For centuries, this French island, which is now part of Normandy, has been considered one of the most mysterious corners of the planet. During its long history, he saw the mysterious rites of the Druids, found himself in the midst of battles and even witnessed the dispute between the saint and the devil …
Legends say that ghosts wander between its ancient buildings, and the water element surrounding Mont Saint-Michel still throws unpleasant surprises for people. That is why famous writers and directors have repeatedly made this island an arena of events in their mystical works, and esotericists call it a gateway to other worlds.
Grave mountain
The fact that the island of Mont Saint-Michel is an unusual place is also told by legends about its origin. The first one says that it was once a coastal mountain, a part of the mainland, near which flooded meadows stretched. But the Celtic god of light Belu somehow liked the mountain, and he decided to make it a sacred place.
Then a terrible storm flew on the coast, and the enraged sea literally cut off the mountain from the land. Since then, only druids could step on it during the most significant holidays of the year.
According to another version, a huge stone as a fortification was brought here by a fierce giant who was in the service of King Arthur and "in charge" of strengthening the borders of his possessions.
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Be that as it may, for a long time the island was called Mon-Tomb (Grave Mountain). On the main Celtic holidays Beltane (May 1) and Samhain (November 1) Druids gathered here for a mysterious ritual, during which Bel himself allegedly visited this place. The most worthy were buried on Mon Tomb, and therefore it was here that funeral fires were lit for wise rulers and glorious warriors.
Tradition says that Julius Caesar himself, once visiting the island, ordered to bury himself among the stones of this mysterious place, and the emperor's will was fulfilled. As soon as the passions that raged in Rome after the murder of the ruler subsided, the trusted slaves placed Caesar's body in a specially prepared golden sarcophagus, secretly transported it to Mont Tomb and buried in one of the caves.
Archangel or Devil?
Now all over the world the island of Mont Saint-Michel is known as the territory of the famous abbey, founded more than a thousand years ago. However, even the appearance of a grandiose shrine here was not without … dark forces.
If you believe the legend, then the magnificent Grave Mountain, as if frozen between heaven and earth, liked the Archangel Michael so much that he decided to found an abbey on its slopes and take it under his patronage. By a fatal accident, Satan also laid eyes on this island, and therefore a dispute broke out between the prince of darkness and the archangel - who will own it?
Soon it was decided: Mon-Tomb will go to the one who builds a more magnificent temple. The work was in full swing, and soon two magnificent cathedrals were presented to the Lord's judgment. For obvious reasons, the victory in this dispute was awarded to Michael, but his creation turned out to be so beautiful that the temple he built was taken to heaven by angels, but the cathedral created by Satan went to people.
It was he who became the heart of the new abbey. And the island, which went to the archangel, changed its name to Mont Saint Michel, which means "Mount St. Michael".
However, there is another legend telling about the origin of the monastery. As soon as Christianity spread in Europe, several hermit monks settled on this island. Somehow one of them - the future Saint Aubert - during prayer appeared the Archangel Michael and ordered to build a chapel on the very top of the Mogilnaya Mountain.
Not daring to believe in the miraculous vision, the monk was in doubt and did not follow the command of the saint. Then, after some time, the archangel appeared again, demanding that construction begin immediately. But this appeal of his remained unanswered. Having appeared before the hermit for the third time, Mikhail burned the skin on the monk's head with one movement of his finger, and this "argument" finally prompted him to start construction.
Soon the chapel, built by the hermits, turned into a huge temple and became the center of a large abbey. And on the coast of the island there was a town of pilgrims who, having heard about the miracle, came here from all over Europe.
This story could be considered a fiction, however, even today, visitors to the abbey can see the relics of St. Aubert on display in the church, on whose forehead there is a dent burned by the finger of the Archangel Michael.
Gathered in Saint-Michel - write your will
Over time, the abbey on the ancient island grew. The Norman dukes and French kings spared no expense in decorating it, and soon magnificent churches, monastic buildings and crypts encircled the slopes of the mountain in several tiers.
