The Ankou of Brittany
In Brittany, death has a servant: a gaunt figure with a scythe and a creaking cart, gathering up the souls of the dead along the lanes at night.
What was reported
The Ankou is a figure of Breton folklore, a tall, thin man, or a skeleton, in a wide hat and a long cloak, with a scythe. He drives a cart pulled by thin horses, and its creaking at night is said to warn that someone in the neighbourhood will die.
Each parish has its own Ankou: the last person to die in a year takes the role for the next. His figure is carved in old churches, such as at La Roche-Maurice, where he holds an arrow and the inscription says, 'I kill you all.'
Explanations offered
The Ankou combines Christian images of death with older Celtic beliefs. He's a reminder of death in a region that had a rich tradition of death and mourning. Similar figures appear in Cornwall and Wales.
- When
- Told for centuries
- Where
- La Roche-Maurice, Brittany, France
- Witnesses
- Breton folklore
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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