There are several legends about the origin of Gille and his beautiful suit topped by an impressive hat with ostrich feathers.
For years it was said that Gill was a "descendant" of the Incas of Peru. These were exhibited in 1549 when the festivities by Mary of Hungary, Regent of the Netherlands, in honor of his brother Charles V and his nephew Philippe II.
In fact, it seems necessary to consider more distant origins and primitive. In fact, "not" Gille's is a seasonal rite, probably dating back several millennia, seeking to ensure the fertility of the land at the end of winter.
The Gille, exclusively male character is a sort of sorcerer, a priest of renewal, pounding the ground with his feet in order to awaken the forces of nature. In anticipation of fertility and abundance that will attract, or its ancestor Gille threw loaves of bread into the crowd, and a little over a century, he throws oranges, more symbolic still sunshine generator life. The bumps filled with straw can be explained by the fact that Gille, crossing the city, takes upon himself all diseases and all misfortunes.
In summary, its dance, Gille hopes aside the bad weather, disease, poverty and hunger.
A bass drum and the drums start, were added trumpets, clarinets and other instruments of mouth. The music Gilles has twenty-six tunes set since 1877.
Probably relatively poor and rudimentary in the beginning, the Gille's costume was supplemented and enriched.
It includes today several hundreds of motifs (stars, crowns, shields, lions, ...), and to avoid excesses, it is now regulated.