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63-572: The Tarasque is a creature from French mythology . According to the Golden Legend , the beast had a lion-like head, a body protected by turtle-like carapace(s), six feet with bear-like claws, a serpent's tail, and could expel a poisonous breath. Medieval iconography such as renditions in church sculpture did not necessarily conform to this description in the earlier Gothic period , and examples which seemed to were later assigned later, 14th century dates. The six-footed, turtle-shelled tarasque

126-425: A "hussy". A 19th-century dictionary defines the tarasca as a "crooked, ugly, lewd, and impudent woman", and the word is known to have been used in the sense of "ugly old woman" in the 16th century. A pre-Christian Celtic origin for the legend has been proposed, and endorsed by some writers. French archeologist Isidore Gilles proposed the pre-Christian pagan origins for the legend of the tarasque, and connected with

189-429: A "monstrous dragon, whose torso is assembled from hoops covered with a painted sheet metal, and whose back is made using a huge shield to imitate a turtle's carapace. The paws are clawed, the tail scaly and several times curved, the head is like a bull and a lion. A gaping mouth reveals several rows of teeth". The wooden hull described in 1818 required eight men to carry, the metallic version needed 12 men. The tarasque of

252-505: A bridge between people and nature. The Gallo-Romans believed that some natural features had their own deities. Some of these deities, are still revered under Christianised names, like the nymph of the Breton shore, who is still venerated under the name of Saint Anne. Many of these local deities were drawn from the old Celtic pantheon , and influenced by the Roman deities . The Gauls worshiped

315-423: A bull, longer than a horse, it had the face and head of a lion, teeth sharp as swords, the mane of a horse, a back that was hatchet-sharp with bristly scales keen as augers, six feet with bear-like claws, the tail of a serpent, and a double shield/carapace, like a tortoise's, on each side. This description is said to "correspond rather closely" to 17th and 18th century iconography in paintings and woodcuts and to

378-428: A church or shrine to ask for forgiveness for sins, and ends with a large meal celebrated by all the penitents. The Franks were a group of Germanic people who found their mythological and spiritual origins in pre-Christian Germanic Paganism. They invaded Gaul in the 4th and 5th centuries, and became the dominant force in the region of present-day France and Western Germany. In 358 CE, Rome was forced to relinquish some of

441-507: A cluster of megaliths in the north western village of Carnac in Brittany. The megaliths were probably built by either Celtic or pre-Celtic peoples, between the Bronze and Iron Ages . There are more than 3,000 types of megaliths in the cluster including the dolmen , a large rock, supported by smaller stones; and the menhir , a monolith set up on the end of a single stone which is buried in

504-400: A figure of speech, that "its eyes glare sulfurously". One source (Abbé François Canéto) has Raban Maur stating that the poison breath shot out of the tarasque's nostrils in thick vapours. The Tarasque is featured on the coat of arms of Tarascon , and here too, the beast/dragon is depicted as devouring a human, at least in later versions of the seal. In 11th or 12th century seals of the city,

567-587: A fortress, built on the site of the Roman town of Tarascon to monitor the border of the County of Provence . After the destruction perpetrated in 1399 by the bands of Raymond de Turenne  [ fr ] , the Anjou family decided to rebuild it entirely. The construction of the current castle of Tarascon was started in 1401 by Louis II of Anjou . The construction was continued by his first son, Louis III of Anjou , and

630-569: A great diversity of myths and legends which survive across contemporary France. Gallia, etymologically distinct from Gaul though in common parlance used interchangeably, was the name given to contemporary France by the Romans , and comprised land from the Mediterranean coast of France to the Pyrenees . Gaul was inhabited by several ethnic groups, mostly descendant from Celtic peoples, known as

693-401: A second festival was held on 29 July, the feast-day of Saint Martha. In former days, the effigy of the tarasque was paraded through the streets twice a year, and a maiden portraying St. Martha escorting the tarasque held it by the leash (or a white ribbon) in one hand. In the modern day ( post-World War II ), the festival came to be held annually on the last Sunday of June, to tell the tale of

