As you may know, behind Aeternum lies a small company based in Brittany (in southern Finistère, to be precise). And it is well known that this region lives to the rhythm of legends, myths, and magical practices, more or less well known (Brocéliande, Merlin, the Fairy Viviane, the Alignments, and many others). Thus, to highlight our beautiful region, we will regularly publish little-known legends from Breton history.
According to an ancient Breton legend, the souls of the dead who remain on Earth to atone for their sins are called the Anaon. This group of souls does not merely haunt places: they form a true society of the dead that resides in cemeteries. There, they continue to live while retaining their personalities, affinities, and even their aversions, whether toward other dead people or toward the living. These souls may choose to help or harass those they loved or hated while alive, depending on the feelings they held toward them. At midnight, the members of the Anaon open their eyes and are free to return to their villages or the places dear to their hearts to see their former homes and observe their families. However, they seek neither to frighten the living nor to ask anything of them, because the idea of "atoning for a sin" is entirely absent from the Breton view of the afterlife.
If you have to cross a bank covered in gorse (especially common along the coast), make a little noise to signal your presence to the Anaon and thus avoid disturbing any sorrowful spirits that may be there: they hate being startled!
Know that these souls are perpetually chilled to the bone. It is therefore customary to offer them cooked, hot food or to leave a candle burning in the window to show them your kindness.
The souls of the Anaon gather three times a year: on Christmas Eve (or Yule), on Saint John's Eve (which corresponds to the summer solstice), and on All Saints' Eve (which coincides with Samhain, the ancient Celtic festival of the dead). These moments are especially conducive to their return to the world of the living.
If, during rainy weather, you notice a section of road or path that has remained dry for no apparent reason, it means that the Anaon is present. So you know what behavior to adopt.
See you next week for another legend!
Par Olivier of Aeternum
Passionate about esoteric traditions and the history of the occult from the earliest civilizations to the 18th century, I share some articles on these topics. I am also co-creator of the online esoteric shop Aeternum.
