Note: "chouanerie" was a monarchist and Catholic popular reaction, together with the lifting of the Vendée, inflicted heavy defeats on the Republican soldiers in eastern France at the time of the French Revolution and to the Consulate.

From 1793-1800, Fougeres area was the scene of the epic of the Chouans,

Republican opponents. One night in the winter of 1795, a group of soldiers of the Republic, the Bleus (Blue, named for the color of the uniform) taken prisoner to a peasant Chouan.
"This war is appalling that, for the past three years, the regular groups led against bands of peasants, this fierce fighting with invisible enemies had taken the hateful nature of hunting wild beasts.

In both fields, she found that the soldiers usual generosity, no compassion for the prisoners, no mercy to the vanquished: a man caught was a dead man. Or Chouans Bleus had so many of their own to avenge!

"From the depths of the forest rose in the still night air the sound of a bell that brought the breeze, clear and distinct, gently rhythmic.
Almost immediately a second bell, the more severe, was heard from the other end of the horizon and then later a third, acute and plaintive, far away, rang sweetly.

The Blues were frightened confused:

- What is that? ... Why are they playing? ... A sign perhaps € | Ah bandits! This is the alarm bell.

Everyone talked at once, some run to arms. The peasant lifts his head and looked at them with clear eyes:

- It's Christmas, he said.

- Is € |? What?

- Christmas. They are calling the midnight mass.
The soldiers, grunting, they resumed their places around the fire and the silence was established: Christmas midnight mass. These words had not heard for so long were caught, they came to mind vague memories of happy hours, tenderness, peace. Head down, listening to the bells that everyone spoke a language forgotten € |

The sergeant stood up,

was feverishly muttering a few steps, looked at his men to consult and, hitting the shoulder of the prisoner:

- Go away, he said

The Chouan looked up blankly.

"Go away, escape € | you are free.

(Lena G. 'tre recits non Biblique et Contes pour NoÃ' l, Ed de l'Atelier)

December 20, 2004 | by Family Action | Theme: Religious Holidays