logo main logo dark logo light
logo sticky
logo main

‘Loup’ – French for wolf

Wolfes
Loups French for wolf Lusignac coat of arms | Gite Loups d'Or
7 October 2021
by Loups d'Or

‘Loup’ – French for wolf

T

he ‘Loups d'Or’, the name of our house, refers to the two golden wolves on the Lusignac coat of arms, Lusignac being the village in the Dordogne department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, where we live and where our Gîte is. The wolf on a coat of arms, typically symbolised the rewards a town received, for the endurance in long sieges.

In the Middle Ages, the ‘loup’, French for wolf, was denounced as a livestock predator, but was also considered noble and courageous. The wolf is symbolic for ruthless strength, loyalty, family, friendship, teamwork, protection, wildness, freedom, instincts, playfulness, bravery and intelligence and was considered being able to ‘paralyse its enemies with just a look’.

‘Loup’ comes from the Old French word ‘leu’, ‘lou’, ‘louve’ or from Old Occitan ‘lop’.
The word ‘wolf’ by the way, comes from the Old English ‘wulf’ and is of Germanic origin; related to Dutch ‘wolf’ and from an Indo-European root shared by Latin ‘lupus’ and Greek ‘lukos’. So, both ‘wolf’ and ‘loup’ come from Latin ‘lupus’, but via different ways.

Nice to know is that apart from eating meat, wolves require more than that to stay healthy. Fruits and vegetables are also on their menu, to supplement their diet in Summer. They enjoy blueberries, rowans, raspberries and lingonberries, apples and pears. Wolves also eat grass when their stomach is upset, as grass purge their digestive systems of parasites, much like a dog.

Loups d’Or is our beautifully restored and modernised farmhouse in the rolling hills of the Dordogne-Charente border. It is the combination of a Late Medieval foundation with 21st century luxury and modern & contemporary art.

Our gîte Bande de Loups (pack of wolves) accommodates up to 12 guests and can be rented throughout the year. Enjoy the pool, your alfresco lunch, your glass of wine, while enjoying the beautiful panoramic and relaxing views.

In the off-peak season (1 October- 28 May) we offer down-sized accommodation options: Grand Loup, accommodating up to 9 guests and Petit Loup, accommodating up to 5 guests.

With special thanks for the 'golden' tip to Stijn and Frédérik!

Pimm + Marcel

Gîte Bande de Loups - Holiday home Loups d'Or Dordogne with private pool and gardenGite rural France with private pool | Gîte Loups d'Or Dordogne
Dordogne luxury holiday rentals | Gite Loups d'Or Dordogne
Dordogne
Next article +

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *