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Editorial La Presse de la Manche
Published on
Dec 19 2024 at 1:35 p.m.
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The little story meets the big one. This is somewhat what emerges from the very latest work by Jean-Marie Adam, When the earth spoke.
The story local et keen why native town from Grosville (Manche), Jean-Marie returns to the front of the literary scene with this book who is a mix of surveys on the ground, souvenirs, d’anecdotes et legends of yesteryear. A beautiful way to immortalize a territory.
Research and investigation work
In When the earth spokeJean-Marie Adam immerses the reader in the past of Grosville, between the names of placesTHE family stories et some mysteries which still linger in our memories.
People use names every day without really knowing where they come from. Sometimes, behind a name there is an incredible story.
And there is something fuel curiosity readers. But the work does not stop at the anecdote, it is abouta tremendous amount of research workparticularly on toponymy, this science of place names which reveals so much the story and of identity of a territory.
Because who has never wondered about the strange names of their hamletsfields or locality? “Toponyms are vestiges of our past, silent witnesses which tell the forgotten gestures and the history of our ancestors“, he explains.
They reveal ancient landscapesof the human activities disappearedparts of history and sometimes even legends that still live on.
A work that makes names speak
So nouns like Cantepie , Le Clos Bonheur or even Hell’s Ass are not just curiosities. They are there trace of civilizationswho occupied Grosville and its surroundings over the centuries .
Celts, Romans, Vikings… Each people left their mark in toponymy, and thus modeled a linguistic heritage as rich as it is unknown.
It’s a way of bringing our local history back to life, of giving voice to these names that we think are familiar but which conceal so many mysteries.
A meticulous, enormous research
He pushed the exploration very far by analyzing nearly 3,000 names of places listed in the land registers, going back in time. This careful research required consulting old documentssuch as notarial deeds, census records and other historical archives, which are sometimes difficult to decipher.
When the earth spoke thus reveals the memory of fields, paths, fountains, homes, etc. We discover names from the Celtic language of latinor even old French often distorted by time and use.
The author also highlights the influences different historical periods. The names ofScandinavian originrecall the era of Vikings while names derived from Latin show the romanization of the region.
Later, abbeys and church strongly influence with the appearance of names like Saint-Martin or Sainte-Marie. Without forgetting the poetic dimension with these names, they tell the stories of our ancestors, sometimes harsh and austere, but always close to their land.
It’s a way of bringing our local history back to life, of giving voice to these names that we think are familiar but which conceal so many mysteries.
“A chance for the community”
This in-depth research work was made possible in particular thanks to the collaboration of the town hall of Grosville. Laurent Hayé, mayor of the town, made available all the historical and cadastral documents available to the municipality.
“It was essential to open our archives so that this heritage is highlighted. This book is an opportunity for Grosville, because it immortalizes our local history,” underlined Laurent Hayé.
A dedication this Friday
Jean-Marie Adam invites lovers of local history to a signing sessionat the Grosville town hall, Friday December 20, 2024 from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
A great opportunity to exchangewith the passionate author and leave with a work.
From our correspondent Laure GHANNAM
Contact : Tél. 06 70 12 48 59. Mail : [email protected]
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