Legend of the Pisse-Vieille
This legend is one of the most popular in Beaujolais. It gave its name to the famous cru of a hamlet in the town of Cercié.
It is told all over the region with slight variations. Here is one of the versions, translated from the dialect.
“They were two good old men who lived together and the woman was very pious. She used to go to confession often. And then, one fine day, they changed the priest. So she said to herself:
– I’ll go to confession, I’ll see. The old priest confessed very well! How was that one going to do? He was perhaps less able to speak the patois …
When he had given him absolution, he said to him:
– Go and stop fishing! But she understood:
– Don’t piss anymore! She came to the house and she said:
– Toine, you don’t know what he gave me as a penance: you won’t have to pee!
– Well, my faith, if it’s your penance, you have to do it, what! And then, of course, the night passed painfully, the next day too … And still the poor woman was in pain. Le Toine had gone to the vineyard and when he came home at noon, she couldn’t take it anymore.
– Toine, we have to go find the priest, then tell him that I can’t stand it anymore, I can’t stand it anymore. Let him give me a hundred Pater and a hundred Avé if he wants, but not that. That he lets me piss what! Then the Toine embarks with the parish priest who says to him:
– But I didn’t say that. I didn’t say you shouldn’t piss anymore, I said no longer fishing! Ah! then he came back running, running, and La Toinette was on her balcony waiting for him and as far away as he saw her:
– Oh ! Toinette, piss, old woman! piss-old! the priest said so, that he was shouting at him! And there was little young people that was in the vineyards, who heard that. So they laughed, they laughed! And then afterwards, when we saw the old woman pass, they shouted at her: Piss, old woman! and this is what keeps the name in the hamlet.”
“They were two good old men who lived together and the woman was very pious. She used to go to confession often. And then, one fine day, they changed the priest. So she said to herself:
– I’ll go to confession, I’ll see. The old priest confessed very well! How was that one going to do? He was perhaps less able to speak the patois …
When he had given him absolution, he said to him:
– Go and stop fishing! But she understood:
– Don’t piss anymore! She came to the house and she said:
– Toine, you don’t know what he gave me as a penance: you won’t have to pee!
– Well, my faith, if it’s your penance, you have to do it, what! And then, of course, the night passed painfully, the next day too … And still the poor woman was in pain. Le Toine had gone to the vineyard and when he came home at noon, she couldn’t take it anymore.
– Toine, we have to go find the priest, then tell him that I can’t stand it anymore, I can’t stand it anymore. Let him give me a hundred Pater and a hundred Avé if he wants, but not that. That he lets me piss what! Then the Toine embarks with the parish priest who says to him:
– But I didn’t say that. I didn’t say you shouldn’t piss anymore, I said no longer fishing! Ah! then he came back running, running, and La Toinette was on her balcony waiting for him and as far away as he saw her:
– Oh ! Toinette, piss, old woman! piss-old! the priest said so, that he was shouting at him! And there was little young people that was in the vineyards, who heard that. So they laughed, they laughed! And then afterwards, when we saw the old woman pass, they shouted at her: Piss, old woman! and this is what keeps the name in the hamlet.”