Brittany boasts a prehistoric landscape full of some of the most astonishing Megalithic monuments in the world. From standing stones, beautiful carvings, to chambered tombs, these mysterious monuments have baffled historians for centuries.
One of such monuments that stand out in Carnac is the Ti Goriquet or the House of the Gorics.
What Is The Ti Goriquet Monument
On the Carnac sea-shore near Quiberon lays the Temple of Carnac known in Breton as “Ti Goriquet” or House of the Gorics. It is one of the notable Celtic monuments in existence that comprises of over 4,000 large, standing stones that weigh up to 350 tons.
The stones are erected in an arid plain such that neither shrub nor tree can be seen. Even a pebble cannot be found in the soil in which they are established. While no one is absolutely sure, it is believed that these stones were erected around the same time as Stonehenge.
The Goblins Behind the Ti Goriquet Monument
According to local folklore, the Ti Goriquet monument is either an old camp of Caesar’s, an army that was turned into stones or the incredible work of the Gorics or Crions. The common Goblin is the latter, which the local inhabitants describe as little men between two and three feet (virtually a meter) high.
These men, despite their small stature, carried these enormous masses with their hands, for they were stronger than the giants themselves. Furthermore, it is believed they are of a malignant personality but are also lovers of dancing. Each night, they dance around these Druidical stones, and will vanish at the break of the day.
Woe To The Traveler And Strangers
During the every night druidical sport and dancing, woe betides any traveler that approaches within the Crions’ reach. That is because he is coerced to dance their rounds, where he is whirled about until cock-crow. That leaves the stranger breathless and falls down amid the peals of merriment of the goblins.
It is believed that the instances are not few in which ensnared persons have been found the next morning dead with fatigue and exhaustion from the dance.
Woe also befalls any ill-fated maiden that draws near the Druidical dance. She will just have to count “nine months,” and the Crions family will have an additional member. Even so, so astonishing is the cunning and powers of the Gorics that the young child bears no resemblance to them, but they will impart to it the characters of someone from among them.
The legend of The Hidden Treasures
People in Carnac have a legend that says the Crions dwell under the castle of Morlaix within the Ti Goriquet monument. They live in holes in the ground where they are usually seen going about beating on basins.
It is said that the goblins are the guardians of golden treasures hidden underneath Carnac. Once in a while, they bring out the treasures, and if any person passes by at the time, they allow him to take a handful and not more. If you try to fill your pockets, the gold vanishes, and you are instantly attacked.
Anyone visiting Brittany will ultimately come across the Ti Goriquet prehistoric monument. Visiting the monument will offer you a visible reminder that people used to live in the area since time immemorial. It is also an excellent way of learning the fairies and legends of the Crions. Besides, the Carnac beach bordering the monument is an excellent place to contemplate the wonders as well as the meaning of the stones.
