Brittany, a land of legends

A LAND OF LEGENDS

THE ROUND TABLE

After Jesus Christ death a disciple of his, Joseph of Arimatea, leave Palestine bringing with him some God's blood drops within the cup where Jesus Christ drunk during the Last Dinner.

He lands in Brittany and stays in the forest of Broceliande (today forest of Paimpont) and then disappears without leaving a trace of him; the precious drinking-cup is lost. During the 6th century king Arthur and 50 knights decide to find is again. For them the Holy Graal is the only way to purify the heart of a warrior. Parceval (the famous Wagner's Parsifal) is the right man. The research of the Graal gave inspiration to tireless adventures that form the cycle of the Round Table (king Arthur and his knights used to meet at a round table so that everyone was on the same importance level).

King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table

Il Sacro Graal / The St. Graal Cup

The Holy Graal Cup

YS: THE LOST TOWN

Around the 6th Century when the King Gradlon ruled, Ys was the capital of Cornwall. According to a breton tradition, the town was so wonderful that the inhabitants of Lutèce, searching a name for their town, chose Par-Ys (that means similar to Ys), the actual capital Paris.

The town was protected from the sea by a dyke and the king brought always in him a golden key to open and close the weirs. His daughter, the nice Dahut, also called Ahès, met the devil that appeared her as an ansom young man. The devil asked her, as love test, to open the weirs to the enraged ocean. Dahut stole the key to his father while he is sleeping and opened the weirs. In a short time the ocean flooded the town. King Gradlon escaped on his horse with the daughter but the waves were going to reach them. A heavenly voice applied to the good King Gradon and ordered him to leave the daughter to the devil. The King, with much regret, obeyed and the ocean subsided immedialtely. But the town of Ys was completely distroyed. The King decided to appoint Quimper as new capital of Cornwall and spent the rest of his life in peace with St. Corentin on his side. A statue of the King was erected in the cathedral of Quimper. Concerning Dahut turned into a siren, became Marie-Morgane and from the deep ocean captures the sailors that are fascinated by her beauty. She will remain siren until a mass will be celebrated in one of the churches of the submerged town a Good Friday. Only then she will take her previous form.

MERLIN THE WIZARD AND VIVIANE THE FAY

One of King Arthur's companions, Merlin the wizard, has arrived in the forest of Broceliande to spent his old age. But here he meets Viviane and the fall in love with each other.

For watching over him, the fay cheats one of his secrets and confines him to a magic circle. It would be easy to free himself, but he accept with happiness this prison of love for the eternity.

Merlin and Viviane

TRISTAN AND ISOTTA

Tristan, prince of Léonois sent to Ireland by his uncle Mark, is coming back with Isotta, that Mark will marrie soon. On the ship Tristan and Isotta drink by mistake a love potion that will join them eternally. Passion upsets them.

Mark, furious for the treason kills Tristan, marries Isotta but dies in his castle in Brittany. Isotta dies too in a short time. This drama of love is celebrated by the Wagner's opera and the book of Joseph Bédier.