Tradition: French Mythology
Alternative Names: Venerated Bitard, Bitard
Category: Marten
The Myth
The Bitard is a fabulous animal associated with the Order of the Venerated Bitard (Ordre du Vénéré Bitard, Loué Soit-Il !), a student association established at the University of Poitiers in France during the 1920s. The creature serves as the symbolic figure of the Order, whose members are also known as Bitards. Although its precise physical appearance is not described, the Bitard occupies a central place in the association’s traditions and ceremonial identity.
The Order’s mythology draws upon the writings of François Rabelais, in whose work Pantagruel the word bitard appears twice in hunting contexts. Each year, the association organizes the Semaine estudiantine, a week of festivities that includes a procession, drinking celebrations, and a ceremonial hunt for the Bitard. These traditions turn the creature into the focus of a distinctive student culture, blending mock hunting, ritual, and communal celebration.
Sources
“Bitard.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 21, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitard