Animals totemic of Herault

In the department of the Herault, at the time of cultural events or votive festivals, the inhabitants of certain cities or villages make ravel an animal totemic, emblem of their city, in the streets. So some of these animals totemic are recent, the majority are of very old tradition (like the camel, lo camel , of Béziers) and find their origin, often related to a legend, in the mists of time.

However, the majority of the animals totemic were created as from the 16th century. The oldest known animal totemic is the Chameau ( lo camel ) of Béziers, followed by the ass of Gignac and the Poulain of Pézenas. Their form is sometimes very free and whimsical (the camel of Béziers has only one bump …) and their size and weights are very variable. One of heaviest is the foal of Pézenas, largest being the camel of Béziers. It is generally about a construction made out of wood and covered with a coloured fabric, inside which carriers nest to advance the animal totem at the time of processions. The number of carriers varies according to the size of construction. During the History, some of these totems could disappear to reappear a few years or centuries later. It is even which was destroyed (the such camel of Béziers) during the revolutionary periods.

They are often accompanied by another animal Totem, commun run at many villages, the rest , representing a horse carried to the size by a man whose trunk exceeds body of the animal. One finds the rest in many villages : Valros, Lansargues, Poussan… but also with Agde and Montpellier.

The totemic symbolic system of the animal is very manichéenne. Some are a symbol of the evil (the Chenille of Pinet eats vineleaves, therefore it symbolizes the enemies of the Viticulture) and are thus used for the villagers to exorcize misfortunes who struck the village, the such snake of Bédarieux. Other animals totemic symbolize the good, or at least positive virtues (courage, the force, the trick), like the ass of Bessan or of Gignac, or the miraculous goat of Montagnac.

There exists in addition of rare animals totemic apart from the department of Herault, in addition to the Tarasque of Tarascon, the such Ours of Prats-with-Mollo in the Eastern Pyrenees, the " ox which vole" (the volo biou in Occitan) with Saint-Ambroix in Gard, or " the ass which vole" with Gonfaron in the VAr.

The crested lark of Autignac

the crested lark is the animal totem village.
In Occitan, the crested lark names lo cauquilhat , or the couquilado into of Provence.
It is that the commune of Autignac is dominated by a named hill peak of Coquillade. Is it then necessary to see there a common point which explains the origin of the totem?

The mullet of Balaruc-the-Baths

Since 2001, lo mujol (the mullet, in Occitan), from Balaruc-the-Baths returned in the commune. After centuries of lapse of memory, association " Truc" , inspired by the local oral tradition, created the animal totemic of Balaruc: the Mullet .
This creation is based on the real history of a conflict of interest opposing the fishermen and their lord - L' Bishop of Maguelonne - on the tax to pay fruit of the fishing, and of which the first left gaining, the idea to honor the fish cat symbol with the challenge of the authority had been born.
the animal totemic emblematic of the edges of the pond of Thau is built out of tubes and coloured fabrics. Two carriers are necessary, one with the head and the other with the tail of fish. On its passage, the mullet splashes the spectators. A whole procession is formed in the streets of Balaruc at the time of the " Carrière" passes; ( will carriera meaning “street” in occitan) July, accompanied musicians.
a song was made up on this occasion " Cantem ensems lo mujol of Balaruc" (" Let us sing the mullet of Balaruc" together; , in occitan).

The snake of Bédarieux

Often manufactured out of paperboard, the snake is regarded as the symbol of all misfortunes which struck Bédarieux during the History.

