Trans-humanship readies for departure in Aubrac region
On the brink of the transhumance, the Puech family, cattle breeders in the Aubrac region ( Lozère, Cantal, Aveyron), make their annual preparations. These preparations involve bringing in their livestock and selecting the cowbells their cattle will wear during the journey to the Aubrac plateau. For Christian Puech, this task isn't straightforward; he possesses a stunning collection of cowbells, and each year, the festival organizers gift him a new one. In Aubrac, a transhumance without cowbells is unimaginable.
8,000 hearts beating for a celebration
Some cows haven't experienced the heft of a collar like this before. They require gradual acclimation to the sound and feel. "This sound, it symbolizes the transhumance, conviviality, and family reunions," Maxime explains. The first tones of the transhumance just begin to resonate, echoed by another melody reverberating through the village of Aubrac (Aveyron). Volunteers secure the area in anticipation of the upcoming festivities. After all, 8,000 souls are expected to attend the weekend-long event, eagerly watching the parade of hundreds of cows.
Capture the essence of this traditional event in the video above
In the heart of the Aubrac region, the Puech family's French lifestyle intertwines with their home-and-garden practices as they carefully choose cowbells for their livestock, each bell emblematic of the region's outdoor-living traditions and deep cultural roots. During the annual Aubrac transhumance event, these traditional cowbells not only serve as means of communication and identification but also evoke a sense of community and continuity that resonates throughout the region.