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756-487: Is a ringed tail, and does turns upright as can be verified in facsimile sketch of the sculpture printed by Faillon. Some modern-day authors have gone a step further, claiming the tarasque's tail ended in a scorpion sting. Or rather, the tail terminated in a ( cock 's) spur  [ fr ] according to writer Jean-Paul Clébert . There has also been past comment that the tail should end in an arrowhead 's shape, according to tradition. The pseudo-Raban speaks at length of

819-425: Is also a fourth variant Latin account, a "Life of St. Mary Magdalene and her sister St. Martha" ( Vita Beatae Mariae Magdalenae et sororis ejus Sanctae Marthae ) with somewhat divergent content from the other three, whose authorship had formerly been credited to Raban Maur (d. 856 AD), but since rejected as a false attribution, being the work of an unknown author perhaps as early as the late 12th century, or as late as

882-400: Is now the town Tarascon (then called Nerluc or 'black place'), but lurked in the river and attacked the men trying to cross it, sinking boats. The creature was described a dragon, half animal, half fish, thicker than an ox, longer than a horse, with "sword-like teeth". The Tarasque ( Latin : Tarasconus ) was said to have come from Galatia , a cross-breed between the biblical Leviathan and

945-547: Is one of the statues of the Corpus Christi procession , paraded through a number of Spanish cities, and elsewhere throughout the Iberian peninsula, for example, the cities of Granada , Toledo , and Valencia , and the city of Madrid . The first record of the tarasca legend in the peninsula comes from Seville in the year 1282, shortly after the reconquista of the city in the mid-13th century. The Spanish version

1008-488: Is supposed to represent Anne Boleyn . Historically in the city of Seville, it was originally a young boy called a tarasquillo (rather than a modeled figure) who was seated atop the processional dragon. But in 1637 the boy was replaced by a well-adorned woman, and in 1639 it was prescribed that she should be an ugly old woman. The word tarasca has entered the Spanish vocabulary in the sense of an ill-natured woman, or

1071-457: Is tinged with misogynistic elements, or rather repudiations against biblical and historical temptresses, with statues and statuettes of such female figures (called " tarasquillas ") surmounted on top of the tarasca dragon. The figure atop the Granada dragon is a life-size doll resembling a retail store mannequin , and the tiny blonde-hair figurine set atop the papier-mâché tarasca of Toledo

1134-468: The tarasco in a popular song attributed to King René of Anjou: Lagadigadèu, la Tarasco, la Tarasco Lagadigadèu, la Tarasco dóu castèu Leissas-la passa la vièio masco, Leissas-la passa que vai dansa. Lagadigadèu, The tarasque, The tarasque Lagadigadèu, The tarasque of the Chateau Let her go by, The old witch Let her go by, For she's going to dance! It later became established that

1197-537: The Gallic tribes . These Gallic tribes developed distinct forms of Gallo-Roman culture after the Roman sacking of Gaul in the second century. The first settlers inhabited modern day Brittany, and the mythology of the northernmost Gallic tribes, including werewolves and other mischwesen , survive in lais from Medieval manuscripts. Between the 3rd and 7th century, Germanic migrants began to settle in Roman-Gaul. As

1260-586: The Gauls , Franks , Normans , Bretons , and other peoples living in France , those ancient stories about divine or heroic beings that these particular cultures believed to be true and that often use supernatural events or characters to explain the nature of the universe and humanity. French myth has been primarily influenced by the myths and legends of the Gauls (or Celts ) and the Bretons as they migrated to

1323-483: The jeu de Tarasque would commence at Pentecost and continue to the feast day of Saint Martha on July 29, or the festival was held on those two days as two acts. By the 20th century, the tarasque effigy used in Tarascon was mounted on a wheeled cart, which are dragged or pulled by persons known as Tarascaïres , and these attendants of the tarasque could intermittently break off and engage in dance ( farandole ). In

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1386-569: The 2nd day of Pentecost, a grotesque wooden likeness of the dragon, or the Tarasque, is carried through the city; it resembles a turtle; it consists of a wooden framework covered with wax canvas , painted apple-green, with gilded hooks and thorns on its back". A tarasque used in the jeu de tarasque during the Pentecostal festival is described by the Count of Villeneuve in 1826, as an effigy of

