The Golden Tree of Brocéliande

As you may know, behind Aeternum is a small business based in Brittany (specifically in the south of Finistère). It is well known that this region lives to the rhythm of legends, myths, and magical practices, some more or less known (Brocéliande, Merlin, the Fairy Viviane, the Alignments, and many others). Thus, to highlight our beautiful region, we will regularly publish lesser-known legends from Breton history.

Let’s discover together the legend of the Golden Tree, located in the heart of the Brocéliande forest. A small clarification though: the Golden Tree really exists and is a work by the artist François Davin, who covered a tree with a very particular shape in gold leaves to celebrate the forest’s rebirth. Indeed, following several successive fires, more than 250 hectares of this legendary land were destroyed. Thanks to the Val sans Retour protection association, more than 500,000 trees have been replanted.

But this tree was not chosen at random, as a legend surrounds it...

It is said that deep in the Val sans Retour, a mysterious tree bore golden leaves every night. These precious leaves, shimmering under the moon, were harvested at dawn by the Brocéliande elves. These fairy inhabitants used the golden leaves to make a magical ointment capable of healing wounded and sick trees in the forest, thus preserving the enchanted balance of this sacred place.

One day, a young local girl got lost in the thick Paimpont forest. Wandering in the darkness, she saw a golden glow coming from a tree. Drawn by this fascinating light, she approached and, out of curiosity, touched the shining bark of the Golden Tree. A terrible curse then fell upon her, instantly transforming her into a black, motionless, and dark tree.

Her friends, who went looking for her, followed her tracks to the Val sans Retour. Seeing the black tree where Henriette had disappeared, they embraced it hoping to save her. Unfortunately, they too fell victim to the curse and turned into black trees, forming a dark guard around the Golden Tree.

At dawn, as usual, the Brocéliande elves came to harvest the golden leaves. Discovering the five black trees surrounding the Golden Tree, they were struck with astonishment. When they tried to touch one of the trees, a new curse turned them into stones, frozen for eternity around the site.

Since that day, the Golden Tree has been protected by the five black trees and the standing stones, forming a barrier as mysterious as it is formidable. The tree with the shining trunk continues to attract walkers and the curious, but a warning remains: beware those who come too close, they risk suffering the same fate...

Additional source: Ille et Vilaine Tourism