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 Devil's Bridge, in the north of Finistère, between Plouguerneau and Lannilis, which overlooks Aber Wrac’h and is said to be no less than 2000 years old! A small note: there are many "Devil's Bridges" throughout France and even across Europe with more or less the same legend. Which one is the very first and inspired the others? Perhaps this one...
Once upon a time, in the peaceful village of Prad-Paol (Plouguerneau), there was a miller who lived on the banks of the Aber Wrac'h. Every day, he lamented having to make a long three-kilometer detour to deliver his flour to the inhabitants on the other side, in Lannilis. Tired of these arduous journeys, he began to wish for a solution.
One night, as he voiced his complaints aloud, the Devil appeared before him. The Trickster, always on the lookout for a soul to capture, proposed a deal to the miller:
— I will build a bridge in one night, connecting the two banks of the Aber Wrac'h. In exchange, the first soul to cross this bridge will belong to me.
Desperate and eager to solve his problem, the miller accepted the pact without much thought. The Devil immediately set to work. From dusk till dawn, he worked tirelessly, lifting huge stones and placing them with supernatural precision. The sound of hammer blows echoed through the valley, but no one dared venture outside.
At dawn, the miller woke and headed to the bridge site. What a surprise to see the work completed, the Devil himself giving the final hammer blows to solidify the structure. The construction was imposing and sturdy, ready to be used.
Remembering the contract, the miller devised a trick. He loaded a large sack of flour onto his shoulders but also trapped his cat inside it. Heart pounding, he stepped toward the entrance of the bridge, the sack snug on his back. On the other side, the Devil, watching his arrival, rubbed his hands with satisfaction. "The miller's soul is mine," he thought gleefully.
The miller moved slowly, each step heavy under the weight of his sack. Reaching the middle of the bridge, he stopped, pretending to want to rest. He then discreetly untied the sack, letting the cat escape. The animal, happy to regain its freedom, rushed straight toward the Devil.
The Trickster, furious at being tricked, threw his hammer in rage. The hammer, carried by a supernatural force, landed on the embankment along the road from Lannilis to Lesneven. Since that day, the Devil's Bridge has connected the two banks of the Aber Wrac'h, and the hammer remains a testament to the miller's cleverness in outwitting the Devil.
And so, thanks to his ingenuity, the miller was able to continue his work without detour, while the Devil, humiliated, left without a single soul.
See you next week for another legend!
Additional source: Abers Patrimoine
[bloctwist]