1449-479: The 3rd century, the Gauls worshiped many Roman deities like Mercury and Mars, and some uniquely Gallo-Roman Gods, like Teutates and Dea Matrona . Many of the Roman deities may have been worshiped under different names, though most records of Gallic religions were written by Romans like Julius Caesar and hence these names are unknown. Individual households and tribes had their own gods and goddesses, who served as

1512-476: The Bretons included Werewolves also feature heavily in the mythology of Brittany. Brittons believed werewolves to be men condemned to transform into wolves as punishment for sins. Superstition regarding werewolves may have stemmed from a fear of cannibalism among early residents of Brittany, but fears about the existence of werewolves continued into the 16th century. Werewolves appear in many Breton lais, including

1575-646: The Celts and the Romans, and the influx of Christianity from Britain. Much of Brittany's folklore, including the Gallo-Roman deities and mythical figures, were preserved in lais; short style of poetry popular in the High Middle Ages which discuss values of chivalry, the role of the mythical in the lives of regular people, and they deal primarily with matters of love. The lais of Marie de France were some of

1638-713: The French region from modern day England and Ireland. Other smaller influences on the development of French mythology came from the Franks . Until March 1790, France was divided into 34 provinces which existed independently of each other. All provinces operated under the regime of the King, but there was no national citizenship or holistic nation state. Most provinces were settled by several different racial groups. As such, most provinces developed their own unique mythological beliefs and customs. These historic geographic divisions have led to

1701-561: The Gallic tribes. Druids were the educated classes among Celtic and Gallo-Roman culture, having knowledge about nature , astronomy , literature , and the law . Druids were unable to record any of their knowledge in written form, but records from Julius Caesar survive, giving details of Druidic rituals. Caesar writes that Druids were responsible for conducting both human and animal sacrifices for those who were sick or at risk of dying in battle. Druids constructed wicker statues and images in which

1764-521: The Gauls in the French region began to change due to Roman influence. Traditional Celtic Paganism draws on the deities of the Celtic pantheon, an extensive grouping of gods and goddesses traditionally worshiped in Celtic lands, and acknowledges the supernatural within the natural environment. As the Roman Empire began to expand, many Celtic beliefs and practices merged with the beliefs of the Romans. By

1827-514: The German pantheon, some gods borrowed from the Nordic pantheon, or the "Allfadir," a central, all-knowing deity, the many Frankish tribes worshiped separate gods. These tribalistic gods were not worshiped or feared outside their tribes. Cults of Wodan (sometimes referred to Ođinn), and Cults of Nerthus were common among the central Frankish tribes, while Cults of Yngvi were common among tribes along

1890-719: The North Sea. The process of converting the Pagan Franks to Chalcedonian Christianity began between the late 5th century and early 6th century. It began with the baptism of the wife of Clovis I , the first king to unite all of the Frankish tribes under one ruler. His wife, Clotilde, converted to Chalcedonian Christianity in approximately 500 CE and then convinced Clovis I to be baptised into Chalcedonian Christianity in 508 CE. During his reign, King Clovis I encouraged many Frankish tribes to begin practicing Christianity, weakening

1953-597: The Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity . The legend of the Tarasque probably arose in Provence, France, from early to late 12th century. The legend is recorded in several sources, but especially in the story of St. Martha in the Golden Legend ( Legenda aurea ), which was "the most influential". In Provence , France , the monster allegedly inhabited the forested banks of the Rhône between Arles and Avignon, around what

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2016-442: The Tarasque, as well as Tartarin, the main character of Alphonse Daudet 's Tartarin de Tarascon . The tarasque paraded through the streets once changed from a wooden prop painted green to a metallic contraption in the early 19th century. Aubin-Louis Millin (1808) described the tarasque effigy as wooden, and consisting of hoops covered in painted cloth. German writer Christian Friedrich Mylius (1818) elaborated that "Every year on

