The Drowned City of Ys
A great Breton city was said to lie behind sea walls with a single gate, until the key was stolen and the sea poured in.
What was reported
Ys was a legendary city on the coast of Brittany, said to be the most beautiful in the world, built below the level of the sea and protected by a dyke with a single gate. King Gradlon kept the key on a chain around his neck.
In the legend, his daughter Dahut stole the key and opened the gate, and the sea flooded the city. Gradlon escaped on horseback, and Ys was lost beneath the waves, often said to lie in the Bay of Douarnenez.
Explanations offered
There's no archaeological evidence that Ys existed. The legend may preserve memories of real coastal flooding and rising seas, like other drowned-city tales along Europe's Atlantic coast. Fishermen in the bay are said to hear its church bells on calm days.
- When
- Breton legend
- Where
- Bay of Douarnenez, Brittany, France
- Witnesses
- Breton tradition
- 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.