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 head to Côtes-d'Armor.
On a calm night, while the stars reflected in the dark waters of the Douron, an old man from Plestin was walking along the riverbank. Nothing distinguished this evening from any other, except for the silhouette of a young woman sitting by the water’s edge, her gaze lost in the current. Intrigued, he approached and started a conversation.
She told him she came from Lanmeur, a village struck hard by the plague, where life seemed to have vanished. Then, in a soft voice, she asked if he would carry her on his shoulders to help her cross the river. Without hesitation, and out of simple kindness, the old man agreed.
He lifted her and stepped into the water. But as he moved forward, the weight of the young woman grew heavier and heavier. Each step seemed more difficult, and the current, which had been peaceful until then, began to swirl around him. Soon, his legs buckled under the load. Panting, he stopped and whispered, exhausted:
— I'm sorry, but I can't go any further… I don’t want to drown for you.
The young woman, disappointed but resigned, looked at him and calmly replied:
— In that case, take me back to where you found me.
The old man turned back, and strangely, the closer he got to the shore, the lighter the burden became. When he finally reached the bank, the young woman gently jumped to the ground, thanked him with a smile, and then disappeared into the darkness.
It was only later that the elders of the land understood the truth. This woman was none other than a groach’, one of those fairies from Breton folklore, sometimes benevolent, sometimes fearsome. It is said that if the old man had continued to the other shore, the evil she carried would have sunk with her, and the whole world would have been freed from the plague forever. But by bringing her back to where she came from, he saved Lannion from the scourge… at the cost of the plague’s survival in the rest of the world.
So, if one day, by the riverbank, a stranger asks you to help her cross the water, think carefully. Your choice could weigh far more than you imagine.
Source: Port d'Attache