Crowds of pilgrims flocked to the island from all sides to look at the "Western Miracle" (as Mont Saint-Michel was called since the 13th century) and to worship its shrines, although travel here was considered unsafe. A Norman proverb, which was born in the 14th century, speaks of how tricky the path to the beautiful abbey is: "Gathered in Saint-Michel - write your will."
Of course, both in the Middle Ages and in the Renaissance, robbers played pranks on European roads, and travelers weakened by a long journey were easy prey for severe diseases, but the most terrible trials awaited the pilgrims at the destination of their journey.
The fact is that from time immemorial the bay near the island was famous for its unexpected and rapid tides, which swooped down like a racehorse (at a speed of up to 20 kilometers per hour) and covered the pilgrims who did not have time to reach the land.
The chronicles of the abbey also tell about the miracle associated with the sudden onset of the water element. Thus, a young woman, who was in her last month of pregnancy, was caught by the tide near the coast. Frightened by the impending waves, the poor thing began to give birth, and she began to pray fervently.
When the waves closed over the woman, a cavity with air formed inside, which saved the life of the woman in labor. The next day, local fishermen picked up the mother and child and safely delivered the rescued to the monastery. In memory of this miracle, the abbot of the abbey ordered to erect a huge cross on the shore, but it was ruthlessly washed away by the next tide.
However, even as the sea receded, the journey through the bay was fraught with danger. The exposed wet sand dragged travelers into its bowels like a bog, and therefore it was almost impossible to get to the island without an experienced guide. It happened that on the approaches to the monastery, whole groups of pilgrims disappeared, whom no one else saw, either alive or dead.
I must say that in our century many tourists fall into the traps of quicksand on the banks of Mont Saint-Michel, and this fact to some extent confirms the old belief that in this way the island makes sacrifices to the ancient gods, who were once worshiped here. druids.
Solid mysticism
Today Mont Saint-Michel is besieged by crowds of tourists. Moreover, many of them go on a so-called mystical tour, which helps them get to know the ghosts of the island better.
The most famous ghost of the monastery is the old abbot, who walks around the ancient buildings at night. Local residents saw him more than once. When the sea storms, the abbot goes to the coastal rocks and begins to pray fervently.
It is believed that this monk remained after death in the monastery in order to protect him from the bad weather, and if there is a daredevil who convinces the abbot that nothing threatens the buildings, the ghost will show him a cache of ancient treasures.
No less famous is the ghost of the commander of a detachment of British soldiers who died here during the Hundred Years War. In those years, this gallant warrior led the unit entrusted to him to the abbey with only one goal - to be known as the conqueror of an impregnable fortress and to receive a reward from the king for his feat.
I must say that he almost succeeded. The detachment broke into the territory of the abbey, but was destroyed by its defenders. Since then, the unlucky commander has been wandering along the slopes of the mountain for several centuries, atone for the sin of pride and mourning the lost comrades.
However, the greatest mystical secrets are hidden by the ancient cathedral. Several centuries ago, even the most daring and pious monks flatly refused to spend the night within its walls. The fact is that at midnight a procession of singing people in long cloaks passed along the side-altars of the temple.
Their faces were covered with wide hoods. Those who dared to spy on the ghostly procession were thrown out of the cathedral by an unknown force, after which the brave men were waiting for an early death.
Esotericists believe that Mont Saint Michel is a place of power, where there is a portal to another dimension. That is why the druids performed their rituals here in the days of timelessness, when the line between the worlds of the living and the dead is blurred.
It is not for nothing that local residents, up to the 20th century, had a tradition, seeing off the deceased to the cemetery, to make a small detour towards the island, in order to thereby facilitate the fate of the deceased relative in the next world.
Elena MUROMTSEVA, magazine "Secrets of the XX century", 2017