Bota fuòc, cachafuòc
Hugues Bernet is a teacher in a school in France where the Occitan language and culture are taught. Occitan is the Romance language that the troubadours spoke.
Hugues wrote to me about a custom they follow in his school at Christmastime. It involves a recitation in Occitan. Here's what he wrote:
"Here is a small Occitan custom that's practiced at Christmastime. I don't know its date or precise origin (the term 'cachafuoc' for Yule log comes from the Cévennes mountains in south central France). Nonetheless, in the school where I work, we organize a little party for Christmas where we recapture this custom.
During this party the gifts are given out to all the people there. It's the 'soca' (a log) that brings the gifts. Two people (the youngest and the oldest of the group) carry the log into the room and say a ritual phrase in Occitan..."
Bota fuòc, cachafuòc
Light Up, Yule Log
Christmas Rhyme
Christmas Rhyme
(Occitan)
(English)
Bota fuòc, cachafuòc,
que nos alegre,
que nos fague la jòia d'èstre aquí l'an que ven,
e se sèm pas mai,
que siaguem pas mens!
Light up, Yule log,
Delight us,
Give us the joy to be here next year,
And if we aren't more numerous,
Let us not be less!
Thanks and Acknowledgements
Many thanks to Hugues Bernet for contributing this rhyme and for telling us about this interesting Christmas custom!
Illustration: From the book, "Christmas Comes but Once A Year" by Luke Limner, Illustrator: (Bros.) Dalziel.
Mercé plan!