The ass of Bessan

There exist two legends which explain the origins of the ass of Bessan.
oldest refers has a fair with the asses which was held regularly in Bessan, with the locality way of the asses. The most beautiful ass was elected by maquignons and bore the name d'" then; ass designat" (or ass elected in patois Occitan). The elected ass then particularly was cherished and nourished well, and took part in processions in the streets, with the sound of the Hautbois.
a more recent legend (probably dated from the beginning of the 20th century) echoed the legend of the ass of Gignac (see further) where an ass succeeded in pushing back the attack of foreign plunderers. The legend suitable for Bessan adds that the animal was captured by the attackers, then its body thrown in the Herault. The ass floated then until the accesses of Bessan where it was fished out and looked after. And it became thus the emblem of the village.
the ass of Bessan leaves at the time of the local festival the St. Lawrence. At the time of this extremely popular event with Bessan, the teenagers have habit to choose two " chiefs of jeunesse" and three young ladies of honor who will dance in the streets of Bessan at the time of the procession of the animal. The ass is accompanied by five young men: the leader is that which leads the animal, he is vêtu of white, carries a tricolor belt and leads the ass to whiplashes. The four others are hidden in the body of the animal underskirt. They are charged to advance and dance the animal. The ass advances, leans on a side then other, then suddenly moves back before drawing up upside down and tail in the air. It circles on itself. The dancers always seize it when it is in the air and the procession continues, according to the same rate/rhythm.
the animal totemic consists of a wood frame, which gives its form to the animal. The fabric which recovers it is decorated of a " tuque" and of a French cockerel on each side of the ass. The ass advances at the rate/rhythm of the music, mixing fifre, oboe and drums. The ass, at the time of the procession, is preceded by the " chiefs of jeunesse" and the young ladies of honor who proceed to a search while distributing tricolor rosettes. One raises the flag Occitan. This dance of the ass continues late in the night, accompanied by music and blows of detonators.
the next morning, the priest of Bessan blesses the ass on the square of the church. Then, the ass goes to the town hall where the mayor makes a speech extremely awaited, followed by an aperitif.

The camel of Béziers

the origin of the Chameau of Béziers is directly related to the legend of Saint-Aphrodise. Aphrodise, come with Béziers at the 3rd century from our era, is regarded as being the first bishop of the city. Originating in Egypt, he had arrived until Béziers to back of camel. Following the martyr of Aphrodise, the camel was entrusted to piles lord of the city so that it took care of it. When Aphrodise was recognized like Saint, the municipal persons in charge regarded as an honor to take with the load of the commune all the expenses of the maintenance of the animal. One offered even a roof to him to place in a street named today " street of the chameau" , in the historical center of Béziers.
the inhabitants of the city made build, after the death of the animal, a machine out of wooden which represents it and which was to be led each year, on April 28th, in triumph, towards the church of its patron saint, the Saint-Aphrodise church.
It would seem that this practice, undoubtedly considered to be too pagan, disappeared with the Middle Ages, the Church not appreciating these too allegorical rejoicings.
1632: The existence of the camel is mentioned in the files of the city.
1793: The camel is burned on the place of the Citadel, at the same time as all the feudal titles. The stronghold allocated with the camel for its maintenance, of an income of 1500 pounds, is put under sequestration. The camel was related to the list of the emigrants and thus, the revolutionists could seize its incomes.
1803: The Biterrois rebuild a new camel, out of wood, covered with a coloured fabric carrying the blazon of the city.
1830: The camel, considered as a symbol of feudality, was again destroyed, its lacerated sides of blows of saber! Crowd dispersed her scraps of fabric. An antique dealer thought of saving the wood head of the poor animal. A new camel will be again burned at the time of the events of 1848.
1895: The camel reappears of its ashes at the time of the historical cavalcade which traverses the streets of the city.
the camel of Béziers consists of an enormous wood machine, covered of a painted fabric, on which the armorial bearings of the city like two inscriptions on its sides are added: one in Latin “Ex Antiquitate Renascor” (meaning “I reappear of Antiquity”), the other in Occitan: “SEN Fosso” (i.e. “We are numerous”). The current pace of the totem would go back to the 14th century. This machine, which hardly resembles a camel but rather a Dromadaire, is actuated in its sides by four men which make it move and print, by intervals, a play jerked with a long neck and its jaw with the iron teeth. These large jaws, judicious to make fear with smallest, were called " Gnico-Gnaco " at the 19th century ( Gnico-Gnaco onomatopoeia which can mean " mordre"). The name of the camel in occitan is lo camel .
In the tradition, the camel is led by a curious character: the Papari (one can see a deterioration of " there; Papalin" or " Papalino" : soldier of the pope). Papari is escorted by a group of young people disguised as savages, pointing out the exotic origins of the Biterrois totem.
During years 1970, the municipality decided to undertake work of rehabilitation of the camel. Even a second bump was added to him so that it has, finally, the air of a true camel. But in front of the protests of the Biterrois, the camel preserved its original form of camel at single bump !
There exists today in Béziers a Peña baptized los Camelous . During the festive evenings of the city, this peña accompanies lo camel by Béziers.

