Pierre Lafargue known as "Pierroun", shepherd and bohaire of Arjuzanx (40) offered in 1895 this bagpipe, which according to Félix Arnaudin (1844-1921), would have been made by Ninet de Luglon,
to Ferdinand Bernède (1869-1963), famous Landes photographer, postcard publisher and poet. Ferdinand Bernède has never been able to play this boha. He reassembled it with a new bag, on which he recorded and signed in black ink,
one of his poems "Le berger landais". There is an inscription in capital letters located on the side of the pihet: “BELLEGARDE A SABRES”.
This bagpipe could be attributed to the factor Jean Bellegarde known as “Nanot de Yoy” from Sabers (40), but we doubt it because of very different construction from these three other models.
Jean Bellegarde known as "Nanot de Yoy", from the Poursiouguères district in Sabers, was a wheelwright, tooth puller, bowl bottom and boha maker.
n “Chants populaires de la Gande-Lande”, Félix Arnaudin quotes the testimony of another factor, Ninet de Luglon,
"... I made the mouth dance ... The Yoy is the first
who made them to sell them. He sold them for 10 to 15 francs depending on the way. It was a lot. Some found them too expensive and made them for themselves.
I did it for 10 francs. The most beautiful were in boxwood. There were cherry, pear, rowan ... Gn’aué de les aflourades. ”
last sentence, which can be literally translated as
"There were some with flowers" and could also mean "the most beautiful were very well decorated" which may be the
closer to meaning, but not to form.
His Bohaussac
This boha is incomplete, it includes:
- the beautifully baked bag with a handwritten poem (see photo plate),
- the pihet engraved and decorated with colored wax with pewter inlay,
- the stump of the pihet encrusted with pewter,
- The blowpipe (bohet),
-the stump of the blowpipe encrusted with pewter.
The reeds and the removable part of the brunidèir are missing.
This instrument, studied on February 21, 2014 by Patrick Burbaud, is kept under the reference D1953.15.66 at the Center for Conservation and Documentary Resources at Mucem in Marseille.
