' Bishop putting the Cambrésis at fire and blood, the Cambric inhabitants decided to fight it and put a term at its exactions. During the attack against the fortress, Martin, accompanied by Martine, was in front of the lord that it struck of a blow of his extraordinary hammer. The lord, dazed and plugged, the helmet inserted to the eyes, had to cease the combat, its troops went and the victory was in Cambrésiens. After having removed his helmet with the overcome lord, one realized that the terrible shock had made it insane. It is the origin of the famous blow of hammer which each Cambrésien is supposed to have received with the birth.

the other legend is posterior: at the 16th century one of the Moors come with the army from Charles Quint, named Hakem, fell in love with a Cambric beautiful young girl called Martine. Their union was of course made impossible by the religion of Hakem, but two young people continued nevertheless to be attended. The opinion was moved soon by this guilty relation and they were stopped. One condemned them to sound the hours using a heavy hammer, connected in the tower of the clock, until an old priest, moved by their misfortune, intervened to obtain their release. It was granted with the proviso of finding substitutes to them, and thus the two Moorish automats were created. Grateful Hakem was done Christian at once, taking the name of Martin, and of course married Martine without more waiting.

This legend does not resist the chronological examination, the jacquemarts having been realized since 1512 while Charles Quint took the city in 1543.

History of the two automats

Both jacquemarts, initially carved of wood then melted out of metal, are brought into service in 1512, at the base of the octagonal turret of the Town hall of the time, now disappeared.

In 1677 during the seat of Louis XIV, a ball crashed to pieces the leg of Martin, who will be restored by the ironmonger Jean-Baptiste Taisne.

During the First World War, on September 8th, 1918, Martin and Martine is torn off their pivots and makes a fall of 25 meters. The remains are preserved and transported to Belgium, and return to Cambrai on April 4th, 1919 to be walked triumphantly in the city at the time of the festival of August 15th of the same year.

They are classified historic buildings on February 26th, 1926. The town hall is restored in 1932 and Martin and Martine occupy their station on both sides of the bell-tower without interruption since this date.

Birth of the giants

Martin and Martine appear for the first time, hoisted on a tank of triumph, at the time of the festival of August 15th, 1713. They are then represented by alive characters.

Birth of the current giants, sponsored by the giants of North, east dated August 15th, 1927.

Contrary to the other giants of North, Martin and Martine do not move using carriers but on tanks. Martin measures 5,40 Mr. and Martine 5,15 Mr.

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