Grand Serment Royal et de Saint-Georges des Arbalétriers de Bruxelles

Grand Serment Royal et de Saint-Georges des Arbalétriers de Bruxelles is one of the oldest civic guilds of Brussels, tracing its identity back to the crossbowmen's fraternities of the medieval city and still active today.

How far back does this guild go?

Crossbowmen are documented in Brussels as early as the 13th century. The guild's identity comes from two historical organizations: the Grand Serment des Arbalétriers de Bruxelles, formally recognized by a charter issued on 4 May 1381 by the Dukes of Brabant Jeanne and Wenceslas, and the Serment de Saint-Georges, whose rights were confirmed in 1388 by Duchess Jeanne of Brabant. The name and identity of today's guild reflect the union of these two lineages.

What was daily life like for the early guild?

Archives show that on 2 April 1304, the Hospital of Saint-Jean ceded part of a new cemetery at a site known as Le Sablon to the crossbowmen, where they built an oratory dedicated to the Virgin Mary. This grant tied the guild permanently to that district of the city, a connection that endures to this day. Each year the guild held the "Royal Shot" (Tir du Roy), a formal shooting contest in which every crossbowman received a commemorative token for the year. The member who managed to shoot down the wooden bird (papegay) mounted on the church's bell turret was proclaimed King of the Serment for the following year — a custom blending sporting competition with religious and civic symbolism that anchored the guild's calendar for centuries.

What happened to the guild during the revolutionary period?

The upheavals at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries did not spare the Brussels crossbowmen. In 1795, under the occupation of French revolutionary troops, the guild was formally dissolved and its activities suspended. Revival came only with the establishment of Belgian independence and the monarchy in 1830–1831, when former members reconstituted the Serment de Saint-Georges, explicitly reviving the pre-revolutionary tradition. Since 1867, the present-day Serment has regarded itself as the continuation of both historic guilds — the Grand Serment des Arbalétriers and the Serment de Saint-Georges — a dual lineage reflected in the organization's full compound name.

How was the guild's continuity officially recognized?

Formal recognition of the link between the modern guild and its historical predecessors came on 11 July 1927, when King Albert I personally confirmed this continuity. This was a significant milestone for an organization that had spent decades striving to preserve the memory of its medieval origins despite the rupture caused by the revolution and the political upheavals of that era.

Does the tradition still continue today?

Yes — the Grand Serment Royal et de Saint-Georges des Arbalétriers de Bruxelles remains active and continues to observe its historic customs. The guild maintains the institution of Companion membership, holds the annual Royal Shot, and presents the collars of the Kings on the Saturday following Ascension Day, during a solemn mass at the Church of Notre-Dame au Sablon. These ceremonies are attended by a representative of the King of Belgium, who serves as the guild's High Protector — underscoring the importance the modern monarchy still attaches to this centuries-old civic and religious heritage of Brussels.

Frequently asked questions

Since when have crossbowmen guilds existed in Brussels? Crossbowmen are attested in Brussels from the 13th century, with formal charters dating to 1381 and 1388.

Why was the guild dissolved? It was suppressed in 1795 by the French revolutionary authorities then occupying the Austrian Netherlands.

Where are the guild's ceremonies held today? At the Church of Notre-Dame au Sablon in Brussels, traditionally on the Saturday following Ascension Day.