Horse-Bayard of Clermont-l' Herault

In 1988, an association clermontaise decided to make revive Horse-Bayard after more than one century and half of absence.
Indeed, this qualified horse of " Bayard" or " baiard" in occitan (what means " bay brun"), and whose origin would go back to the 9th century, was burned in 1815.

The louse of Conas

the Louse, or rather " lo pesolh" in Occitan, is the animal totemic of Conas, a hamlet of the commune of Pézenas. It is ressuscity in 1976.

The ass of Gignac

In time, in the hamlet of Tourettes, lived the ass Martin. He was very small and caused then, because of his small size, rized of the villagers. He was however extremely courageous.
One night, the ass Martin ft much of noise to awake the villagers. The village was encircled by plunderers buckwheats. Alarm was given. But the ass managed to drive out besieging them through kicks.
the ass became the symbol of the village then (and even decorated about the merit, said the legend): small, but robust and courageous.
Since, the ass of Gignac animates the festivals of the village, accompanied musicians who ravel in the streets.

The wolf of Loupian

the Loup is the animal totemic of Loupian even if there does not exist legend related to its origin. The pupils of the elementary school invented two legends besides recently. The origin of the wolf is probably related to Latin lupus , echoing the old Roman name of the village, Lupianus.
the wolf consists of a wooden carpentry covered with a thick fabric chestnut. On the sides of the animal are painted the blazon of the village as well as tricolor rosettes.
With front, the wolf is provided with a jaw monstrous judicious to frighten the children and to grip the skirts of the young women.
the wolf is led by the " meneur" , a man equipped with a black jacket, girds of a tri-colored scarf and capped of a top hat. The leader distributes blows of stick to the wolf to advance it.
Under the carcass of the animal, 3 or 4 men lead the wolf, that placed at before fact claquer the jaw of the wolf using a cord actuated from the interior.

The crab of Marseillan

the animal symbol of Marseillan is the Crabe, animal familiar of the Mediterranean and the pond of Thau.

The snail of Maureilhan

Animal totem of relatively recent design, the Escargot decorates the roundabout with the entry of the village at the time of the votive festival. It ravels on a tank at the time of carnival.

The ox of Mèze

the history of the Bœuf of Mèze goes up in year 59 of our era.
During this period of the High Antiquity, a poor family, arrival of the surroundings of Béziers, was established on the edges of the Étang of Thau and started to clear the grounds at a place called “Los Mourgos”. This family lived fishing in the pond but also of the agriculture, helped in her work by a pair of oxen.
Thanks to the installation of this family, an urbanization began, being at the origin of the harbor village of Mèze. But alas, the first ox died followed by the second. One decided to preserve the skin of this last, being undoubtedly most beautiful. Its skin was then preserved like a relic spread out over a wood mannequin. It was walked each year for the special occasionss. The animal seemed alive!
Later when this skin was too worn, one built an ox on a wood frame, much larger than the normal size of one bovidé and covered with a brown hessian. This tradition exists still nowadays. Thus, in the animal totem, eight men can place themselves to drive it. One of them is charged to actuate the head and the jaws of the animal by means of a small wood rod. Another young man holds between his hands a barrel covered with a skin of ass tended, crossed in his center by an asphalted cord. While making slip this cord enters the index and the inch, that then produced a mooing similar to that of ox. Outside, the guide, armed with a long pivot, orders the animal.
the totemic race of the animal in the streets of Mèze is unforeseeable. Constantly, it can run and had to even sink on those which are put across its passage! The ox also capable of kicks, of trémoussements is stressed by the music which accompanies it. With its broad horns, it moves away boldest which want to be opposed to him.
the totem mézois is of all the public festivals, in particular at the time of the festival of Mèze which takes place 19 of August. This festival lasts three days, always with the exits of the animal totem. At the time of this festival, as in other villages héraultais, the animal totem is blessed by the priest, here on the place of the church. Then, and only afterwards, the totem returns visit to the mayor.
the ox of Mèze is often quoted during the history of the commune: in 1229, it receives the bishop of Agde, Thédise (who had just received in gift the seigniory of Mèze, of the son of Montfort, Amaury). In 1562, it was procession of the prince of Condé passer by in Mèze. In 1701, it actively took share with the festivals organized at the time of the passage of princes de Bourgogne and Berry. In 1921, for the festivals organized in favor of the university of Montpellier, the president of the republic, Millerand had to give up the estrade official representatives at the time of the passage of ox. Crowd believed whereas Millerand had been afraid of ox. To save the situation, Magallon, deputy of Herault, came vis-a-vis the monster and greeted ox. The deputy was applauded for his courage and thus, the animal totemic could continue to animate the festivals of Mêze.

