|
The Cross of Camargue is one of the major symbols of the Camargue. The painter Hermann-Paul drew it in 1924, and stands for faith, hope and charity, mentioned in the Bible, in the first letter to the Corinthians. It is the union of three symbols into a cross: an anchor, a heart and three gardian's tridents. The anchor is the fishers' one, as well as the anchor of the boat of the Saint Marys who came there, according to the legend, to christianize the Camargue and carry hope. The heart stands for charity, and the tridents recall in a same unity the gardians -the bull breeders that hold it to lead the herd- and Christian faith. It usually decorates each home and public places in the towns of the Camargue : Le Cailar, the Saintes-Maries, Mauguio, and is an essential piece of the local folklore.
L'ancre est celle des pêcheurs de Camargue aussi bien que celle de la barque des Saintes-Maries venues, selon la légende, évangéliser la terre camarguaise et y porter l'Espérance. Le coeur tient pour la charité, et les tridents formant la croix rappellent dans une même unité la foi chrétienne et les gardians, munis de ces piques pour gérer les troupeaux de taureaux. Elle orne traditionnellement l'intérieur des maisons comme les places publiques des villages de Camargue, Le Cailar, Mauguio, les Saintes-Maries, et est un élément essentiel du folklore local. |
