Roger Maudhuy has just released “The Ghosts of French History” from Éditions Métive. This heartfelt Haut-Marnais brings together around sixty stories from the four corners of France, with the myth of survival as a backdrop.
But where will Roger Maudhuy stop? Nicknamed the “Maigret of folklore”, he studies the history of myths, legends and beliefs “of the countries of France”. After “The Healing Trees” released at the beginning of the year (daily jhm of May 27), the author tackles the subject of ghosts, with his book “The ghosts of the history of France” (Métive édition), released in the second half of 2024. A work of several years will have been necessary to compile all the information and one to write it all down.
“It was Elvis Presley who gave me the idea to create this book. Because according to American polls, 30% of respondents think that Elvis is not dead and 20% say the same for Michael Jackson. We are totally on the myth of survival. »
This belief has not only affected the stars of the music world. “In the past, our ancestors did not believe in the death of great people so powerful that they seemed immortal. In the collective memory, Charlemagne, Mazarin, Jacques de Molay, Napoleon I, Duke Guise and Charles the Bold are examples. » “The ghosts of French history” combines field investigation with historical and folkloric prints and works, and legends that we find today. He adds: “This book takes you to haunted France, from Parisian Place Dauphine to the dark Vosges forests or even to a fortress in the Dordogne.”
As in “The trees that heal”, the author suggests an anchorage in Haut-Marne. “In Auberive, did we once see white lady washerwomen? Those of Auberive were Gauls washing the bodies of fallen warriors…”. These legends take place in Mothe-en-Bassigny, which includes Outremécourt and Soulaucourt-sur-Mouzon, or even in Aigremont. In this town, there is “an interesting myth. It's Baron d'Aigremont's hunt. First Pierre who chases the wolf and in the end, it is the latter who then pursues him. The wolf becomes a vigilante and a tool of good.”
The result for Pierre? Is he dead? There will be “only a few scraps of flesh dragged by the dogs” that will be found. The next day, the baron went hunting. They were right behind a wolf. It lasted so long before the dogs and horses gave up. The Baron found himself trapped by the wolf and had to run. “He’s still running” as described in the book. “If someone asks me if I believe in ghosts? I tell them I don't know anything about it. » In Harréville-les-Chanteurs, “it is the last grand master of the Templars” who is mentioned in this book. The history of the Templars then continues in Picardy, in Puy-de-Dôme and even in the Loire.
Roger Maudhuy has nearly thirty works in total. Passionate about Alsace, he wrote three about this beautiful region. He lived in Paris, in the Vosges and now lives not far from Chaumont. “By making this book, I pay homage to my department of heart and I call upon new sources of folklorism. » For articles, he carried out hundreds of field investigations. His articles have been published in French, Belgian and even Swiss journals.
Julien Voirin
Brigitte Bardot will preface Roger Maudhuy's next book
Other news and project for the coming year, the release of a book on the wolf with great news, it will be prefaced by Brigitte Bardot. The latter has been an ambassador for animals since 1962, denouncing “publicly the suffering of cattle slaughtered in slaughterhouses without stunning”, as specified on the website of its foundation.
Contrary to anti-wolf visions, he defends them: “It is a timid animal. Herd attacks occur on poorly guarded herds. How is it that in Spain or Italy there are more wolves, but fewer attacks? On top of that, killing a wolf can unbalance its pack.” According to the French Biodiversity Office (OFB) in 2023, there were 1,003 wolves in France, compared to 3,307 such individuals in Italy, according to the Life Wolfalps EU and 2,000 in Spain.
