The Shepherd

Elie Michel, said « Lilou », was born in Touyet (04), a village of breeders.

In the 1940s, he was placed by his father in a family in Broves (83), where he suffered from hunger. This period had profoundly affected.

In Roquebrune, who became an adult, he worked for his cousin Clement, whose flock he kept. He himself had some sheep carrying his « mark » heart-shaped on the echin when starting in transhumance.

It was enough to talk to him for a few minutes to see that he was gifted with a lively intelligence. We talked together according to Provencal or French days.

I had last seen him in the nursing home of Entrevaux (04), shortly before his death. It was a coincidence that at that time the priest of Entrevaux had come to celebrate Mass and we had attended it together.

The sheep of Roquebrune

Most of our sheep are sheep from meat breeds. The income of the breeders comes from the sale of lambs. The sale of wool is no longer worth anything. It's used to pay the shearer.

A few rams ensure reproduction. Births take place in October or March (lambs called lanterns). In winter, the herds come out of the sheepfold at noon and will graze, guarded by their shepherd, until dusk.

Increasingly, new shepherds no longer bother to keep and lock their sheep in electrified parks thanks to car batteries. I waive my comment on this subject.

Rock of Roquebrune

The Rocher de Roquebrune is partly located in the commune of Muy but the summit of the 3 Crosses is Roquebrunois! Today he carries crosses due to the provencal sculptor Bernar (mèfi, no final D) Venet.

The Rock is a line of ridges, seen from the East, which draws the body of a woman lying in the long hair.

The Rock was the landmark of the late Brother Antoine who lived decades in his cave or rather his caves because he had an annex. A successor just settled there.All Roquebrunois are attached to their Rock but few have gone to its summit.