A land of legends : Broceliande - Brittany

The forest of Paimpont covers 27 square miles. Here is Broceliande, which exists in our dreams, but not on any official map. Meet there Morgan, Vivien le Fey, Lancelot, Merlin the Magician, King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Red schist, granit and quartz, the rock is here over six hundred million years old. Crests of the Valley of No Return [5], deep woodland or moor, rivers or still waters, the landscape is grandiose.

Merlin, the child of a demon and a mortal woman, inherited his father's power which he used to help King Arthur in his search of the Holy Grail. One day, on his way through the forest of Broceliande, he met Vivien near Barenton. They loved each other. Once she had learnt all his secrets, she kept him prisoner for eternity in a cage of thin air. Vivien le Fey still lives in the deep waters of Comper ; the name of Morgan (who held her lovers prisoners for ever in the depths of the valley) is closely linked to the Valley of No Return [2] at the bottom of which lies the Fairies Looking-Glass. [1],[3],[4]. In September 1990, a disastrous fire burnt the Valley of No Return during five days. François Davin's symbolic Golden Tree [7] was created in August 1991 : a gilt chestnut surrounded by five black trees are protected from close approach by a circle of sharp stones.

The church of Trehorenteuc [8] offers a patchwork of Christian faith, celtic tradition and Arthur's legends. Stained-glass windows combine Celtic (triskells, the colour purple as a symbol of harmony, oaks and acorns ...) and Christian symbols. The "Thanksgiving" [9] window shows the Apostles around the Holy Grail, while in "The Appearance of the Holy Grail" [10] the Knights of the Round Table are seated around King Arthur. Among the four paintings in the choir, one [11] represents the Knights of the Round Table with the Grail ; Saint-Orenne, King Judicael's sister, is shown with her family [12] - she chose to live poorly at Trehorenteuc.

This approach of Broceliande is an invitation to discover Trecesson, the Giant's tomb, Vivien's house, the tomb of Merlin, the fountain of Barenton and the many woodland paths [6].

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