Passadoc Gazette - No 122

Hebdo No 122

The Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer

Who are these Maries of the sea?

If there are some variations concerning their history, all the writings call them Marie-Jacobé and Marie-Salome, driven from Palestine during the persecutions of Christians (first century).

Driven by the winds, swarmed by the waves, they drift in a boat without sails, without rowing or rudder, finally failing on the sand of a beach on the Mediterranean coast.

The oral tradition affirms that they are accompanied by Sara, The face-brown maid. Some historians only make Sara appear around 1300 or 1500 A.D. and many question: who is Sara? One thing is certain: Catholic gypsies consider her their patroness.

Let us stay there and return to the Camargue and the pilgrimages of May.

24 May : Solemn Mass and Procession to the Sea of the Gypsies and Travellers carrying the statue of Sara – their patron saint – dressed in several dresses carved in rich fabrics and trimmed with jewels.

Le 25 May After Mass, it is the boat of the statues of the two Saintes Maries that is carried to the sea, followed by a considerable number of gypsies, gardians, Arlesiennes... and probably tourists subjugated by the fervor of the moment.

Before leaving the place, how not to quote:

– Our Lady of the Mer to the amazing architecture. Large fortified church, it sheltered the peasants when an enemy attacked the village.

– Van Gogh... When he discovers Arles, he is fascinated by the colors of this land of lights. His drawings, studies, sketches are numerous and his paintings are magnificent. Some works are described; Yet they are wise in relation to the folly of recent years, especially The Starry Night (Arles – 1888).

– Mistral and Mirèio Hey! The girl loves Vincent, the basket repairer ; Unfortunately, parents are hostile to any idea of marriage... « With his heart full of sorrows, Mireille took the road to the Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer. This is to pray and implore the Three Marys, disciples of Jesus, for his parents to reconsider their decision. ».
But the too hot sun is fatal to Mirèio, victim of insolation. « As her family finds her, Mireille leaves herself slowly, but serenely slip into death, seeing the happiness of another world ».

– Where is our pilgrimage to us?

Patience!

Jeanne Monin
Research on multiple sites.

On 24 and 25 May, in the Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, gypsies from all over Europe will come on pilgrimage to celebrate their patron saint.

I hear it's better to say « Travellers » That gypsy. Provencal name « Boumian » gradually took on a pejorative character, alas.

When I last participated in this pilgrimage 45 years ago, I had enjoyed the childish atmosphere despite the presence of a compact crowd,

It is necessary to spend the two days at the Holy. The first day is dedicated to the Gypsy faithful, the second to the Provençals.

The Arlesian ladies had dazzled by their elegance. In some parties, costumed people look disguised. Among the Arlesians, the clothes were worn with a great natural during the procession.

AEdré Abbe

The Echoes of the Week
Passadoc is nine!
Midday accent...
Bauxite mines
Swan Lake
Lost photos
Participate in Passadoc!

Passadoc is nine!

« QDo you want Passadoc? »

First a happy birthday and a long life! Urous anniversàri e longo mai ! Polit anniversari per longo May!

And a thousand colorful dates! Photos and memories of many different people! Exchanges from the four corners of Occitanie... stories of chevriers from antan and tales of today's shepherds... memories of the past and current events... From continuar to live the Lenga nostra!

Anyway... How long it lasts!

The accent of noon...

In the April issue of « Cahiers du Cinéma » that I read too rarely, I'm learning the upcoming release of « Casse Dog« , a film by Jean Baptiste Durand whose action takes place in a village in the Hérault.

I read in the excellent article « A very discreet Hérault » that « Durand highlights accents and scans of speech » in his film that I will see as soon as he is shown not too far from my farm.

What good news! Finally, a director who is interested in the accent and the way to express his characters.

The most questionable example, I had found in « Queen Margot » (1994) by Patrice Chéreau.

We know that Henry IV had a very strong Bearnais accent that had surprised the court in Paris (when he spoke Bearnais his accent appeared « Normal » to the people of Pau!)

In the film, Daniel Auteuil, who plays the role of the future Henri IV, expresses with the most French accent « Standard » which would have made it easy for him to adopt the accent that Henry IV had, given that he was Avignonnais... and that he had to lose his accent in order to be able to work in Paris.

You will tell me Chéreau produced a fiction, it was his right to transvestite reality with his sauce that lacked garlic.

