“Tu Tires ou tu Pointes?”: An Introduction to the Game of Pétanque (Part 1)

Photo by tedece on Flickr.

France, like most countries of the world, seems to have a fascination with le football(soccer). Football has legions of fans throughout France but there is another game that is nearly as popular and that appeals to people of all ages. Pétanque(pronounced pay-tonk), commonly referred to as le jeu de boules (the game of balls), is a characteristically French game with roots in ancient history. Similar to horseshoes and bocce ball, the game requires precision, finesse and a great deal of concentration that may not be apparent if you’re simply un spectateur (a spectator).

Although typically associated with older French men wearing berets, the popularity of pétanque has transcended generational and national boundaries to become a global sport with biennial international competitions organized by the Fédération International de Pétanque et Jeu Provençal (International Federation of Pétanque and Provençal Game). Unlike most sports, pétanque is a game that requires virtually no strength, speed or dexterity. There are even pétanque competitions for people in fauteuils roulants (wheelchairs).

A form of pétanque using stone balls originated in ancient Greece around the 6^thcentury B.C. The Romans took up the game and began using wooden balls instead. Pétanque increased in popularity during the Middle Ages and up through the 19^thcentury in Western Europe. This early style of pétanque required running and was thus reserved for those who were generally en bonne forme (physically fit). In the Provence region of France in the early 20^th century, the rules of the game were slightly altered to accommodate an aging player who could no longer run because of Rheumatoid Arthritis. Thus was born the modern form of pétanque requiring les joueurs (the players) to throw the ball from a stationary position. The wordpétanque is a derivative of the words ped tanco, meaning planted/anchored/fixed feet in the Provençal dialect. Provence continues to be the pétanque mecca of the world and should you ever visit the region, you will undoubtedly encounter a group of older men playing the game in any of the small villages or towns.

Today the game is usually played on a flat surface that allows the balls to roll freely. Pétanque balls are made of creux (hollow) metal and weigh anywhere between 650 to 800 grams. Le cochonnet (the jack—in French cochonnet means piglet) is a small wooden ball used as la cible (the target), similar to the stake in horseshoes.

In the next post we’ll be looking at the rules of pétanque.

source:http://blogs.transparent.com/french/tu-tires-ou-tu-pointes-an-introduction-to-the-game-of-petanque-part-1/?utm_content=bufferc11f6&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

Marcel Pagnol: Un Trésor de la Littérature Française (A Treasure of French Literature)

Photo by deSingel International Arts Campus on Flickr

Do the names Victor Hugo, Jules Verne, Alexandre Dumas or Gustave Flaubert sound familiar? All four of these French novelists have earned their place in the pantheon of literary greats and their books continue to inspire legions of readers nearly two centuries after they were written.

What about Marcel Pagnol? Doesn’t ring a bell? Pagnol has not yet achieved international literary stardom like Hugo, Verne, Dumas or Flaubert but I wouldn’t be surprised if you hear more of this 20^th century French écrivain (writer), cinéaste(filmmaker) and dramaturge (dramatist) in the decades to come.

Né à Aubagne le 28 Février, 1895 (Born in Aubagne on February 28, 1895), Marcel Pagnol grew up with a passion for writing and books. In his own words: “Je suis né dans la ville d’Aubagne, sous le Garlaban couronné de chèvres, au temps des derniers chevriers” (I was born in the city of Aubagne, beneath the Garlaban crowned with goats, in the time of the last goatherds). The Garlaban is a rocky hill in Provence, a geographical region of southern France.

“Le Garlaban.” Photo by Virany on Flickr

Pagnol began his career writing plays, many of which have been adapted to the silver screen. He then began producing his own films and only later decided to begin writing novels. His love for Provence and his vivid descriptions of le pays de son enfance (the country of his childhood) in his books make you feel as if you can hearles cigales (the cicadas) and smell la lavande (the lavender). When you visit Provence you will experience for yourself what Pagnol is describing and will surely appreciate his writing even more.

The joys of summer holidays spent with his family in the south of France beginning in 1904 became the subject of Pagnol’s later romans autobiographiques(autobiographical novels), namely La Gloire de mon Père (My Father’s Glory) andLe Château de ma Mère (My Mother’s Castle). These two stories were later made into movies and released in the early 1990s. Pagnol recounts his youth in two more books entitled Le Temps des Secrets (The Time of Secrets) and Le Temps des Amours (The Time of Love). Both have gone on to become best sellers.

Pagnol wrote a number of other novels, two of which were released to international acclaim and were later made into movies starring Gérard Depardieu and Yves Montand. Although not autobiographical, Jean de Florette and Manon des Sources are infused with some of the painful experiences of his youth, like la mort de sa mère (the death of his mother) Augustine in 1936 when he was just fifteen and the loss of his best friend Lili des Bellons in World War I.

Pagnol died in Paris on April 18, 1974 at the age of seventy-nine. His legacy as a writer, playwright and filmmaker lives on in his books, plays and movies. I would encourage you to read the books and watch the movies in French rather than in English. Pagnol’s mastery of the French language and the beauty of his narratives are worth the effort.