Storytelling Sunday #1: Rotheneuf

Hello,

Since writing has been back on my priority list for this year, I finally decided to participate to Sian's Storytelling Sunday, a challenge I've been reading about for a while. To quote her:

"On the first Sunday of every month I'll be celebrating Storytelling Sunday with a tale or two. And you are most cordially invited to join me! Let's leave the crafting for a day, and sit round the fire and spin a yarn. Maybe you have a special memory, a story from years ago, a family legend..let's hear them all."

So, for my first participation in this monthly challenge, I thought I would take you along with me to a special place I visited in 2009. Ready?

Let’s turn back the hands of time to the nineteenth century and follow the footsteps of our main character: Adolphe Fouré (1839-1910), a priest from Rennes, Brittany, France. He led a peaceful and ambitious career in the Church until the age of 55 when he suffered a stroke which left him dumb and deaf. He couldn’t pursue his career, so he left for Rotheneuf, near St-Malo (30 min. away from Rennes) to retire.

He had always been a contemplative soul, so his numerous wanderings led him to the sea where he spent an enormous amount of time. 

Slowly, his favorite spot started being peopled with imaginary creatures.

From 1894 to 1907, he grabbed the most rudimentary tools he had and his limited artistic knowledge to carve out scenes and characters on the rocks, defying waves, winds, and sea spray.

He sculpted more than 300 strange characters on these rocks. These creatures are taken from local folklore and legends as well as the history of his time.

This large rock "garden" stages pirates and noblemen as well as hellish creatures and animals.

It is still possible to visit this special place, though the sculptures are slowly but surely fading due to the erosion of time, sea spray, and water streaming. As you can see, his inspiration was varied and the expression of his art, surprising and quite astonishing given his very limited tools.   

What an extraordinary walk through someone's imaginative world! I love raw art and the spontaneous expression of human genius.

I hope you liked the journey. What about YOU? What story do you have to share?

If you have one, don’t hesitate to blog it and link it back to Sian’s blog.

Personally, I loved this first participation. I didn’t have time at all today, so I had to whip it up really fast (so, sorry for the potential grammatical mistakes...).

Sabrina S.