Transhumance

My Scholarship entry - Transhumance: A Journey through the Cévennes.

UNITED KINGDOM | Monday, 24 November 2014 | Views [234] | View Larger Image

It's long hard days for the shepherds to keep their flocks from going into ditches, and leading them along the long winding mountainous paths. They face all kinds of weather conditions, injuries, and sleep under the stars each night.

As the sheep join together, as do the different shepherds and their families. This is true family tradition. One shepherdess told me her father did 54 transhumance's in his lifetime. She also said, even though its hard work, its their way of life and it means to much to each one of them.

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Once they have reached the final destination, the sheep are placed in a pen. To mark the end of the journey, the shepherds remove the pom poms and bells for another year. This is a tough job, taking many hours to remove all the decorations from the tired sheep. After this is finished, one shepherd and his wife, spend 3 months in a tiny wooden shack looking after the many flocks, letting them eat new grass, tending to them and making sure they stay safe. This gives time for the other shepherds to go and refresh and look after their farms in the lowlands, ready for another year, before their sheep return.

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Transhumance

My Scholarship entry - Transhumance: A Journey through the Cévennes.

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