Broceliande July 12

The University classes met in the wild on Thursday July 12 to visit the sites of Arthurian legend in Brittany, a topic of special interest to me. We dressed for a day of rugged hiking in the unseasonable chill and welcomed the stop for hot coffee in the town of Paimpont where we picked up our storytelling guide for the day. I nosed around the abbey, transported as usual by the realization that it was first built in the 7th century, with 12th and 16th century additions and renovations. A former forest brigand, Gueslin, held sway in the 11th century.


We made a photo stop at the Chateau de Trécesson, a 14th to 15th century fortified manor built during the war of succession in Bretagne by the Duc Jean IV on the site of a 6th century castle, complete with water filled moat. There is a legend of the White Lady who appears to believers, stemming from the story of a young girl killed by her brothers in the field beside the castle, buried alive for her alleged transgressions.

The 12th century Arthurian myths are based on the 5th century figure, who wielded enough power to hold at bay the Saxon incursions into England and then to take the battle to the Saxons on the continent. The stories weave heroes into the mystery of local phenomena, like the Fountain of Barenton, said to be the threshold of Merlin’s home. The mystery of this small spring is the contrast of its exceptionally cold water with the periodic release of bubbles from under the surface, giving it the appearance of boiling. I imagine the Science Babe could explain the phenomenon, but I can see why the locals turned to legend. There is a group of small school children with their teachers waiting their turn to see the fountain as we hike on.


The smallest church of the region boasts a décor and a modern tradition that blend the early Celtic, the Christian, and the Arthurian into an amazing whole. In order to get the troublemaker of a young ecclesiastic out of the way, the church sent Abbé Gillard to this backwater parish in 1942, where he served until his death in 1979. He oversaw the restoration of the little church built to honor Saint Onenne, a 7th century martyr, with paintings and stained glass windows that combined images of the last supper with the Round Table and the Grail. One corner of the front window makes a political statement: the bunny is shushing to indicate a secret beside the shield symbolizing Bretagne with 5 departments, though the southern one was governmentally assigned to a different province. The tourist traffic to the little church has increased exponentially, and tours troop through regularly. Only the most sacramental services are held here now, such as local weddings or baptisms. Local believers attend weekly services at a nearby community church.

When we settle beside a still pool to hear the story of the fairy sisters who chose to live under water rather than compete in the world of men, I catch sight of one of the school children stooping pensively by the seven sisters pond, a young Arthur awaiting the guidance of his Merlin.

My fellow French teacher/students, Christina, a Brazilian, and Stella, a Nigerian, are enrolled in the didactic classes rather than the linguistic and culture track that I chose, so we find each other at lunch and enjoy this day together. The camaraderie of this international group is priceless, though all are worn out. The pensive portraits are my Czech classmates Katerina and Alana, Spaniard Anna, and Villanova student, Dan.