French and Occitan Phrase Books Adopt The Winter Ghosts by Kate Mosse

Summary: French and Occitan phrase books adopt The Winter Ghosts, historical fiction novel by Kate Mosse about Good Christians in 14th-century southwest France.

"God talks to human beings through many vectors: through each other, through organized religion, through the great books of those religions, through wise people, through art and music and literature and poetry, but nowhere with such detail and grace and color and joy as through creation. When we destroy a species, when we destroy a special place, we're diminishing our capacity to sense the divine, understand who God is and what our own potential is." Robert Francis Kennedy Jr., April 19, 2023, Boston Park Plaza Hotel, Back Bay, Boston, Massachusetts.

“And there’s many people out there who want us to move to the next planet already and I’m like, hang on, let’s not give up on this planet yet," William, Prince of Wales, July 31, 2023, Sorted Food food truck, London, England, United Kingdom.

La fête de Saint-Étienne (from French la fête de Saint Étienne, "the feast[-day] of Saint Stephen [from Greek στέφανος, “crown, wreath” via στέφω, “to surround” and Latin Stephanus]") and la fête de la transhumance (from French la fête de la transhumance, "the festival of the [summer-highland winter-lowland migration, from Latin trāns humus, “across, beyond ground”]") accept accolades accorded respectively in all ambiances and in country and small-population ambiances throughout Occitan-culture areas. City and country Occitanians appreciate St. Stephen (AD 5?-AD 33?/36?) December 26. Country Occitanians applaud summer transhumance festivals traditionally 50 days after Easter; "Saint Stephen," half-length depiction in 1476 tempera on poplar was created by 15th-century Italian Renaissance painter Carlo Crivelli (ca. 1430-1495) as part of double-tiered polyptych (multi-panelled altarpiece) for small church of San Domenico in Ascoli Piceno in east Central Italy's Marche region, became known as Demidoff Altarpiece through ownership by Count Anatoly Nikolaievich Demidov, 1st Prince of San Donato (Russian: Анатолий Николаевич Демидов; April 5 [OS March 24] 1813-April 29, 1870) from 1852 to 1866 and was purchased by London's National Gallery in 1868 (David Savage, "Crivelli," Cavallini to Veronese website): Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons

French and Occitan phrase books adopt The Winter Ghosts, historical fiction novel by Kate Mosse about Good Christians, affirmed as Albigensians and Cathars (from Greek καθαροί, “pure ones”), in 14th-century southwest France.

The Mosse novel bears 14th-century Occitan and 20th-century French phrases and words respectively from 1328 and from 1928 and 1933 and from before the 20th century. It contains such common commerce as bistro-café (from Poitou-French bistingo, bistraud, bistro, bistrot, “lesser servant” or from north-French bistouille, bistrouille, “brandy-coffee” via French bistro, “tavern proprietor”). It domiciles not only bistro-café (from Arabic قهوة via Turkish kahve, Italian caffè, French café, “coffee, coffee-shop”) but also boucherie (from French boucher –erie, "butcher shop").

Commercial endeavors such as boulangerie (from French boulanger -erie, “baker shop”) and librairie (from Latin liber -ārius, “book-pertaining” via librāria, “book-holder” via French librairie, “bookstore”) emerge.

Other familiar commerce such as mercerie (from French mercier -erie, “textile-merchant shop”) and as patisserie (from French pâtisser -erie, “to make pastry shop”) figure there too.

General commerce guards pharmacie (from Greek φαρμακεύω, “to use drugs” via φαρμακεία and Latin pharmacia) and tabac (tobacconist, from Arabic طُبَّاق [Dittrichia viscosa]” via Spanish tabaco). Châteaux (from Latin castrum -lum, “little castle”), chez (“at”), côté soleil côté ombre (“coast sun shade”), quartier (“neighborhood”), salle à manger (“room to eat”) honor places. Flambeaux (from Latin flamma -ellus, “flame little”), patron (“boss”), sabot (from French savate, “wood shoe”) and vielle (medieval, stringed, violin-like hurdy-gurdy, from Occitan viola) invoke things.

French and Occitan phrase books and The Winter Ghosts jubilate apéritifs (from Latin aperītīvus, “opening”), la fête de la transhumance and la fête de Saint-Étienne.

Il y a quelqu’un (“Is anyone there?”), Salut! Quel temps! (“Hello! What weather!”), Messieurs, bonjour à vous (“Gentlemen, good day to you”) keep phrase-book keepers knowledgeable.

Je suis perdu (“I am lost”), Ma voiture est crevée (“My car is dead”), Là haut (“Up there”), Je comprends (“I understand”) leaves language-learners everyday-language learned. Une chambre pour ce soir seulement (“one room for this evening only”), Il n’y a personne pour vous aider (“There’s nobody to help you”) manages likewise. Viens ici (“Come here”), S’il vous plaît (“If it pleases you”), par ici (“over here”), Alors à ce soir (“Then until this evening”) nurture everyday conversations.

French and Occitan phrase books and The Winter Ghosts offer Je m’en vais (“I’m leaving”), Soyez le bienvenu (“Be welcome”), madame (“Ma’am”), monsieur (“Sir”), moitié-moitié (“half”).

