A mythical or a mystical land ?
The Romans were the first to make written mention of the Camargue horses. And yet, there is good reason to believe that wild hordes of them came from distant eastern lands to the Camargue well before that time.
While it is true that nowadays one no longer meets wild herds, one can nevertheless see horses running wild and free, just waiting to show off their talents. Talents that are due most particularly to the rustic character of the land that the horse has taken for its own: that of the climate, the soil and above all taurine activities.
That is another animal that is emblematic of the Camargue: the bull. Ever since ancient times, the presence of dark bovine races has been recorded. Today, the bull is not only part of this milieu, but awakens passions and is a living symbol of its character, perhaps even of its soul. Bred out of captivity, in herds, the bull is the centre of all the local feast days, and a pretext for celebrations of all kinds. There are abrivados, bandidos, Camargue races, bull games, encierros and ferrades... you don't have to be an aficionado to enjoy the festive spirit that lasts right through the holiday season.
Camargue traditions
"Camargue Races" started at the turn of the last century as a game between "raseteurs" and bulls in which young men tried to snatch a cockade from between the horns of a bull. The bull, being a proud beast and given that he can anticipate the raseteurs' movements, tries to gore the man in a high risk sport in which the bull is the star. It is difficult to say wether man or beast enjoys himself most. The bulls are driven throught the streets to the arena surrounded by local cowboys ; this is called a bandido. But be careful! The most daring young lads in the village will try to "help" at least one bull escape ; it's part of the game...
Come to any village fête where this is still a genuine tradition, and see for yourself...
A small glossary of 'bouvine' terms