The weekly 123
The viper of the Mercantour...
Dangerous rattlesnake or harmless orvet*, in general everything that looks like a snake does not attract sympathy.
Yet he is venerated by the Mayans as by the Aztecs... It is the feathered snake that performs miracles, which creates the Moon and the Sun. In this arid country, sometimes Mexico, it is synonymous with fertility.
Deified, it is built in its image (or almost!) a pyramid of 450 m side [base] and 55 m high, « herissed with sharp hooked reptile heads« .
In Greek mythology, the snake – the son of the Earth – has a healing power. That's why, holding an anchor, it appears on the buttons of the Navy Health Officers' uniforms (1798) and surrounds the caducées (peaceboat), emblems of doctors, pharmacists, nurses, etc.
The snake is then symbol of life and strength ; Several times a year it changes skin and seems to find a new youth. Moreover, he knows the virtues of medicinal plants.
In India and neighbouring regions, a snake with seven or even a thousand heads, it is greatly venerated.
As soon as we approach Chinese mythology, it spoils... He's a monstrous python, dangerous, murderer, capable of eating elephants! Same as in Egypt: the beautiful Cleopatra dies in her arm by a viper-aspic loved in a basket of figs...
And in the Bible, for trying Eve, he is forever cursed, condemned to crawl, to represent sin and the devil.
In literature, some titles:
– The Snake of Stars... Jean Giono says: A summer night on the Malefougasse plateau,…
– Viper with fist... Hervé Bazin. Tyranny Mrs Rezeau, nicknamed Folcoche by her children, inflicts on these many punishments and humiliations.
« Folk! Look at me, Folcoche, I'm talking to you! ». So your gaze rises from your water noodles, your gaze rises like a viper and swings, undecided, looking for the weak place that does not exist. No, you won't bite, Folcoche! Vipers know me.
– The Book of the jungle... Rudyard Kipling. Dyears the original book, the snake Kaa is a friend of Mowgli; With Baloo and Bagheera, he helps the little man. It's Walt Dysney who makes him a perfidious person!
– The Little Prince.Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. In the very first pages, Saint Ex said that he was a child, drawing a snake that had swallowed an elephant [such as the Chinese snake!].
I showed my masterpiece to the great people and asked them if my drawing scared them. They replied: « Why would a hat scare? »
– Where's our Mercantour viper?
Patience! Here she is.
Jeanne Monin
Research on multiple sites.
*Orvet, called « Snake glass », is an apod lizard.
At the bottom of this photo taken 45 years ago, we see a viper which Julien Raynaud (left) just killed on the slopes of the Mercantour.
Today, the viper is a protected species.
For Julien, she was a pest because she sometimes lost a sheep that a viper had pricked.
In 1978, the wolf was not yet back and the viper was hardly talking about her. The shepherds are complaining about stray dogs.
The status of the animal has changed. There are few more harmful species. The superabundant rats in Paris took the name of supermulot. They're becoming useful. They're opening the pipes.
The number of stray dogs is lower than in the past on our pastures. Teachers are more aware of the need not to let them escape.
There are no more harmful animals in our high mountains. Yet some species are threatened, chamois, ibex... The marmot population is decreasing. The wolf is protected.
André Abbe
In Bargemus, I once saw a node of vipers... Blue fear!
Already 45 years, it's amazing... Time passes so fast.
Gisele Laugier
EI almost put my hand on a viper... Fear of my life!
Upon arriving on the road, employees who worked there had killed one; They were not yet protected. It was at the Illoire Pass.
Claude Holyst
In this case, on this biotope, it is the Orsini vipers that are not lethal to any mammal. They only hunt locusts... And they are actually protected, we only find them in the pre-alps, from Ventoux to Grasse, passing through Lure and Haut Verdon.
Jeanne Monin
No harm or dangerous snake? It is said that, among other differences, the viper has a vertically split pupil, while the snake has a perfectly round pupil:
– Uh... You want to look at me please so I can see if I have to be afraid of you... Or not?
Unless we bother her during her nap, the viper runs belly down when she perceives the vibration of our steps!
- The Echoes of the Week
Quiz!
Through Mantua
Tribute to our breeders - Every Saturday morning...
Quiz!
QUESTION
Who can tell where this monument is? « Soelh d » that François Abbe – child! – climbing with determination?
It's I believe in a highway parking lot in Languedoc.
Not sure, not sure.
« Soelh d » is clearly visible but I can't read the following.
André Abbe
ANSWER
The Cathar Watchers
The sculptures of Jacques Tissinier are clearly visible from the A61 motorway in the direction of Narbonne/Carcassonne.
Francis Cabrel made it a controversial subject with his song « The Cathar Knights« .
♫♫♪♪♫♪♪♫♪♪
The Cathar KnightsGently cryBy the highway when evening goes downLike one last insultLike a last tormentIn the middle of the tumultCement dress
♪♪♫♫♪♪♫♫
By Mantua...
Tribute to our breeders.
The Court of Auditors asks farmers to get rid of their cows.
I was appalled by the ignorance of this very Parisian court.
To force farmers to reduce or eliminate their livestock is to put them out of work. Conversion is completely impossible.
Chacun d’entre eux a investi des centaines de milliers d’euros de matériel qui deviendra inutile du jour au lendemain. Par ailleurs, il n’est pas question de faire pousser du blé sur des pâturages.
La Cour des Comptes n’a pas encore décidé de régler leur compte aux éleveurs de moutons et de cochons mais ça devrait arriver.
En hommage à tous nos éleveurs, voici une photo récemment numérisée par les soins de François Abbe.
C’était sur une foire aux jeunes porcs à engraisser dans le Limousin, il y a près de 50 ans.
André Abbe
Tous les samedis matin...
Tous les samedis, vous recevez La Gazette…
Elle est livrée tôt le matin et rappelle les discussions de la semaine, les photos échangées. Faites-la connaître à vos voisins, à vos amis… Rien de plus facile que de transférer le courriel !
Plus on commente, plus on partage, plus ça fait connaître l’association Passadoc.
Et pour tous vos articles, vos informations, vos photos, une seule adresse : romenzo2010@gmail.com.
- Writing Passadoc – Participants included:
André Abbe
François Abbe
Claude Holyst
Maryse Laugier
Jeanne Monin
Noelie Rebuffel Huys - Layout
Jeanne Monin