The goat of Montagnac

About 1200, the woman of the consul of Montagnac, Anne, suffers from a strange evil that no doctor manages to diagnose and to cure. Arrive then, in the village, a man vêtu of let us haillons and accompanied by pretty a white Chèvre. The man intrigues the inhabitants by his relaxed pace and an apparent love of life. The inhabitants are not long in asking for the origin of this good mood to him.
the man told whereas it had a secrecy to remain eternally in good health. The milk of its goat is magic and cures of all the diseases.
the consul of Montagnac, certain Jacou (or Jaco , in occitan) request to see the animal and promises a strong reward with the vagrant if this one manages to cure his wife.
the man yielded the goat to the consul provided that it is nourished only vine shoots and grapes to preserve the miraculous capacities of its milk!
If the legend is extremely old, the existence of the totemic goat as animal is more recent, surely in the neighborhoods of the 18th century.
the goat of Montagnac leaves at the time of the festivals the village.

The foal of Pézenas

the Poulain of Pézenas is one of the most important animals totemic of Herault (with the camel of Béziers and ox of Mèze), as well by its imposing size as by its fame.
in 1989, the foal of Pézenas took part in the year of France in India, in company of the Tarasque of Tarascon and the giant of North Reuze-Dad of Cassel.
This animal totemic is of exit at the time of fatty Tuesday and of the festivals of the city, on July 1st.
the foal is large-sized, it reaches the weight of 360 kilos. It is an animal-underskirt made up of a reinforcement out of wooden manufactured into cerceaux of châtaigner. The frame is covered with a blue fabric, strewn with gilded stars, decorated with the weapons of the city. The head and the neck of the animal are mobile. This mobility enables him to make searches for the needy ones, all along the procession in the streets of Pézenas, stopping by chance in front of a trade, a house, an idler. The foal then tightens its neck towards the person who gives an offering to him, opens her jaws and closes again at once them.
Inside the animal totemic, 9 men carry and lead the animal, printing certain movements to him. The foal dances with the sound of the fifre, on " Air of the poulain" precisely, but can also make pirouettes and kicks.
the foal is led by a " meneur" , folk character carrying a green and red jacket and white pants.
Its origin is legendary: the king Louis VIII stops in Pézenas in 1226, on the road of the Crusades. There he is constrained to give up his mare which is sick. But what a was not its surprise, with its return, to find its mare in life! Moreover, this one had given rise to a foal. Consequently, in order to immortaliser this happy event, the notable ones of Pézenas made build an animal of wood to take part in the festivals of the city.
On its back, two fabric mannequins were added: Estiénon and Estiéneta . These two characters point out another legend: in 1622, a marshal of the army, extremely gallant, took a country-woman on his horse to help it to cross the Peyne, which sprinkles Pézenas.
Of other foalta existed (or exist in an intermittent way) in other villages héraultais: Adissan, Florensac, Pouzolles, Montblanc, but of more modest size.

The caterpillar of Pinet

This animal totemic is called Porquet by the villagers. It leaves at the time of carnival since the beginning the years 1970.
It acts of a timber structure, long, covered with a green fabric representing a kind of worm, or a Chenille, which nourishes vineleaves (of Picpoul?), carried inside by several men.

The pink pig of Poussan

Enormous pink Pig made fabric, on a frame which gives him its rebounded form, it has 8 pairs of legs and ravels at the time of the carnival of the village.