2079-546: The Western-Roman empire began to collapse, the German migrants who would become known as the Franks began to exercise their influence over the west of France. The Franks shared many of the customs and superstitions with other Germanic peoples, and spread many of their nature rituals and beliefs across western France. After the sacking of Gaul by the Romans in the 2nd century, the spiritual and mythological practices of

2142-657: The beast to the villagers who cast rocks and spears at it until it died. The account of St. Martha and the tarasque in the Golden Legend ("LA") roughly correspond to the versions of the legend found in the pseudo-Marcella ("V"), and in Vincent de Beauvais 's Speculum historiale ("SH"). are near contemporaneous works (late 12th and 13th century), with the pseudo-Marcella probably being the oldest, and dating "between 1187 and 1212 or 1221". The three texts LA, SH, and V are similar in content with only modest variations. There

2205-423: The festival of 1846 concealed four porters inside, and the one in 1861 needed six men. The head could be manipulated by a person inside, making the effigy's jaws open or close; from out of its nostrils fuses or rockets were made to poke out and ignited so it issued fiery sparks. During the festival, while the huge effigy of the Tarasque is carried through the streets, there are shouted the traditional cries for

2268-424: The ground. The folkloric significance of these stones is unclear though they probably functioned as outdoor altars or open-air temples for rituals involved in the practicing of Celtic Paganism. Dolmens and menhirs may also mark the tombs of significant leaders in tribal groups, like chiefs, priests, or celebrated warriors. The Middle Ages was a period of transition between the various Pagan traditions influenced by

2331-408: The hold that Roman legend had on the Franks. He influenced the mass adoption of Chalcedonian Christianity at the collapse of the Roman empire, which encouraged the unification of the Frankish tribes under the rule of Clovis. King Clovis I managed to mostly phase out the practicing of Germanic Paganism in the Frankish land during his reign. Ch%C3%A2teau de Tarascon The present castle replaced

2394-466: The lais of Marie de France, one of the most well-known authors of Old French lais in the 12th century. Werewolves appear in Marie de France's lai ‘ Bisclavret ’ which tells the story of a man who transforms into a werewolf, referred to as a bisclavret in the story, when he removes his clothing. Marie de France's work likely draws heavily from existing pre-existing mythology and can be used to understand how

2457-522: The land they held in Gaul, allowing the Franks to expand their territory into Gaul. By 480 CE, the Franks held firmly to the western part of France. Early Frank mythology found its roots in Germanic paganism, and the Franks would have probably worshiped gods from a German pantheon , but may have placed emphasis on the fertility gods . The German pantheon is likely to have had three central figures; Thor ,

2520-472: The legendary Onachus (or onacho, or bonacho ) of Galatia, this onachus being a creature that retaliated against pursuers by flinging its dung ( Latin : stercus ) like an arrow, and causing burns. The people besought Saint Martha for help, and she found the creature in the act of devouring a man. Merely by sprinkling holy water and holding up the cross, she caused the creature to become submissive and obedient. She then tied her girdle (to its neck), leading

2583-517: The main gods of the Roman pantheon, observing rituals related to Mercury , Apollo , Mars , Jupiter , and Minerva . Gallo-Romans regarded Mercury as the creator of the Arts, and the God ruling over trade, commerce, and communication. Apollo was believed to protect the Gauls from disease, Minerva was the goddess of wisdom and practical life arts, Jupiter was able to control the sun, moon, and weather, and Mars

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2646-403: The mid-14th century, though earlier commentators, such as Faillon who supplied detailed drawings of the capital, considered it to be an example of early Gothic art from the 11th century. The festival of the tarasque was initiated on April 14, 1474, during Pentecost in Tarascon, at the behest of René of Anjou , in order to amuse his citizens with a reenactment of St. Martha's miracle. Later,

2709-415: The modern-day effigy. Even the turtle-like carapaces ( Latin : parmae "shields") is attested in this c. 1200 piece of writing, even though some commentators ventured it to be a 15th-century addition, created out of expedience to conceal the men carrying the beast's effigy paraded through town for the Pentecostal festivities. The head has later been described as being similar to a bull and a lion or having

