THE PROVENÇAL VILLAGE
The Blind Man and His Son
An old man with a cane, his hand on the shoulder of the child guiding him. It’s the most moving group of santons, and the only one whose story has an ending in the nativity: when he reaches the stable, the blind man can see again. And despite the name, the child isn’t always a son.
What you see
An old man with a cane, one hand on the shoulder of a child walking ahead of him. The child often carries a lantern. They’re sold together as a pair, and it’s one of the few groups where how the two are positioned is part of the story: one leads, the other follows.
Workshops do it differently. Sometimes the child walks beside him, sometimes the blind man walks behind with both hands on the child’s shoulders. Some versions have the lantern, some don’t.
The story that’s told
Here’s the story as the santon books tell it: before he went blind, this man had two sons, Simon and Symphorien. The boumian stole Symphorien as a child and renamed him Chicoulet. “This poor man wept so much over the loss of his son that he lost his sight,” and ever since “he searches for him endlessly, walking the roads and leaning on the shoulder of his son Simon.”
It’s the only story with a happy ending in the Provençal nativity: “Arriving before the stable, the Blind Man prays and regains his sight. Opening his eyes, he will recognize his son Chicoulet, taken by the Boumian, and fall into his arms.”
It’s also in the pastorale: the cast of the pastorale lists “the blind man” among the roles, and Tourisme Marseille describes him as “The blind man whose son the boumian stole.” One detail is worth noting: in his own lines, the blind man talks about his children being stolen without naming the kidnapper. Blaming the boumian fits the plot, but it’s implied rather than said.
A son, or a daughter?
The santon is called “the blind man and his son,” but that detail has always varied, and still does today.
Among today’s santon makers, the same source notes that Bernadette Lagrange shows the blind man “on his way to Bethlehem leaning on his daughter’s shoulder,” while Annouk Marion puts him “not beside but behind his son.” Two workshops, two takes on the same pair.
A transcription of the Provençal text of the play that we found (but haven’t yet checked against an original edition) gives the guide a girl’s name and mentions two kidnapped children, a boy and a girl, with Provençal names that correspond to Symphorien. We mention it as one more sign that this detail changed from edition to edition, not as a correction of the usual story.
So the name “the blind man and his son” stuck, even though the second figure was never fixed. If you find a version with a daughter, it isn’t just a workshop’s whim.
The lantern, and what it’s made to say
The child often carries a lantern, and it’s usually explained as a symbol of moving from darkness into light: the blind man walking toward the one who will restore his sight.
It’s a beautiful idea and fits the scene, but it’s the santon makers’ interpretation, not something any text says. There’s a simpler explanation that works just as well: they’re walking at night and need to see, the same reason Joseph carries a lantern. You don’t have to choose.
Where to place them in the nativity
On the path, walking, a little apart from the others. The pair only makes sense if you can see the hand on the shoulder. Squeezed between other santons, they’re just two more figures.
Not too close to the stable. Their journey is the whole story. Putting them in the front row skips right past it.
Keep the path ahead of them clear. If your scene has a slope or a lane, that’s the best spot for this pair. See stairs and lanes and arrangement.
Frequently asked questions
What is the story of the blind man in the nativity?
In the most common version, he had two sons, Simon and Symphorien, and the boumian stole Symphorien and renamed him Chicoulet. The father wept so much that he went blind. He walks the roads leaning on his other son’s shoulder, and when he reaches the stable he prays, regains his sight and recognizes his lost son.
Is it a son or a daughter who guides the blind man?
Both, and not just in old books: santon maker Bernadette Lagrange shows him leaning on his daughter’s shoulder, while Annouk Marion places him behind his son. A transcription of the Provençal play also gives the guide a girl’s name. “The blind man and his son” is simply the name that stuck.
Did the boumian really steal the child?
That’s the popular version, and Marseille sources repeat it. But in the blind man’s own lines, he only says his children were stolen, without naming who did it. Blaming the boumian fits the plot, but it’s implied, not stated.
Where do you place the blind man and his son?
On the path, walking toward the stable, a little apart from the main procession so the pair stands out. Many families make them among the last to arrive, so the healing is the finishing touch once the scene is complete.
Why does the child carry a lantern?
Because it lights the way, and because santon makers see it as a symbol of moving from darkness into light. That second meaning is the makers’ interpretation, not from any text. It’s beautiful, but unofficial. Some versions have no lantern at all.