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Abstract
The Complainte de Louisbourg, collected from oral tradition around Chéticamp, is often considered a local Acadian composition evoking the capitulation of Louisbourg in the 18th century. Based on the analysis of various known versions of this ballad, this article challenges this idea by arguing that it was inspired by an earlier song circulating in Europe about the siege of the German city of Philippsbourg. Beyond the case of Louisbourg, the article examines the multiple variations of siege songs, their role in the elaboration of shared military cultures, and the memorial legacy they have left in the francophone oral tradition.
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