Last modified: 2007-11-03 by ivan sache
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Daverdisse was built in a land belonging to the abbey of Stavelot, which granted hereditary rights on pieces of the forest to the
colonists. To prevent the dispersal of this right, there were no
marriages with foreigners and marriages between cousins were common.
This is at least the explanation of the nickname given to the
inhabitants of Daverdisse, "cousins", according to the dictum A
Dafdisse, dès cozins. Another explanation mentions the "cousin" as an
insect (cranefly).
Pierre Bonaparte, Napoléon I's nephew, was exiled at the farm of
Mohimont (the lowest point of the municipality of Daverdisse, 210 m
a.s.l.) from 1834 to 1848.
Gembes, a very old parish, is named after the brook Gembe (aka Halmache), which has its source in the Province of Namur and flows into the Lesse north of Daverdisse. The inhabitants of Gembes are nicknamed "pussycats", according to the dictum A Djimpe, dès minous.
Haut-Fays, the seat of the municipal administration of Daverdisse, is
the highest village of the municipality, the gate of the church being
located 433.78 m a.s.l. The village emerged from a clearing in the
upper (in French, haut) beech (in French, hêtre or fayard, from
Latin fagus) forest. The inhabitants of Haut-Fays are nicknamed
"tomcats", according to the dictum A Ô-Fayi, dès marcôs. The word matou is often used in French for
bad-looking men but here the nickname is related to the rivalry between
Haut-Fays and Gembes. The men from Haut-Fays (matous) were stronger
and always defeated the weaker men of Gembes (minous).
The Napoléon beech was planted in the wood of Gerhenne on 24 April
1810, along with another tree no longer alive, to celebrate the
marriage of Napoléon I and Marie-Louise of Hapsburg. The beech has
today a circumference of more than 3.60 m.
Porcheresse depended on the Merovingian villa of Graide, already
mentioned in the VIIIth century. Graide was the center of big estate;
one of the rules imposed to the colonists was the set up of cowsheds,
sheepfolds and pigpens (in French, porcherie, from porc, "a pig").
Porcheresse was originally Portaricum, the pigpen of the domain owned
by Carloman, lord of Wellin and Mayor of the Palace of Austrasia.
Surprisingly, the inhabitants of Porcheresse are nicknamed "kids",
according to the dictum A Pwatchrèsse, dès gadots (In Porcheresse,
[there are] kids); the relationship between Porcheresse and goat
breeding is unknown. The Clog Museum, open in 1982, recalls that
Porcheresse was once a main clog production center in the Province of
Luxembourg.
Source: Municipal website
Ivan Sache, 10 June 2007
According to Armoiries communales en Belgique. Communes wallonnes, bruxelloises et germanophones, there is no municipal flag used in Daverdisse.
Pascal Vagnat, 10 June 2007