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.
Let’s discover together the legend of the Treasure of the Mountain, which takes place in the Monts d'Arrée. This legend comes from the collection Legends of the Argoat by Bernard de Parades.
The Roch Trévezel, on the heights of the Monts d’Arrée, overlooks the lands between Cornouaille and Léon (an old Breton principality around Brest). With its reddish grasses and sharp rocks, it watches over the moors and wooded slopes descending towards the villages. For the ancient Bretons, Roch' Trévezel is a mysterious and magical rock.
Roch' Trévezel opens every 1100 years. Inside the mountain, in a deep cave, lives an old wooden saint called Ar Santig Koz. You can get anything you wish by rubbing the top of its head and making a wish. But to take this wooden artifact out of its cave, you must come accompanied by a boy who is celebrating his 11th birthday on the day the mountain opens.
An old man, wanting to discover the truth, went to the mountain with a young boy who was exactly 11 years old on that day. When the clock of the Plounéour-Ménez bell tower struck 11:00, the rock opened, the old man sent the child in, who entered alone into a large room filled with beautiful apples. But he did not find the saint.
— Let’s go further, said the boy to himself.
He entered a second room with even more beautiful apples. Unable to resist, he ate one, then another, until the clock struck noon. The rock slammed shut with a crash, and the boy was trapped for 1100 years, able only to eat the apples.
Days passed and the pile of apples diminished. One day, he found a strangely carved piece of wood.
— Here is the "old saint", he said, rubbing the head of the wood.
A voice coming from the wood asked:
— Child, what do you want?
— Santig Koz, let’s leave this cave and look at the sun from the summit of Roch Trévezel.
In an instant, the boy found himself on the summit with the old wooden saint.
Thanks to the powers of Santig Koz, he had a magical life: he had a castle built filled with luxurious furniture and had a carriage pulled by 12 horses. This allowed him to go to Paris, where he met the king of France. Impressed by the young man’s wealth, the king offered him to marry his daughter.
The princess was surprised, on their wedding night, to see her husband place an old worm-eaten piece of wood in their room.
— This old piece of wood, explained the young man, is a Breton saint who has accompanied me here, a saint I respect and venerate.
After many years, the boy grew old, after a life of wonders. Feeling his death approaching, he went one last time to the entrance of the cave, at the agreed time, which opened.
Thanking the Santig Koz, he threw with all his strength the piece of wood back inside the cave, as if to allow it to finally return home... until the next curious visitor.
[bloctwist]
