I am currently reading the best and most amazing book I have ever read about France or French social history : The Discovery of France by Graham Robb.
Only the first 3 chapters (out of 17) have changed completely my image of French society, especially in the central, mountainous and isolated parts of the country that I know much less than the North and the big cities.
Robb explains that most of the French countryside remained a tribal society well into the 19th century, and even into the early 20th century. Most communities were egalitarian, self-governing, had their own assembly and laws, their own justice, and its members were strongly discouraged to marry outside the community (meaning outside the village or hamlet).
Rivalries and even wars were common between villages, but crime was almost unheard of within a community. This might be because most of the people were related (a bit like in Scottish or Irish clans), but also because the risk of being banned or shunned from the community was deterrent enough to keep people in line.
Each village had its own measure system on purpose to prevent competition from the outside.
Anyone who wasn't a local (born and raised within a few miles) was considered a foreigner.
As recently as in the 1860's and 70's army officers had the hardest time to recruit people from the deep country because they would only fight close to home, or didn't feel any sense of patriotism towards France as a whole. No wonder that France lost so easily against Germany in 1870-1, when nationalism was rampant in Germany.
I many ways, rural life in France hadn't changed much since the time Julius Caesar wrote that Gaul was subdivided into innumerable tiny regions. It is as true for the culture and mentality as for the lifestyle. In 1807, an Alpine village was reported to have retained the customs of using Roman numerals for every day usage, centuries after the rest of the country had adopted modern numerals.
Here is an illuminating passage from page 35 :
"About ten times as many illegitimate children were born in Paris than anywhere else, not because Parisians were more promiscuous but because girls who 'sinned against modesty' were often forced to leave their pays."
And these are just a few highlights from chapter 2.
Only the first 3 chapters (out of 17) have changed completely my image of French society, especially in the central, mountainous and isolated parts of the country that I know much less than the North and the big cities.
Robb explains that most of the French countryside remained a tribal society well into the 19th century, and even into the early 20th century. Most communities were egalitarian, self-governing, had their own assembly and laws, their own justice, and its members were strongly discouraged to marry outside the community (meaning outside the village or hamlet).
Rivalries and even wars were common between villages, but crime was almost unheard of within a community. This might be because most of the people were related (a bit like in Scottish or Irish clans), but also because the risk of being banned or shunned from the community was deterrent enough to keep people in line.
Each village had its own measure system on purpose to prevent competition from the outside.
Anyone who wasn't a local (born and raised within a few miles) was considered a foreigner.
As recently as in the 1860's and 70's army officers had the hardest time to recruit people from the deep country because they would only fight close to home, or didn't feel any sense of patriotism towards France as a whole. No wonder that France lost so easily against Germany in 1870-1, when nationalism was rampant in Germany.
I many ways, rural life in France hadn't changed much since the time Julius Caesar wrote that Gaul was subdivided into innumerable tiny regions. It is as true for the culture and mentality as for the lifestyle. In 1807, an Alpine village was reported to have retained the customs of using Roman numerals for every day usage, centuries after the rest of the country had adopted modern numerals.
Here is an illuminating passage from page 35 :
"About ten times as many illegitimate children were born in Paris than anywhere else, not because Parisians were more promiscuous but because girls who 'sinned against modesty' were often forced to leave their pays."
And these are just a few highlights from chapter 2.
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