As you may know, behind Aeternum is a small business based in Brittany (in the south of 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 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. This week, we explore the well-known symbol of Brittany: the ermine.
Duchess Anne of Brittany loved to roam the forests and moors of her duchy. One day, while hunting near Vannes (it should be noted that before Rennes, Vannes was the capital of the Kingdom of Brittany), she spotted a small ermine of very pure white fleeing before the dogs. Agile and fast, the creature leapt between brambles and stones, refusing to be caught.
But soon, the ermine found itself cornered, in front of a puddle of black mud. It stopped dead. Rather than soil its immaculate fur by crossing the puddle, it turned around, with a proud look, and waited for the dogs, ready to die.
Anne, moved by this silent courage, stopped the hunt with a gesture. For her, the animal embodied a nobility far greater than that of men.
—Better to die than to soil oneself, she whispered.
Thus, the ermine became the symbol of Brittany. Anne made it her personal emblem, accompanied by a motto that has remained famous: « Kentoc'h mervel eget bezañ saotret » — Better death than dishonor, a phrase well known by the Bretons.
Even today, the ermine adorns many coats of arms but also, and above all, the Breton flag, recalling the story of this pure and fearless animal, and the moment when a duchess saw in it the very image of honor.
