At the beginning of the 15th century, the Kingdom of France and a large part of the independent provinces of France were ravaged by the Hundred Years’ War. For its part, Brittany, then an independent duchy led by John V, was the victim of incursions by armed troops – English, French or other mercenaries. “Even sheltered by their walls, walled towns had to be able to show real resistance to the appetite of a possible aggressor,” explains the website of the Municipal Archives of Quimper (1). The ducal army was insufficiently numerous to protect all the Breton cities, the bourgeois of the cities took the habit of arming themselves and practicing shooting. The Dukes of Brittany, understanding all the interest that this additional military force could present, framed this organization with privileges. » Thus in 1407, the city of Nantes was the first to be granted by Duke John V the right to organize the game of Papegault (also called papegai), a means of maintaining and training these archers non-professional at a lower cost. Rennes obtained the same privilege in 1443, while the populations of Vannes, Quimper and Guingamp were in turn authorized to gather for this shooting game in 1483.
A codified game
Practiced with bows and crossbows (and later arquebuses), the game of Papegault then consists of trying to unhook a dummy bird, perched at the top of a mast, itself erected at the top of a large tree, from a mound, a tower or a rampart. The archers grouped in companies where nobles and bourgeois, landlords and craftsmen rub shoulders, each take turns shooting the foot of the target – generally made of wood – in order to bring it down. The name of this practice comes from this target in the shape of a multicolored bird, in order to attract the shooter’s eye: “papegault” designates the parrot in old French. If the contenders can train once a month, generally on the first Sunday, the tournament itself gives rise to a major codified popular festival, organized by the brotherhood of archers and crossbowmen of each city, generally in the spring: “The great annual shooting ceremony is very ritualized, […] it gives rise to public processions which take the knights to their captain, then to the mayor who offers them a wine of honor; they are also accompanied by religious ceremonies, an opening mass and sometimes closing mass of the festivities, processions in the city to fetch the bird, accompany the winner home…”, writes the historian Christine Lamarre in the article “Military games in the 18th century” (2). The winner of the competition is the archer who successfully knocks down the entire target. He is declared “king of the bird”.
Benefits for the gourmand
This honorary title, which he keeps for a year, also attributes to the archer some responsibilities (in particular he must finance the manufacture of the target for the next bird tournament), but above all interesting privileges, in addition to the prestige that gives him his victory. Indeed, to attract participants and encourage them to train, the dukes of Brittany – then the kings of France, who maintained this tradition until the end of the 18th century – granted significant financial advantages, notably exemptions of fouage (royalty owed by each household in the feudal system) and of block (on barrels of wine, beer, cider and perry). “He had the right to sell at retail without paying any tax to the receiver of the Duties of the Billot (responsible for collecting the proportional tax on the retail sale of wines) fifteen pipes of wine,” we read on the Quimper Archives website. . The pipe of wine is equivalent to approximately 450 liters, the winner could thus sell 6,750 liters of wine tax-exempt for his own benefit, generally in a hotel in the city. The benefit was therefore substantial. The shooters therefore came in numbers to measure their marksmanship and gain the honor of their victories. There were still more than 300 of them fighting each other in 1770.”
To know more
1. “A curious privilege: the Papegault game”, article from the Municipal Archives on the website of the city of Quimper.
2. “Military games in the 18th century, a neglected form of urban sociability”, by Christine Lamarre, Urban History n° 5 – 2002.
“At the heart of Arcoat – Inner Brittany” by Charles Floquet, editions France-Empire -1982.
The end of a five-century tradition
In the second half of the 18th century, there were nearly 35 communes in Brittany that held the famous papegault privilege. This shooting game was also widespread in many provinces of France, notably in Flanders, Dauphiné and Burgundy. However, it will not take long to be deleted in France. As the centuries passed, major changes occurred in the kingdom. Civil peace has been restored since the episode of the slingshot. The time of jacqueries is over, and a well-organized constabulary sufficiently ensures the defense of cities in the absence of an invading army. The papegault is now seen as a costly and useless privilege, sometimes generating unrest and above all a loss of income from the taxation of wines.
Following the deliberation of the States of Brittany on December 31, 1768, the organization of the game was abolished in the provinces with the exception of the town of Saint-Malo. The French Revolution put a definitive end to this five-century tradition. Only a few traces of this game of skill remain today. In Brittany, they are found in road names. There is, for example, a rue du Papegault in Rennes, in the Longs Champs district. In Josselin, one of the historic houses in the town center is still called Maison du Papegault, while in Montfort-sur-Meu, the Tour du Papegault – which today houses the Maison de Pays – is one of the last vestiges still visible of the old castle at the top of which stood the famous wooden parrot. Finally, in Dinan, the archery club proudly bears the name of the Papegault archers…
2024-01-21 08:00:01
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