While the pseudo Raelian clones are in the news, some remember a drunken evening 30 years ago in Clermont-Ferrand, during which the story of flying saucers was born. A hoax for everyone, but not for Claude Vorilhon.
The extraterrestrials were invented one evening in 1973 during a well-watered meal in a restaurant near Place Gaillard, in the city center of Clermont-Ferrand. There were three of us, and Claude Vorilhon was very impressed when Franck Messegue told him how his father had made a fortune... He was all the more so because his newspaper, Auto-pop, was in agony.
Thirty years later, Claude Vorilhon-Rael surfs all over the planetary media with the enticing announcement of successful human cloning. The hype is shocking, the process crude, and the tongues of Auvergne are loosening.
So this business leader, a long-time night owl, In the 70s, his passion for sports cars led him to frequent Claude Vorilhon, a car journalist, never in a hurry to go home in the evening.
At that time, I was twenty years old. There were a group of about fifty of us going out, in Clermont-Ferrand. We rubbed shoulders in the same bars, the same trendy clubs of the moment. The evening of a well-watered meal, we spent the night raving about a hoax that we could launch. The idea of the extraterrestrials came from Franck. The quiet place near the Puy de Dome, I suggested, between the Puy de la Vache and the Puy de Lassolas, remembering my motorbike outings.
What a laugh we had...
For us, it was about laughing. Not for Claude. The next day he went to the editorial office of La Montagne, to tell "his" story. He was sent away. As soon as things got going, he left Clermont-Ferrand, and the people who knew. I remember that he was fascinated by the success of Maurice Messegue, who made his fortune with plants. His son had explained, dissected his father's method, and Vorilhon didn't miss a thing.
Maurice Messegue, the guru of health through plants, with ties to Auvergne, is now out of fashion. But at the beginning of the 70s, the least of his works (C'est la nature qui a raison, mon herbier de sante-beaute, Guerir naturel) almost sold a million copies. This shrewd autodidact also knew how to make shops prosper (one, now gone, was run by Franck on a major shopping street in Clermont-Ferrand), as well as a range of herbal products, health cures in France and Switzerland.
He must have major psychological problems.
I am astounded, continues the CEO from Clermont, to see the current importance of the Raëlian movement, present almost everywhere. Claude Vorilhon must have major psychological problems deep down in his head, because he knows what he is. He knows the reality of his fantasies. You know that he made a record at the end of the sixties, with a song, "Patricia", that entered the hit parade? He sang under the name of Claude Celler.
In fact, he spoke to a sweet music, but it pleased. His pseudonym of Celler, he also used it for a column in Autopop, but not with the same first name: it was Jacques, like Jacques Celler! You see, I would like to see him again, and have our threesome with Messegue again.
Rael took off following a TV show by Jacques Chancel, then he gave multiple conferences in France and Canada, and multiplied his followers. There are said to be more than fifty thousand of them around the world. But not a single one in Cermont-Ferrand. Yesterday afternoon, two Raelians from Lyon were distributing posters (printed in Caluire) in the shops of the center of Clermont.
They announce a conference on human cloning soon in a hotel in Clermont.
A return to the Holy Land in a way, to try to reap the effects of the media hype.
The false magician of Auvergne has never been a prophet in his country.
JEAN-JACQUES ARENE
[insert]
No one in the family is Raelian
Before being "elected" by extraterrestrials, Claude Vorilhon, born in Vichy, spent his childhood in Ambert, in Livradois-Forez. Therese, his 87-year-old aunt, often took care of him. "My Claudie, she's my chick, she's Rael". Willingly talkative, she remembers a dreamy child, very sweet, who understood quickly at school, but did not like the constraints. (...) I don't believe his story, you know, he did it to launch his books. Some do worse for their publicity, I read his family is not Raelian, but we all love him. In Ambert too, no one believes in extraterrestrials.
He came to see me regularly, but Canada is far away. The last time, I think it was in 1999. When he is there, we talk about the family, his work. My Claude wanted to take me to Canada, but at my age, it's too late for such a trip.
For those who knew Claude Vorilhon when he was young, everything for his family, the first two works he published were the pure product of his imagination.
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[French original]
Alors que les pseudo clones raelians font l'actualite, certains se souviennent d'une soiree bien arrosee voici 30 ans a Clermont-Ferrand, au cours de laquelle l'historie des soucoupes volantes est nee. Un canular pour tous, mais pas pour Claude Vorilhon.
Les extra-terrestres, on les a inventes un soir de 1973 lors d'un repas bien arrose dans un restaurant proche de la place Gaillard, dans le centre ville de Clermont-Ferrand. Nous etions trois, et Claude Vorilhon etait tres impressionne quand Franck Messegue lui racontait comment son pere avait fait fortune... Il l'etait d'autant plus que son journal, Auto-pop, etait a l'agonie.
