Wednesday, July 6th, 2022
Is it Charlois or Charolais? I’ve been getting this question rather frequently from my readers. The simple answer is, it’s both. Because of the powers that be, the Charlois spelling was not being accepted, for whatever reason. However, the Charolais spelling was accepted, probably because that is the common spelling for the Charolais breed of cattle. To set things straight, we are not cattle.
I was first introduced to Charolais Cattle in my pre-teen years. My Dad worked on a dairy farm, and the owner bred his milk cows with Charolais bulls, to raise better beef calves. I fell in love with the breed. They were big and muscular, an attractive cream color, and gentle.
A few years later, when I was in 7th grade, I did a special report on France. One of the things I discovered while doing research was, Charolais cattle originated in an area of France called, Charlois, (French spelling).
This was also the year I began having Mental Health issues. One of the things that happened was, I found an imaginary friend. His name was Robert Alfred Charlois, after the Charlois region in France, where I imagined his family coming from. The other parts of the name had different origins, but this is where Charlois came from, and it is still with me.
So, we use Charolais, because it’s recognized as a word on the web. We use Charlois because that is my alter ego. I hope this clarifies the issue.
Until another time, peace be with you on your journey.
Robert A. Charlois III