The Korrigans of Brittany
In Brittany, people said small, wild beings danced around the standing stones at night. Join their dance, and you might never stop.
What was reported
Korrigans are fairy beings of Breton folklore, sometimes tiny and ugly, sometimes beautiful, who live near springs, dolmens and menhirs. At night they dance in circles around the old stones, singing.
In a well-known tale, a hunchback passing their dance added a line to their endless song, 'Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday', and in thanks they took away his hump. When a greedy neighbour tried the same trick and spoiled the song, they gave him the hump as well.
Explanations offered
Korrigans are part of Brittany's rich Celtic folklore, linked to the region's thousands of prehistoric stones. Their tales are still told, and they appear in Breton festivals and souvenirs.
- When
- Told for centuries
- Where
- Huelgoat Forest, Finistère, 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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