Saints, Legends and Churches

After a few years of acclimatising to the rhythm of life in Brittany, it is relatively easy to become complacent about the community we have settled in.  Fortunately, every now and then something jumps out at you and reminds you not to take for granted the culture you derive so much pleasure from; or the origins of that culture. 

 

It was catching sight of an unidentifiable saint, (there are a great many of them in Brittany) embedded in the wall above a continuous flow of clear water from a spring; that sparked a renewed interest in churches. Where there is a church (or chapel) there is a saint and where there is a saint there is always an embroidered story.

 

As my little dog took a life saving drink at the unidentified saint’s spring after our exploratory walk in the little village of Loguivy-les-Lannion I felt compelled to look more closely at the church.

 

Snuggled in the small neat village is a higgledy-piggledy construction of a 15^th century church which suggests because of the towers a Romanesque influence with a bit of Byzantine thrown in for good measure.

It is in stark contrast to the interior of the church which incorporates an artistically created wooden altar, uniquely depicting the Adoration of the shepherds in Breton dress playing Breton musical instruments.  From that moment on my little dog found her exploratory walks became more frequent.

 

Not all ecclesiastical architecture is confined to villages, an excellent example is found in the foothills of Monts d’Arrée of Menez-Bré. (Menez is mountain in Breton).  The tiny chapel of St Hervé provides a platform from which to appreciate the panorama lying before you which extends to the sea.  Legend speaks of St Hervé as being endowed with the gift of profound intuition and being able to see into the souls of men.  The story goes that his mother prayed her child would never see the cruelty and dishonesty in the world and her prayers were answered; Hervé was born blind. He is depicted in churches with a wolf guiding him through the world of men and his final resting place is beneath this little chapel.

 

At Guingamp (a corruption of the name ‘gingham’) which is said to have been created here, is the 14^th century church of Notre-Dame-de-Bon Secours. An impressive edifice but it is the much smaller separate chapel which houses the irresistible mystery.  The Black Virgin, a beguiling statue whose origin has never been verified and which attracts enormous crowds to a celebration in her honour in July. It is alleged she was brought back from the French Crusades but as this stretches back to the end of the 11^th beginning of the 12^th century an exact date remains debatable.

 

The next walk for my dog does not impress her quite so much as it is in a town; (there is a lack of trees) the second largest in the Côtes-d’Armor to be precise, Lannion.  From a high vantage point overlooking the market town is the church of Brélévenez, a 12^th century church reached by 142 steep steps; formidable for humans and short-legged dogs alike.  It was remodelled in the 15^th century and is currently used as a Catholic place of worship; and that is where another mystery evokes the imagination. Only very recently has it been acknowledged that the church was founded by the Knights Templar, but permission to search for archaeological evidence (suspected of being buried beneath the foundations) has been denied by church officials.  But perhaps it is sufficient to see the Templar’s pulpit inside and the elaborate carvings; that are not those normally associated with the catholic faith, to satisfy the thirst for intrigue.  

 

Intrepidly, my dog and I head north into Finistère, to ‘Fools Wood’ (Le Folgöet), where amidst a small rural community rises an enormous church; as imposing inside as it is outside.  Every year here in Le Folgöet, is held one of the largest ‘Pardons’ in Brittany due to a miraculous legend that has been handed down through the centuries.

 

It refers to Salaün (Solomon) who as a youth was treated rather unkindly by the villagers and referred to as the village idiot. Where the church now stands was once a forest where poor Salaün spent his life; begging for food and drinking water from a local spring.  He could barely speak more than a few words but would say over and over “Hail, Lady Virgin Mary.”

 

It was only after Salaün died in 1384 that the villagers recognised his true value when a white lily grew where he was buried bearing a Latin inscription in gold; Ave Maria.  News of the extraordinary lily reached the ears of Duke Jean IV, who consequently built a chapel on the site in his memory.  Happily, because of the miracle Salaün qualified to be made a saint; albeit rather late in the day.  It is thanks to Duchess Anne that a refurbishment was carried out on the modest chapel resulting in the addition of a fine bell tower and a rood screen of solid granite.

 

It isn’t necessary to be religious to appreciate the architecture of the churches and chapels of Brittany and their related history. These buildings are found without many exceptions, in every village; providing an opportunity to delve not only into ecclesiastical aspects but also into tangible links to a religious and superstitious past.

 

What better way to gain a better understanding of how history has shaped Brittany; and exercise mans (and woman’s) best friend at the same time?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

[lavenderbongo]

I think you should add a picture of your four legged companion. Otherwise very interesting!