Cicadas: The Noisy Terrors of Provence, or A Highly-Regarded Good Luck Charm?
Loud, waning chirps. Almost guttural noises coming from what sounds like gigantic, alien-like insects covering every inch of the ground in the summer months. The type of noise that could make you slip into madness.
Cicadas will make you feel a certain way. While they aren’t necessarily the biggest insects one will find themselves dealing with in their lifetime - nor the most alien-looking - they are some of the most annoying. Their high-pitched shrieks will often keep you up at night when it’s warm outside, as though they are purposefully out-performing the crickets that sing in the night.
Most of us are familiar with cicadas - or “la cigales” in French - because of their existence in ancient scripture or Greek mythology. (Hello, Homer’s Iliad!) In these instances, they have symbolized death and rebirth. This is because of their strange life cycle, which lasts 2-5 years. In fact, some species have even longer life cycles, like the ones commonly found in North America. Magicicada spend the majority of their lives underground, emerging every 13 or 17 years depending on where they live. This can seem rather terrifying at times, especially to people who have not encountered a swarm of giant bugs concentrated in one space.
The types of cicadas found in France tend to be annual species that emerge every year. There is folklore that surrounds these magical creatures in France. Provençal myth indicates that the cicada was created by a higher power to disrupt peasants' endless siestas. Their inconvenient noises were said to have made the less fortunate more productive, bringing a higher level of work ethic to the area. However, the story goes on to outline that instead of being perturbed by their existence, the incessant buzzing noise lured many to sleep. The phrase “Il ne fait pas bon de travailler quand la cigale chante,” or “It’s not good to work when the cicada is singing,” comes from this story, specifically.
While the myth may not be true, as one of the loudest insects in the world, the cicada certainly disrupts any attempt at an afternoon nap on a hot summer's day. (Although Lulu somehow doesn't seem to mind their chirps.)
Luckily, most cicada species are known to be active during the day. You will only hear the call of the males, who are said to serenade the silent female cicadas. Their hollowed out abdomens make it so that their song is heard up to a mile away. There are just a few that are nocturnal, and they are rarely found around these parts.
Cicadas are conveniently attracted to the region because they only emerge from the ground at the perfect temperature (77 degrees), Provence has moderate weather compared to other areas of the world. In fact, cicadas are so well-known here that the people of Provence have adopted this noisy critter as their mascot. They claim it brings good luck, much like Chinese culture finds luck in crickets. (Haven’t you ever seen Mulan?) When you visit Provence, be sure to collect a ceramic version or fabric with a motif to take home with you.