Trente ans plus tard, Claude Vorilhon-Rael surfe sur l'ensemble des medias planetaires avec l'announce aguichante d'un clonage humain reussi, Le battage est choquant, le procede grossier, et les langues auvergnates se delient.
Ainse ce chef d'enterprise, noctambule de longue date, Dans les annees 70, sa passion pour les autos sportives l'amene a frequenter Claude Vorilhon, journaliste auto, jamais presse de rentrer chez lui le soir.
A cette epoque, j'avais vingt ans. On etait une bande d'une cinquantaine a sortir, a Clermont-Ferrand. On se cotoyait dans les memes bistrots, les memes boites branchees de moment. Le soir d'un repas bien arrose, nous avons passe la nuit a delirer sur un canular que nous pourrions lancer. L'idee des extra-terrestres est venu de Franck. L'endroit tranquille pres du Puy de Dome, je l'ai suggere, entre le Puy de la Vache et celui de Lassolas, me souvenant de mes sorties en moto.
Qu'est-ce qu'on a pu rigoler...
Pour nous, il s'agissait de rire. Pas pour Claude. Le lendemain ii s'est rendu a la redaction de La Montagne, pour raconter "son" histoire. Il s'est fait econduire. Des que la mayonnaise a pris, il a quitte Clermont-Ferrand, et les gens qui savaient. Je me souviens qu'il etait fascine par le succes de Maurice Messegue, qui a fait fortune avec les plantes. Son fils avait explique, disseque la methode de son pere, et Vorilhon n'en perdait pas une miette.
Maurice Messegue, le gourou de la sante par les plantes, aux attaches auvergnates, est aujourd'hui passe de mode. Mais au debut des annes 70, le moindre de ses ouvrages (C'est la nature qui a raison, mon herbier de sante-beaute, Guerir naturellement) frole le million d'exemplaires. Cet autodidacte avise a egalement su faire prosperer des boutiques (l'une, aujourd'hui disparue, etait tenue par Franck dans une grande artere commerciale de Clermont-Ferrand), ainsi qu'une gamme de produits herboristes, des cures de sante en France et en Suisse.
Il doit avoir de gros problemes psy.
Je suis sur le cul, pousuit le PDG clermontois, de voir l'importance actuelle du mouvement raelien, present un peu pertout. Claude Vorilhon doit avoir de gros problemes psychologiques au fond de sa tete, parce qu'il sait ce qu'il est. Il connait la realite de ses fantasmes. Vous savez qu'il avait fait un disque a la fin des annees soixante, avec une chanson, "Patricia", entree dans le hit parade? Il chantait sous le nom de Claude Celler.
En fait, il parlait sur une musique doucereuse, mais ca plaisait. Son pseudonyme de Celler, il l'utilisait aussi pour une rubrique dans Autopop, mais pas avec le merne prenom: c'etait Jacques, comme Jacques Celler! Voyez-vous, j'aimerais bien le revoir a nouveau, et refaire notre bouffe a trois avec Messegue.
Rael a pris son essor a la suite d'une emission TV de Jacques Chancel, puis a multiple les conferences en France et au Canada, et a multiplie les adeptes. Iis seraient plus de cinquante mille de par le monde. Mais pas un seul a Cermont-Ferrand. Hier apres-midi, deux raeliens lyonnais distribuaient des attiches (imprimees a Caluire) dans les commerces du centre clermontois.
Elles annoucent une conference sur le clonage humain prochainement dans un hotel clermontois.
Un retour en terre sainte en queique sorte, pour tenter de recolter les effets du battage mediatique.
Le faux mage d'Auvergne n'a jamais ete prophete en son pays.
JEAN-JACQUES ARENE
Personne dans la famille n'est raelien
Avant d'etre "elu" par extra-terrestres, Claude Vorilhon, ne a Vichy, a passe son enfance a Ambert, dans le Livradois-Forez. Therese, sa tante agee de 87 ans, s'est souvent occupee de lui. "Mon Claudie, c'est mon poussin, c'est Rael". Volontiers loquace, elle se souvient d'un enfant reveur, tres doux, qui comprenait vite a l'ecole, mais n'en aimait pas les contraintes. (...) Son histoire, je n'y crois pas, vous savez, il a fait ca pour lancer ses livres. Certains font pire pour leur publicite, J'ai lu ses dans la famille n'est raelien, mais nous l'aimons tous. A Ambert aussi, personne n'y croit aux extra-terrestres.
Il est venu me voir regulierement, mais c'est loin le Canada. La derniere fois, cela remonte je crois a 1999. Quand il est la, nous parlons de la famille, de son travail. Mon Claude voulait m'emmener au Canada, mais a mon age, c'est trop tard un tel voyage.
Pour ceux qui ant connu Claude Vorilhon jeune, tout pour sa famille, les deux premiers ouvrages qu'il a publies sant le pur produit de son imagination.
