Le Boudin

"Le boudin" colloquially meant the gear (rolled up in a blanket) that used to be carried atop the backpacks of Legionnaires.

[1] Another hypothesis suggests that because the Legion accepted no Frenchmen (hence the adjective in its name), a Frenchman wishing to join could do so only by pretending to be a (French-speaking) foreigner, a Belgian.

Since a person wishing to remain anonymous and lie about his identity often turned out to be a criminal wanting to evade the law and a prison sentence, and criminals rarely make the best soldiers, the "Belgians" ended up with a bad reputation.

[citation needed] "Le Boudin" is sung while standing to attention or marching by all ranks of the Foreign Legion.

Consequently, the Legion contingent at the Bastille Day military parade march brings up the rear.

Replica of a Legionnaire in 1863. His boudin is draped over the haversack on the floor to the right.
Sausage or boudin that gives the military item its name. Boudins are made in many colors, from off-white to dark reddish-black.