I always thought that Mont Ventoux came by its name because it is windy at the top, and venteux means “windy” in French. It’s a common misconception, but it’s not true. In fact, the word comes from Vintur, an ancient god worshiped by the Albiques, a Celtic tribe that once lived in the area.

Not only that, but the Mistral, the famous and sometimes-violent wind of Provence, is actually Vintur’s son! He’s a capricious child who throws tantrums when he doesn’t want to go to bed, hence the wildness of the wind. And there used to be an Albique ceremony to calm the boy and get him to go nighty-night.

I learned this in a very entertaining book called Le Dit du Mistral by Olivier Mak-Bouchard. It’s a fun story, full of legends and local expressions (though while most of the legends are true I suspect there’s some artistic license from time to time.)

Read more about these Provençal legends in Perfectly Provence!