The language of Oc
Also known as "Occitan", the language once spoken in the region is still practiced by some, particularly the elders, who consider it a cultural heritage that must be preserved. Historically, Occitan is considered to be the language of the Midi, i.e. the south of France. Since the Albigensian Crusade and the annexation of the Midi to the kingdom of France in 1271, Occitan has been progressively supplanted by French (or langue d'oïl), notably through the Black Hussars of the Third Republic. Despite this, the language of the troubadours has survived to this day. A Romance language in its own right, it derives from Latin. Although it has several dialects, it still covers an impressive geographical area. Local media, aided by new European laws, are bringing it back into the limelight, and its wind-borne sounds are once again waving the red flag emblazoned with the Baussant. Today, the Institut d'études occitanes is dedicated to promoting the language through courses and events, and has codified the grammar and unified the vocabulary of this multi-faceted language. From the time of the troubadours to that of the Internet, Occitan keeps track of the emotions of courtly love as well as of revolts against cultural levelling, of tales and legends passed on orally during wakes as well as historical testimonies.
Occitan literature
Since the 12th century, the Occitan language has found its way into the pages of numerous authors celebrated both locally and beyond the department's borders. The best-known are the troubadour Raimon de Miraval (1165-1229), the Albigensian admiral Henri-Pascal de Rochegude (1741-1834) and the Realmont poet Louisa Paulin (1888-1944).
Occitan literature has also been marked by philosophers, translators and singers such as Auger Galhard, a 16th-century poet from Rabastin, Mathieu Blouin (1554-1615), a reporter of the Wars of Religion in Languedoc, Jordi Blanc (b. 1944), a French-Occitan writer and translator, and Daniel Loddo (b. 1954), a member of the Occitan music group La Talvera.
One of the great defenders of the Occitan language was Jean Jaurès (1859-1914). Born in Castres, the politician was bilingual, juggling Occitan and French according to the situation. In 1911, Jean Jaurès became the first politician to advocate the teaching of regional languages in republican schools. He explained this approach by arguing that, in his view, learning Occitan was a better way of learning and mastering French.
French feathers
It's not just Occitan-language writers who have contributed to Tarn's cultural influence! The département has also seen the birth of nimble writers in French. Their flight was encouraged by the creation of the Académie de Castres in the 17th century, an ancient cultural, literary and scientific academy dissolved in 1670, and the literary salon of Albigensian writer Antoinette de Salvan de Saliès in the 18th century. At her salon, contemporary authors were read and commented on, a lively atmosphere that encouraged the most daring to present their texts. Nicknamed "la petite muse d'Albi", she was herself behind such works as Les Princesses de Bavière: Isabelle et Marguerite and La Comtesse d'Isembourg, princesse de Hohenzollern.
In the 19th century, the poet and writer Maurice de Guérin (1810-1839), born in Andillac at Château du Cayla, penned a number of little-known works praised by George Sand: Le Centaure, La Bacchante, Glaucus..
Twentieth-century writers include Carmausin author Lucien Fabre, who won the Prix Goncourt in 1923 for Rabevel ou le Mal des ardents. We should also mention the career of Jean Noël Dominique Escande (1933-2016), a writer and historian who took part in the writing of numerous collective works dedicated to the Tarn: La Chartreuse de Saix, Jean Valette, la Cuisine tarnaise, les Cahiers du Tarn, la Revue du Tarn, etc.
In addition to these authors, the Tarn boasts an attractive literary scene, with a number of small publishing houses, numerous media libraries and a host of cultural events dedicated to fine words, such as the Gaillac and Mazamet book fairs, and the Salon du livre et de la gourmandise in Pampelonne.
