THE Nutons : our little forest friends

Do you know the Nutons ? 

Let me take you back to a time when the only after-sales service available was about the size of a three-year-old child, with a pointy cap as red as currants and... a long beard. 

Skilled craftsmen, sometimes shoemakers, boilermakers, blacksmiths, launderers or weavers, you can entrust them with small repair services.
A shoe whose sole comes off, a stained piece of clothing, household linen nibbled by moths, a worn-out tool... 

All you have to do is take your item to the nearest cave or rock cavity to find it the next day in perfect condition, sometimes even returned by a Nutonne, recognizable by its pretty little pleated cap. 

But be careful, all work deserves pay!
However the Nutons are simple beings, a small basket of provisions including bread, butter, milk and eggs is enough for their happiness.
Even better, a few wafers and beer (Ardennes, of course!) will be your best assets to thank them for their work and attract their sympathy to your home. 

Adorable creatures… Or not! 

Be wary though... 

“O you peasant, who seeing the storm coming, want to shelter your wheat harvests. 

The Nuton, with a good heart, will offer you help, transporting your wheat... Ears by ears. 

Be patient, the work will be done, and above all keep your mockery to yourself. 

Because otherwise it is sheaf by sheaf, your attic will be emptied, during the night!” 

These little pranksters also like to hide your keys or get you lost a little further into the forest if you wander around without paying attention. 

You might also see your newborn replaced by one of their own.
THE Nutons are cousins ​​of the Changelings and this kind of joke makes them laugh a lot.
Don't panic, if your child seems different to you, you just need to show finesse so that the Nuton will admit its true age through clumsiness, so your little one will be returned to you safe and sound. 

Finally I address you ladies.
The Nuton is easily captivated by human female beauty and has a reputation for not being a very...subtle charmer. To get rid of that little cad who pays you a little too much attention, there is a solution.
Unconventional, not very elegant, but unstoppable! 

Prepare a paste with a handful of beans that you have boiled in the juice of twelve onions.
You will then have to taste your preparation around two hours before visiting the unwelcome Nuton.
Once your Don Juan shows up... Well... Let your intestines express themselves as loudly as possible. 

The Nuton, disgusted and horrified, will leave without asking for his rest and will disappear forever. 

Where were the Nutons ? 

The relief of the valley Meuse, full of underground cavities, gave shape to their habitat: 

The “Holes of Nutons” are caves or natural rock faults that can be found in many villages such as Houffalize, Furfooz, Dinant (for the Belgian side of our Ardennes) or the famous Grotte de Nichet in Fromelennes (in France). 

According to belief, these underground networks stretched for miles beneath the Ardennes forest, allowing creatures to move from one village to another without ever being exposed to sunlight. 

The great exodus

All the legends agree on the end of cohabitation between men and the common people.

THE nutons would have definitively left the region because of human ingratitude, the growing noise from industrial forges along the Meuse, or the arrival of Christianity and the church bells whose noise they could not stand. 

This is how the small artisans of our forests disappeared forever, leaving their caves empty and our countryside a little less magical.

Set out on the trail of Nutons

To visit La Grotte de Nichet, you can go directly to the website of the municipality of Fromelennes:

Caves of Nichet in Fromelennes

Do not hesitate to visit our forests in search of small cavities, but remaining careful of course and not taking any unnecessary risks.

Now you know everything about these little beings who are as fabulous as they are playful. 

Keep an eye out during your next walk and always keep something at home to make an offering.
You never know...