Forestiers et voyageurs

Forestiers et voyageurs

Forestiers et voyageurs, a novel by Joseph-Charles Taché (1863), is a unique blend of fact and fancy. It bridges the folktale and the episodic novel, humorously recounting the stories and adventures of "le père Michel," a typical Canadian VOYAGEUR. Realistic descriptions of hunting and fishing with natives and with seigneurs develop into the narrative of Michel's escapades farther afield, helping the NORTH WEST COMPANY defeat the HUDSON'S BAY COMPANY traders. Both locales are nostalgically characterized as the sources of French and aboriginal legends and songs, which form part of the national heritage. Taché's manuscript, containing a wealth of etymological and anthropological lore, was serialized in LES SOIRÉES CANADIENNES (1863) and Le Foyer domestique (1878-79); it was first published as a book in 1884.