The Muleteers of Vivarais in Upper Ardèche

Coming from the Cévennes slopes between Mont Mézenc and Mont Lozère, the muleteers had a solid reputation. Their villages included Saint-Étienne-de-Lugdarès, Montselgues, Loubaresse, Saint-Laurent-les-Bains, and Saint-Cirgues-en-Montagne. In the Cévennes, being a muleteer was a title, an honour, and a source of pride.

There was a time when paved roads did not exist, rivers were insurmountable obstacles, and mountains served as natural borders. It was a time when mules were the kings of the road — loyal companions of the muleteers and essential players in trade and exchange. It was a time when mule tracks crisscrossed Vivarais and Velay, connecting valleys and plateaus, villages and towns, regions and provinces.

These mule tracks, traced along the ridges, followed the contours of the terrain, avoided marshy areas, and crossed passes and bridges. They were true arteries of commerce, used by convoys of mules loaded with various goods. They still bear witness today to the history, culture, and heritage of these territories.

The muleteers had well-defined specialities and routes. Some transported wine from Lower Vivarais and the banks of the Rhône to the highlands of Auvergne, where vines could not grow. Others carried salt from the Mediterranean saltworks and silk from Aubenas to Saint-Étienne, the manufacturing centre. Still others brought cereals, pulses, barley, and lentils from Puy-en-Velay, cultivated on the fertile lands of Velay.

Transhumance routes called drailles were also used, allowing flocks of sheep and goats to reach summer or winter pastures. The most famous was the Régordane, connecting Nîmes, Alès, Villefort, La Bastide-Puylaurent, Langogne, and Le Puy-en-Velay. It was used by pilgrims, Crusaders, merchants, and shepherds.

The importance of the Puy muleteers' trade has been known since the 16th century. The muleteers from Puy came from villages on the slopes of Mont Mézenc — Monastier, Montpezat (in Vivarais), and Arlempdes. They formed a powerful and respected guild, enjoying privileges and franchises. They were wealthy and prosperous, as evidenced by the price of a pair of mules at the time: 500 livres, the equivalent of a handsome town house.

During crises, mules played an important role, particularly in convoys led by civilians and in essential supply missions. But in times of peace, mules and muleteers were called upon for noble causes — such as during the famine in Velay in 1694, when multiple convoys were organised to transport grain from the Rhône valley.

According to Albin Mazon's account, the muleteer wore a red wool cap with a felt hat depending on the season, hair tied at the back, ears adorned with gold rings from which a mule-shoe iron hung, a tie, and a red waistcoat; metal-shod shoes, a red wool belt with a decorated silver cup (for tasting the merchandise), and a trocart (a knife for piercing animal skins). In rainy weather, he wore a mountain cloak called a cape or limousine.

The varlet was the muleteer's assistant. He took care of the mules, prepared the loads, and supervised the convoy. He learned the trade by observing his master, listening to his advice, and imitating his gestures.

Mules were animals well adapted to the terrain and climate, more resistant to fatigue than horses. They were crossbred between a mare and a donkey, or between a horse and a jenny. They were sturdy, obedient, intelligent, and loyal. They were carefully tended by the muleteers, who regarded them as members of their family.

The lead mule was called the Viei: it was the strongest, proudest, and best harnessed. It led the convoy, guiding the others by its example, and often wore ornaments, ribbons, feathers, and bells. Then came the roulet: it carried a bell as large as a balloon, used to signal the convoy's arrival, scare away wolves, and set the pace — the most joyful, loudest, and most mischievous of the bunch. In the middle was the bardot: the sterile offspring of a horse and a donkey. It carried the rambail — the contract or "pact" money, the agreement between the muleteer and the merchant — and also the ferrière, a toolbox containing the necessary equipment to repair harnesses, bottles, and shoes.

The other mules were named according to their qualities. The calmest carried the alte around its neck — a glass bottle wrapped in straw, used for drinking during breaks. The fastest carried perishable goods such as cheese, butter, and fruit. The most agile was assigned to carry fragile items like crockery, glasses, and mirrors.

One mule carried a load of 168 litres of wine in bottles made from animal hides — cow or goat skins. The hide bottles were far easier to transport than barrels: they fitted the shape of the animal's back, did not break, and did not spill. They were sewn with hemp thread and coated with pitch to make them waterproof.

Viticulture was important in Ardèche — it flourished as early as the 3rd century — with white wines such as those from Largentière, Montréal, Vinezac, and light wines from Villeneuve-de-Berg already being produced. Most of this production was transported on muleback to local markets or neighbouring regions.

The passage of muleteers through villages or hamlets such as Loubaresse was always an event — often the only one! The muleteers announced their arrival from afar with jingling bells, enchanting the children, who would repeat in chorus: balalin, balalan.

The children ran to meet them, hoping to receive sweets, coins, stories, or even a ride on the mules. The muleteers smiled, made jokes, sang ballads, and taught tricks to the children.

Peyre was an important mule station where muleteers of all origins met, sometimes in great numbers, along with bathers travelling to or from the renowned thermal baths of Saint-Laurent-les-Bains, known for their healing waters. Peyre offered travellers welcoming inns, varied shops, and festive entertainment.

At the staging posts where the muleteers stayed, they were guests of their hosts, who received them with hospitality. Hearty meals were served, accompanied by local wine; tobacco was offered and musical instruments were lent. They ate, drank, danced the bourrée, and shared news, gossip, and legends. The muleteers then slept fully dressed in the hay, after caring for and feeding their animals. The next morning, they loaded the animals once more and set off, bid farewell by grateful villagers.