André Abbe

Bauxite mines

Bauxite mines closed in 1987. It took 15 years of volunteer work to create this museum. Pierre Laumond share with us his visiting photos...

Three centuries of history

The first mine opened at the end of the 19th century. The trigger is the start of large-scale aluminium production that requires bauxite. Ore becomes the red gold of Provence and Var is the main producer department.

Le village of Cabasse

The adventure began and ended in Cabasse (Var): first extractions in 1873, final closure in 1989. What a symbol to close this mine the year of the bicentenary of the revolution!

Because working conditions were not pink: early 20th, miners sometimes put hours on foot to reach the mine, the working day lasts 11 hours. It will take until 1936 for the working day to reach 8 a.m.

1500 to 2000 persons employed

It was at its peak around 1950. Around 1970, there were only 1000 employees left. It is also the beginning of the decline of mines because labour becomes much cheaper abroad...

Association of Var Red Gueules

Its President Maurice Constans testified on the association's website:

“I worked for 15 years on the museum's project, which has been a long time. But the volunteers did not give up anything, first because we wanted to honour our duty of memory to thousands of minors and 100 years of exploitation. Then because we defend a tourism of discovery so as not to forget what has shaped the life and economy of an entire region. My dream is that every child in the County of Provence will know that the mine is the story of his or her elders as the story of his or her everyday objects.”

Text: André Abbe – Photos : Pierre Laumond

Swan Lake

I thought swans only frequented lakes and rivers. Well, no, I saw it on the nearby beach of Marina Baie des Anges in Villeneuve-Loubet.

Swans, angels... it reminds me of ballet. « Swan Lake« . A very beautiful young woman became swan in the day.

If you prefer, a swan would turn into a beautiful young woman at night.

You will notice that « a swan » does not exist yet.

We don't know if it's a male or a female who turns into a woman!

André Abbe

Swan Lake... I remember about history: a hunter, a white swan, a black swan.

I have completed my « about » Hey!

The decor : The forest, a clearing, a lake on which a flight of swans has just landed; The night is about to fall.

History : Siegfried, young prince and hunter, points his crossbow on a bird... who turns into a beautiful young girl – Odette – whom he falls in love with!

Lightning!

Only the beauty is the victim of a spell of Rothbart, sorcerer of her state: she will be human at night and swan by day, unless pure love comes to deliver. And that's what happens!

Everything could stop there with a beautiful « They got married and had many children. » ... But no! The infamous Rothbart presents Odile to the young prince, a black swan that looks like Odette to misunderstand.

Moreover Siegfried misunderstood and declared that he wanted to take Odile as wife, thus condemning Odette to remain white swan forever.
The poor girl dies of grief... And Siegfried too!

Here's the whole story in dance and music.

Jeanne Monin

Lost photos

The receiver of Roquebrune vs the Iranian Kurdistan

I've been involved in the legacy of my oldest photos for a few weeks. Regrettably, there are many gaps in the appointment, those that the recipients have never returned and those that have lost themselves on the way.

How did I lose my 30 best slides of Iranian Kurdistan?

I'll tell you.

I sent them to a Parisian publisher who had returned them to my home. Unfortunately, I forgot to give my mother permission to recover my recommended ones. The mailman refused to give him the package. The receiver of Roquebrune had the great idea of sending photos to the remaining station of Ispahan in Iran where I had returned at that time... But I had left Ispahan when my package arrived (perhaps).

The recipient's zeal was fatal.

I still have some photos of Iranian Kurdistan. This is one of the deserts, not far from the Iraqi border.

It was in 1970, Reza Shah was emperor.

André Abbe

Lost letters... how desperate love
Because the long-awaited letter never came...

Letters fried, never posted, thrown with rage or regret in the paper basket...

What nothing ends today with deleted emails?
J.m.

That's why we write […] : to go one another.
Christian Bobin (writer and poet)—1951-2022).

Share your memories, tell a journey, a landscape, bring your photos...
write to this address:

Writing Passadoc – Participants (written and photos):
André Abbe
Marie-Odile Beraud
Pierre Laumond
Jeanne Monin
And all those who wished
one « Happy birthday! » at Passadoc
François Abbe
Claudette Cathala Honorat
Patrick Erard
Edith Granon
Maryse Laugier
Marie Martin
Christophe A – Don Pariente
Giselle Penat-Lorde
Jean-Pierre Violino
Layout
Jeanne Monin