Tchantchès, tièsse di bwès, è Djus-d’-la, c’ èst vos li rwè.
Tchantchès, stubborn fellow, in Outremeuse you are the king.
For anyone still in doubt, the people of the Land of Liège are often portrayed as stubborn—and it is no surprise that Tchantchès shares this trait. In Walloon, there are many words to describe a stubborn person: “tièstou” (stubborn), “tièsse di hoye” (“cabbage head”), or “tièsse di bwès” (“wooden head”)—all of which, quite fittingly, can be applied to Tchantchès. Given his popularity, it is only natural that this puppet appears in many places across the Liège region. However, Tchantchès remains deeply rooted in Outremeuse and its working-class streets. According to legend, he was even born between two cobblestones in Rue Roture! If Outremeuse is a land of republics, then Tchantchès is undoubtedly its prince—or even its immortal and undisputed “king.”