The pelican of Puisserguier

the Pelican figure on the blazon of Puisserguier.
During a few years, one could see a statue of wood the representative in the public garden. The statue was then placed with the tourist office, with the shelter of the bad weather.
2007: An alley of the Pelican is created at the zone of activity of Rouquette.

The hedgehog of Roujan

the origin of the hedgehog of Roujan seems rather confused and confuses two legends.
the first legend refers to holy Marthe and the Tarasque of Tarascon. Holy Marthe, part to drive out the Tarasque, would have brought with it an army of hedgehogs. Tarasque not having come, the hedgehogs turned over on their premises, except one. This last remained at the village where it was nourished and became the animal fetish of Roujanais.
the second legend is located chronologically around the Year Millet. The lord of Roujan invites a foreigner with his table. But this foreigner is not that a spy come to realize of the defensive means of the village in the event of attack. He had spent his afternoon to be questioned grinds village on the defense of the places. Once it had gathered all the information which it considered necessary, it left the village to deliver its information to its accomplices.
Leaving Roujan, the man inopportunely posed his foot on a Hérisson. The spy thus put himself at râler and to shout (in Occitan, râler says rouméguer ).
the cries then awake the lord of Roujan and this one alerts the guard. Thus, when the attackers present themselves the next morning in front of the walls of the village, all the inhabitants of Roujan are already ready to defend themselves, armed to the teeth. The attackers give up their attack then and prefer to flee.
Later, the lord of Roujan told this history in Occitan. And said “O roumegat and me sio I lebat! ” . What Roujanais interpreted as being a reference to the hedgehog, which had shouted when the man had crushed it. Shouted, or roumégué in occitan. Since, the animal totemic of Roujan bears the name of " Roumégaïre" .

The black pig of Saint-Andre-with-Sangonis

the black Cochon of Saint-Andrew de Sangonis is him also the child of a legend.
the count of Saint-Andrew, of the seigniory of Sangonas, was struck by a family curse: his/her daughter was extremely ugly and nobody wanted to take it as wife. One day, despaired not to find a descent, it made gather all the young men of the village on the place in order to “choose” an applicant for his daughter. That which would crunch apple that it intended to launch would have the hand of his/her daughter and an important dowry.
the count launched apple. He waited. A black pig was there and crunched apple the first. And thus was born the history from the " pig negre" , the black pig in Occitan.
the black pig ravels at the time of the festivals of the village and hears trousser the dresses of the young girls.

The frog of Saint-Genius-with-Fontedit

a statue out of plaster realized in 1975.
Three frogs were added on the weapons of the village in 1988.

The ram of Saint-Jean-with-Védas

the animal totem is not reappeared for a long time in the streets of the village.

The snail of Saint-Pargoire

Even if patron saint of the village is often represented on his horse, the Escargot, or cagarol in Occitan, is the animal totemic of the inhabitants of the village.
the origin of the totem is fuzzy: the particular town planning of Saint-Pargoire, village built in Circulade, the shape of snail shell thus, is the explanation most often evoked.

The dog of Saint-Pons-with-Mauchiens

the origin of the totem, the Dog, goes back to the Middle Ages.
In the neighborhoods of the Year Millet, the Viscount of Béziers, Raynal II, becomes owner of the soil. At that time, the castle is called Saint-Pons and the village " Mauchiens" , resulting from the old name " Milician " deformed in " Mauchiens ". This new name will be at the origin of the legend of the dogs of Mauchiens.
At one very remote time, not dated (because legendary), the lord of the castle had enormous dogs which it let digress the night in the streets of the village, to ensure the guard. One night, the lord returned very late and the dogs made good guard. The lord rgagnait his home when it was attacked by his own dogs which devoured it. Before dying, the lord of Mauchiens, covered with blood, exclaimed “malos ducks” , in Occitan, “bad dogs”, in French.
Today, the armorial bearings of the commune comprise two dogs: " Blazon of azure to the seven coupeaux ones of gold surmounted by the of the same bell-tower, to the sinistral canton, of mouths, to the Virgin of the Thicket, of money. The whole overcome of the mural crown and supported by two lampassés dogs of money, gueules."

The calf of Saint-Pons-with-Thomières

the animal totem of Saint-Pons-of-Thomières, the Calf, does not ravel any more in the streets of the city héraultaise since many years.

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