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.
This week, we will talk about a rather little-known legend that takes place in Brocéliande and tells the story of a lady who even discouraged the devil himself...
Seven kilometers northeast of Guer lies the old castle of La Loyère, located in the commune of Loutehel, on the edge of the Brocéliande forest. Once, this imposing castle, surrounded by ponds and protected by moats and a drawbridge, was the lair of lords feared by their neighbors. Their misdeeds were many, notably the kidnapping of women and young girls from nearby villages, who, once taken to the castle, never reappeared.
The last descendant of this cursed lineage was a cruel and selfish marchioness. Known for tormenting her servants, she preferred to throw her harvests into the ponds rather than give them to the poor. At her death, the devil himself is said to have come to fetch her, but overwhelmed by her wicked soul, he rejected her back to Earth without claiming his due. It was then that the castle was haunted by this creature, first called the beast of La Loyère, which made the place uninhabitable.
Each night, she spread terror by galloping through the rooms, abducting sleepers to plunge them into the ponds before bringing them back chilled to their beds. When the castle was abandoned, its inhabitant turned to the villagers, wandering the paths and sometimes entering houses at dusk. Although the inhabitants often managed to drive her away, she took revenge by mistreating the children.
With the renovation of the castle, the beast deserted the place towards the heart of Brocéliande, becoming wilder, showing itself only at nightfall. It prowled at the crossroads, leading herds astray and attacking careless travelers. Most often, only its nose was seen... or rather a snout, a beak, or a mouth, and sometimes it appeared in the form of a beautiful mare, tempting tired travelers to ride it. But anyone who succumbed to this temptation was immediately taken to the nearest body of water, and it was even better if there was mud. Since then, and according to the few witnesses, it was renamed La Belle Jeannette. A pretty name for a creature that would make the korrigans look like little angels!
