Whispers of the Past: Unveiling Quercy’s Enchanting Myths and Legends
It’s amazing when you get to visit a new place. Tick off all the big sites, leave out a couple that look less interesting. We know the deal. But it doesn’t end there. The best part of visiting a new place is when you get the authentic experience. How do the local live? What is life REALLY like here. What’s the history of the area? That’s where we’re going today.
I’m not talking about boring, general history stuff full of dates and spin-offs of tales about world wars, farming and local politics. Let’s dive into the creative stuff. Myths and legends, enigmas, proper stories!
The Devil at the Bridge of Valentré
This story is probably my favorite of the bunch. If you’ve been on a workshop with us then you’re probably familiar with it!
Once upon a time, in the charming land of the Quercy, where vineyards whispered tales of ancient days, there stood the illustrious Bridge of Valentré. But this wasn’t your average picturesque bridge—it had a devilish secret.
Legend has it that when the bridge was under construction in the 14th century, the builders faced a devilish dilemma. After multiple failed attempts, the frustrated architects decided to strike a deal with the devil himself. Classic negotiation tactic, right?
Now, the devil, being a shrewd bargainer, agreed to lend a hand, but with a mischievous catch. He demanded the soul of the first living being to cross the bridge in exchange for his diabolical engineering expertise. Little did he know that the clever locals had a trick up their medieval sleeves.
In a cunning move worthy of a French farce, they sent a sly cat as the inaugural bridge-crosser. Fuming with fury, the devil had no choice but to uphold his end of the bargain, snatching the soul of the unsuspecting feline.
To this day, the devilish sculpted figures on the Bridge of Valentré serve as a reminder of this cheeky caper. So, next time you find yourself strolling across this historic masterpiece, remember to thank the clever Quercy residents who outwitted the devil and turned their bridge into a legendary tale with a purr-fectly amusing twist!
There’s also a second version of this story. Supposedly, the architect in question made a deal with the devil for his soul in exchange for the completion of the bridge. At the end of his works, the architect technically didn’t finish the bridge, thus outwitting the devil and keeping his soul. I’ll let you decide which version you like better. (I can’t hold myself back, so i’m going to say it… Multiple versions of the same story… Sounds similar to something else… right? haha!)
Whilst we are talking about devils i’m going to permit myself to go off on a tangent and tell you about The Devil of Padirac. (If you want to read more about Padirac Cave, you can do so here).
This breathtaking chasm (Padirac Cave) in the surrounding limestone rock has long been associated with the devil. Put it this way, what other logical conclusion could you come to? It was found during an epoch where religious and mystical beliefs were all the rage. Padirac cave was literally associated with the gates of hell and was colloquially known as ‘The Devil’s Hole’.
The locals played into this suggestion subconsciously. Animals (wild and domesticated) would regularly fall into the cave and farmers would even throw dead animals in there. What did that mean? A horrible smell. Big black crows. Vultures. Talk about accentuating the mythology of the place!
Saint Namphaise and His Lakes
Namphaise, companion of Charlemagne (end of the 8th century), tired of wars and battles, took refuge on the Quercy plateaus to live as a hermit. Prayers, a life of solitude and austerity… To fill his days, he follows traditional Monk teachings by dividing his day between prayer and manual labour. His poison of choice was the brutal work of helping the locals deal with the severe droughts on the Quercy plateau. He then began to dig water reserves into the rock, “lakes” which, with God’s help, would never dry up. Naturally, the devil, jealous, gets involved. While old Namphaise is still digging a lake he is brutally attacked by a bull that was enraged by the devil. (Another visit from the devil… There’s a pattern emerging).
Even mortally wounded, Namphaise remains supported by God: he throws his hammer which falls several kilometers away at Caniac-du-Causse, thus marking the place where the hermit wishes to be buried. The shrine containing the remains of the holy hermit is still visible in this crypt. It is said that a woman who cannot have children must pass under the shrine: she will then be able to give birth. Likewise, holy relics are said to cure epileptics of their illness…
So there’s a couple of stories for you, let’s call it an appetiser. The Quercy and the Perigord are full of stories like this. Each place we visit has its own tales and it’s amazing to watch artists incorporate this into their works. Creativity is a beautiful thing!
Part 2 soon? Let me know if that’s something that might interest you.
This is fun! Looking forward to learning more.