First-positioned phrase “Lo vièlh Ivèrn ambe sa samba rasca” paraphrases as “Pitiful old winter has returned” poetically, as “The old winter with its limping dance” literally.

Second-queued “Ara es tornat dins los nòstres camins” qualifies as “Limping up and down our roads” poetically and “Now is come back in our paths” literally. The next-last, Occitan-language, third revelation that "Le nèu retrais una flassada blanca" renders itself, Anglicized poetically albeit still realistically, as “Spreading his white blanket of snow.” “E'l Cerç bronzís dins las brancas dels pins” Anglicized sequences lastly as “While the Cers wind cries in the branches of the pine trees” (Mosse:front matter).

The Winter Ghosts tenders French and Occitan phrase books Vous devez vous lever (“You must arise”), Voilà la voiture (“There’s the car”), na (“Ma’am), sènher (“Sir”).

Country Occitanians assemble traditionally 50 days after Easter for the first migration, la fête de la transhumance (from French la fête de la transhumance, "the festival of the [summer-highland winter-lowland migration, from Latin trāns humus, “across, beyond ground”]"), of two annual migrations of their grazing animals. The Occitanian region assimilates Ariège, Aude, Aveyron, Gard, Haute-Garonne, Gers, Hérault, Lot, Lozère, Hautes-Pyrénées, Pyrénées-Orientales, Tarn and Tarn-et-Garonne departments of southern France; scan of 1930s postcard of "Cabane de berger sur les monts de Lozère" (shepherd's hut on Mont Lozère [Occitan: Mont Losera]): Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

La fête de Saint-Étienne (from French la fête de Saint Étienne, "the feast[-day] of Saint Stephen [from Greek στέφανος, “crown, wreath” via στέφω, “to surround” and Latin Stephanus]") and la fête de la transhumance (from French la fête de la transhumance, "the festival of the [summer-highland winter-lowland migration, from Latin trāns humus, “across, beyond ground”]") accept accolades accorded respectively in all ambiances and in country and small-population ambiances throughout Occitan-culture areas. City and country Occitanians appreciate St. Stephen (AD 5?-AD 33?/36?) December 26. Country Occitanians applaud summer transhumance festivals traditionally 50 days after Easter; "Saint Stephen," half-length depiction in 1476 tempera on poplar was created by 15th-century Italian Renaissance painter Carlo Crivelli (ca. 1430-1495) as part of double-tiered polyptych (multi-panelled altarpiece) for small church of San Domenico in Ascoli Piceno in east Central Italy's Marche region, became known as Demidoff Altarpiece through ownership by Count Anatoly Nikolaievich Demidov, 1st Prince of San Donato (Russian: Анатолий Николаевич Демидов; April 5 [OS March 24] 1813-April 29, 1870) from 1852 to 1866 and was purchased by London's National Gallery in 1868 (David Savage, "Crivelli," Cavallini to Veronese website): Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:St-stephen.jpg

Country Occitanians assemble traditionally 50 days after Easter for the first migration, la fête de la transhumance (from French la fête de la transhumance, "the festival of the [summer-highland winter-lowland migration, from Latin trāns humus, “across, beyond ground”]"), of two annual migrations of their grazing animals. The Occitanian region assimilates Ariège, Aude, Aveyron, Gard, Haute-Garonne, Gers, Hérault, Lot, Lozère, Hautes-Pyrénées, Pyrénées-Orientales, Tarn and Tarn-et-Garonne departments of southern France; scan of 1930s postcard of "Cabane de berger sur les monts de Lozère" (shepherd's hut on Mont Lozère [Occitan: Mont Losera]): Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cabane_de_berger_sur_les_monts_de_Lozère.jpg

For further information:

Dictionnaire de l’Occitan Médiéval. DOM en ligne. Munich, Germany: Bavarian Academy of Sciences..
Available @ https://dom-en-ligne.de/dom.php?lhid=4dqN83calp4xbiz5Nsx8Wu

Lepage, Denis. 2024. Avibase – Bird Checklists of the World France.” Avibase – The World Bird Database > Checklists > Avibase – Bird Checklists of the World > Europe > France.
Available @ https://avibase.bsc-eoc.org/checklist.jsp?region=FR

Marriner, Derdriu. 23 February 2024. "Kate Mosse Archives Cathar Country Cuisine in The Winter Ghosts." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2024/02/kate-mosse-archives-cathar-country.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 16 February 2024. "Animals Are Allowed Lives Apart From The Winter Ghosts by Kate Mosse." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2024/02/animals-are-allowed-lives-apart-from.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 9 February 2024. "Plants Are Allowed Lives Apart From The Winter Ghosts by Kate Mosse." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2024/02/plants-are-allowed-lives-apart-from.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 2 February 2024. "Brian Gallagher Adds Graphic Art to The Winter Ghosts by Kate Mosse." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2024/02/brian-gallagher-adds-graphic-art-to.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 26 January 2024. "Kate Mosse Adds A Fictitious Place to Real Places in The Winter Ghosts." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2024/01/kate-mosse-adds-fictitious-place-to.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 19 January 2024. "Kate Mosse Assembles Fictitious and Real People in The Winter Ghosts." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2024/01/kate-mosse-assembles-fictitious-and.html

Mosse, Kate. October 2009. The Winter Ghosts. London UK: Orion Publishing Group.