Clairac's bote

No, there is no misspelling, it is a “bote”, not a “botte” (a “bot” not a “boot”)…

A few years ago, Claude Martin had given us two photos glass plates showing a large crowd Place Viçose and in the streets of Clairac.

“It was on the occasion of a “bote”, yes, a neighborhood party if you prefer”.
But no book, no dictionary gave the explanation of this unknown word...
Recently a rare document allowed to find the key: a beautifully calligraphed manuscript from the 1900s: “La Bôto dé la Pâouso”, or “The festival of La Pause”.

Thanks to an exchange with Alain Paraillous, the evidence was obvious: in our dialect, as in Occitan or Castilian, the V is often pronounced B. The place known as Bireboy was once spelled Villeboy or Villaboy, or Bireboy. The “botes” of Clairac were votive festivals, and in this case, the feast of Pentecost, during which the “rosier” of Clairac was crowned. And in this document, it's about La Pause neighborhood party.
Let's dive into L'Express du MidiExcerpt from the Express du Midi of May 26, 1904
, a daily newspaper published in Toulouse, on May 26, 1904:
“Here is the program of the votive festival on Sunday, May 29, on the occasion of the distribution of the virtue prize:
Saturday, May 28, at 9 p.m., big torchlight procession; artillery salvoes.
Sunday, May 29, at 5 a.m., artillery salutes announcing the celebration; from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., Serres Square, various games; at 4 p.m., Viçose Square, solemn distribution of the virtue prize. A quest for the poor will be made during this distribution.
At 4:30 am, a great race for donkeys of all ages and origins, owned for at least a month by owners living in the Lot-et-Garonne department. The commitments are received at Mr. Cazenobes, race starter, until May 29, at 10 a.m.
At 9 p.m., illumination a giorno; at 10 p.m., balloon ascent Santos Dumont n°100.”

The famous virtue prize was created by Guy de Viçose (1768-1815), as described in his will: “I give and bequeath a sum of 8,000 francs to the commune of Clairac (…) used to award a prize (…) either in cash or in the form of a medal, a crown, etc., to the unmarried man, aged 20 to 30 years, who will appear most worthy by his good morals, his assiduity at work and particularly by his care towards his old or infirm parents, a man taken exclusively among the inhabitants of the municipality of Clairac. This prize will be awarded each year in May on a festive day”.
Who has not read Le rosier de Madame Husson (Maupassant), or seen the eponymous films with Fernandel or Bourvil ? Well, in Clairac, we now had “Le rosier de Monsieur de Viçose”… In 1819, Étienne Massias was the first and Patrick Chabrières the last in 1978, as evidenced by an article in Sud-Ouest Excerpt from Sud-Ouest of August 27, 1994
. In 1894, Pierre BourgueilExcerpt from Sud-Ouest of August 27, 1994
created a virtue prize to reward a young girl, recognized as virtuous, working and caring for her parents; the last one, also in 1978, was Martine Miraben.

What strikes us in the photos, is the world gathered on the place Viçose and in the streets: happy time where the village festivals were a real attraction which often attracted all those who, in the canton, wished to spend a beautiful day. On one of them, the banner “Honor to virtue” stands on Avenue de la Gare, while one of the decorated cars is called “Moulin de Sans Souci”.

All the Clairacais put on their best Panama, and the children their marine collar.

On another, a joyful cavalcade moves away from Place Viçose to Place Serres, taking the rue du Puits, now rue Jean-Jaurès.

To smile, let's look at these few lines from Fernand de Lados in Le Véloce of May 3, 1885: “There are a few rare communes in France that undoubtedly have the very enviable privilege, but, alas! nowadays, not very envied, to own a certain quantity of young “rosiers”. Of this number, and in the first rank, is undoubtedly the small town of Clairac. (…) Léopold Feret, the 1884 winner, was certainly worthy of the honour bestowed on him, since he won this year out of 124 candidates for the price of virtue.”
Let's give the floor back to L’Express du MidiExtract from the Express du Midi of May 5, 1910
May 5, 1910 to close this Unusual of the day:
“The municipal council, meeting in an extraordinary session last Sunday, had to designate, for this year, the lucky recipient of the “Prix de vertu”. Mr. Alix Vergnes, a farmer, was appointed by almost unanimous vote. For information, we must say that in 1910 this price exceeded the sum of a thousand francs. The coronation ceremony will take place, as usual, on Whit Monday, on Viçose Square”.

Finally, the first lines of our long poem in patois:
“La Bôto dé la Pâouso
Plaço Biçose – Quate oros daou sey
Aça ! mais qu’es aquos ? Mé séri doun trumpat ?
Crésèbi qu’éro anet la Bôto dé la Pâouso !
Et nou bési digun enquèro d’arribat !
D’un semblable rétar qué diable séré caouso ?”
And the translation into French for download !