Mirèio
Encyclopedia
Mirèio is a poem in Occitan by French writer Frédéric Mistral
. It was written in 1859.
, Mirèio is the daughter of a rich farmer. She is in love with a modest basketmaker, Vincènt. Her father disapproves of the relationship and seeks other suitors. Mirèio, in despair, escapes from her house to Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer
. There she prays to the saints that her father will accept her relationship with Vincènt. The way is hard and unbearably hot. At the end, the saints appear to Mirèio. They tell her of their happiness in Paradise, and Mirèio dies in peace.
Frédéric Mistral
Frédéric Mistral was a French writer and lexicographer of the Occitan language. Mistral won the Nobel Prize in literature in 1904 and was a founding member of Félibrige and a member of l'Académie de Marseille...
. It was written in 1859.
The plot
In ProvenceProvence
Provence ; Provençal: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm) is a region of south eastern France on the Mediterranean adjacent to Italy. It is part of the administrative région of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur...
, Mirèio is the daughter of a rich farmer. She is in love with a modest basketmaker, Vincènt. Her father disapproves of the relationship and seeks other suitors. Mirèio, in despair, escapes from her house to Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer
Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer
Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer is the capital of the Camargue in the south of France. It is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department by the Mediterranean Sea. Population: 2,478...
. There she prays to the saints that her father will accept her relationship with Vincènt. The way is hard and unbearably hot. At the end, the saints appear to Mirèio. They tell her of their happiness in Paradise, and Mirèio dies in peace.