2772-415: The monster is often depicted devouring people. There are also depictions in architecture. The aforementioned sculpture once incorporated into the right side exterior of Église Sainte-Marthe de Tarascon purportedly dated to the 11th century, and counted as the oldest representation recorded. This sculpture of the tarasque depicted the beast in the act of devouring a human, in typical fashion. This tarasque

2835-464: The most influential and provided insight into many of Brittany's folkloric beliefs in the Middle Ages. Prominent figures of Celtic Paganism feature heavily in Breton lais. Many sprites, fairies, and demons populate the belief system of the Celts and were important figures in the communication of moral lessons and the explanation of unknown phenomena in Brittany. Such figures who were important to

2898-400: The most powerful god who rules the air and sea, Wodan , god of war, and Fricco god of peace. The Frankish people probably worshiped the deities of the German pantheon through the construction of altars and practicing of nature-based rituals in forest glens or beside lakes. It is believed that the Franks took a deeply tribal approach to religious practice. Apart from the most central figures of

2961-570: The muzzle/face of a lion, or, having the head of a lion with a black mane. The "tail of a serpent" detail is given in both the Pseudo-Marcella and the Speculum Historiale . The tail was "long and ringed and looked considerably like that of the scorpion" in a lost sculpture on a face of an old church ( Église Sainte-Marthe de Tarascon ) according to surgeon-author Laurent Jean Baptiste Bérenger-Féraud  [ fr ] . It

3024-492: The past, the festivals were only held sporadically in a major way, e.g., in the years 1846, 1861, 1891 and 1946 but since 1946 they have become a yearly event and tourist attraction. In the gap years (first half of the 20th century) when the jeu de Tarasque was in hiatus, different authorities were claiming different weeks and weekdays around Pentecost Sunday for the proper day for the ceremony, according to Eliza Gutch (d. 1931)'s paper, published posthumously. A tarasque feast

3087-803: The poisonous fumes exhaled by the tarasque: draco terribilis oberrabat, incredibilis longitudinis, et magnae molis; fumum pestiferum flatu, scintillas sulphureas oculis, sibilos stridentes ore, rugitusque horribiles aduncatis dentibus, proferens; quidquid incidisset in eum ungulis et dente dilanians; quidquid propius accessisset anhelitus sui fetore mortificans. ... terrible dragon of unbelievable length and great bulk. It breathed out poisonous fumes, shot sulfurous flames from its eyes, and emitted fierce hissings with its mouth and horrible noises with its curved teeth. With its talons and teeth it tore to pieces anyone who crossed its path; with its poisonous breath it killed anyone who came too near. Rather than its eyes literally shooting flames, some French sources take it to be

3150-481: The public felt about certain figures. Brittany was Christianised during the latter part of the Gallo-Roman habitation of France. In the 5th and 6th centuries C.E. British people moved to Brittany to flee from Anglo-Saxon invaders. The British migrants spread Christianity throughout Brittany over the next 300 years, assisted by missionaries from the British Isles. Contemporary Britons give great respect to

3213-571: The sacrifices are placed before they are burned. In traditional Celtic Paganism, these sacrifices were made to the Celtic gods and goddesses. Roman-Gallo Druids probably made sacrifices to honour the gods of the Roman pantheon by drawing on the Celtic practice of sacrifice. Pliny the Elder , a Roman-Gallic author who wrote extensively about Gallo-Roman culture, observed that Druids acted as judges in criminal cases and provided spiritual guidance to their people by interpreting omens. The Carnac stones are

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3276-411: The seal depicting the tarasque with a (turtle-like) carapace appeared in the 15th century. Later design of the city seal distinctly shows the tarasque swallowing a human. In the language of heraldry , the coat of arms has been described as featuring "below [the castle with crenelated towers argent] a dragon of sinople devouring a man and covered with scales of gold". In late medieval manuscripts,

3339-470: The second half of the 13th century. The work is referred to as the "pseudo-Raban" by Louis Dumont and others. There is also a brief notice on the tarasque which occurs in Gervase of Tilbury (Gervais de Tilbury). Gervase assigns the habitat of the tarasque ( Latin : tarascus ) to be an abyss near the city-gates of Arles and the rock/cliff beneath the castle/fort at Tarascon . As for the description of

3402-468: The so-called " tarasque of Noves ", unearthed at the village Noves, once called "Tarasconnet". The find was a stone statue of a sharp-toothed chimeric beast with a scaly back, "crunching a human arm in its mouth". Gilles postulated this was a Celtic deified beast to which human sacrifices were offered. Mythology in France The mythologies in present-day France encompass the mythology of

3465-464: The tarasque is given an appearance of a crocodile or some sort of amphibian according to one opinion. The city seal from the 13th century appears much as a plain dragon according to one 18th century writer on medieval coats of arms, though Faillon counters that this represents not a dragon guarding the city, but the tarasque. This early type perhaps dates to as far back as the 11th century, seen on seals struck on méreau type tokens. The later design of

3528-611: The tarasque's physical appearance given in the Legenda aurea , it is given a somewhat dissimilar treatment in the corresponding passage in the c. 1200 pseudo-Marcella: draco ingens, medius animal terrestre, medius piscis . . . et erat grossior bove, longior equo, os et caput habens leoninum, dentes ut spata acutos, comas equinas, dorsum acutum ut dolabrum, squamas hirsutas ut taravos scindentes, senos pedes et ungues ursinas, caudam vipeream, binis parmis ut tortua utraque parte munitus. A huge dragon, half animal, half fish ... fatter than

3591-632: The use of the tarasque in the Pentecostal festival, and later used also on the saint's feast day of July 29. Yearly celebration in the last weekend of June was added in the modern day. The effigy or float ( French : char ) of the tarasque has been built over the years for parading through town for the occasion, carried by four to a dozen men concealed inside. The Tarasque was designated one of "Processional Giants and Dragons in Belgium and France" listed in November 2005 as part of UNESCO 's Masterpieces of

3654-480: The ‘Seven Founding Saints’ who are credited with bringing Catholicism to Brittany. The ‘Seven Founding Saints’ are: Brittany's insular nature has led to the development of many distinctive traditions within Catholic religious practice, including " Pardons ." Pardons are penitential ceremonies occurring in an individual parish on the feast day of their saint. The celebrations involve parishioners processing together to

3717-608: Was a quadruped that bore close resemblance to the beast trodden underfoot by St. Martha in the paneling sculpture of the choir stalls at Cathédrale Sainte-Marie d'Auch , according to Abbé François Canéto. Another example is the carving of a The tarasque in the Montmajour Abbey near Arles. Yet another is carved in the capital column of the Church of St. Trophime (Église Métropolitaine de Saint-Trophime) in Arles , dating to

3780-505: Was completed in 1449 by his second son, René I of Naples (René d'Anjou). Thus, the castle is often referred to as le château du roi René (King René's castle). It was turned into a military prison in the 17th century, until its acquisition by the state in 1932. The castle consists of two independent parts: the South, the stately home, flanked by round towers on the city side and river side with walls of up to 48 m high and square towers and

3843-444: Was held on a non-traditional day on 23 June 1946 in Tarascon, for practical reasons. Subsequently, the holding of the tarasque festival in this last Sunday or weekend of June became annually recurrent. The Tarasque was designated one of "Processional Giants and Dragons in Belgium and France" listed in November 2005 as part of UNESCO 's Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity . The Tarasca (Spanish for Tarasque)

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3906-421: Was the form depicted on the city seal of Tarascon around the 15th century, and this held to be the norm in 16th- and 17th-century paintings. As St. Martha purportedly encountered the beast in the act of swallowing a human victim, it has become a stock motif in art to portray the monster swallowing a human head first, with the victim's legs still dangling. According to tradition, in 1474, René of Anjou initiated

3969-411: Was the god of war. The Gauls often made sacrifices to Mars during wartime, offering up cattle from conquered territories in exchange for protection in battle. The influence of Celtic mythology did not disappear after the Roman invasion, with the rituals and practices of Druidism still exerting influence over the mythology of the Gauls. Druids in Roman-Gaul were the philosophers and religious figures of

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