Ys

Caption town of Ys

Gradlon and Malgven

The king Gradlon of Cornwall had many ships which it used to make the war with the distances country of North. Strategist except par, it gained the majority of the battles and plundered overcome. He piled up the richnesses.

But one day, its tired sailors of all these engagements refused to besiege a castle. The king let them set out again in Cornwall and there remained alone in North. When it was alone it saw a red-headed woman: Malgven, the queen of North, was held in front of him. She says to him: “I know you, you are courageous and skilful with the combat. My husband is old, his sword is rusted. You and me let us kill it. Then, you will take me along in your country of Cornwall. ” They killed the king of North and enfourchèrent Morvarc' H (“sea horse” in Breton), the magic horse of Malgven. It was black, spit of fire by its naseaux and was able to gallop on the sea. They caught up with the ships of Gradlon.

Gradlon and Malgven remained a long time at sea, so that Malgven birth gave to a girl, Dahut, but the queen died about it. According to an alternative, she did not die but had to leave the other occupants of the boat some time after the birth of Dahut because the hour had come for her to turn over in her world.

Ys

Dahut was impassioned by the sea and required of his/her father to build a marine city to him. Thus was made and the town of Ys was built on the bottom of bay of Douarnenez. A very high dam prevented water from penetrating there and only a bronze door, whose key was permanently with Gradlon, made it possible to enter or leave the city. Ys was most beautiful and the most impressive city of the world, but became quickly, in spite of the sermons of Saint Guénolé, the city of the sin under the influence of Dahut (also called Ahès). This one organized orgies and was accustomed to making kill his/her lovers once the come morning, so that God decided to punish it.

One day, a knight vêtu of red came in Ys. Dahut required of him to come near it and an evening, he accepted. A storm burst in middle of the night, one intended the waves to strike with violence the bronze door and the walls. Dahut called to the knight: “That the storm howls, the doors of the city are solid and it is King Gradlon, my father, who has the single key of it, attached to its neck”, what he answered: “Your father the king sleeps, you can now seize this key easily. ” Dahut stole the key to his/her father and gave it to the knight, who was not other than Satan. The devil opened the door of the city. - Another version claims that it was Dahut itself which opened them. - A wave as high as a mountain fell down on Ys. King Gradlon and his daughter went up on Morvarc' H, the magic horse. Saint Guénolé came close to them and known as in Gradlon: “The demon Pushes back sitting behind you! ” Gradlon refused initially, but it ends up accepting and pushed his daughter in the sea. Water covered Dahut which became a siren. (the legend specifies that this siren had a perfectly human appearance and, therefore, did not have the chimerical appearance which one allots today to the sirens)

Gradlon took refuge with Quimper, which was its new capital. An equestrian statue of Gradlon was made and it is always today between the arrows of the cathedral Saint Corentin in Quimper. It is said that the bells of the churches of Ys can still be understood at sea in calm weather. A legend says that when Paris is absorbed, will re-appear the town of Ys: Pa vo beuzet Paris, Ec' H adsavo Ker Is ( By Is meaning into Breton “similar in Ys”).

Interpretation

One finds similar accounts in three large branches of Celtic civilization (the Breton ones, Welsh and Irish). The legends generally being based on a true story (like the war of Troy for example), it is probable that such a catastrophe had place when the Breton ones, Welsh and Irish formed one and even people.

Interesting information is that, according to Gregoire de Tours, the king Childebert Ier carried to him also a key of gold around the neck.

Place d'Ys in the tradition

Since its engloutissement by the sea, the town of Ys occupies a central role in the Breton legends. It is said that Ys will reappear the day when a mass will be celebrated there. Other legends put in scene the absorbed city, such that where Sainte-Marie of Carry out-Bré opens every hundred years the floods to contemplate the city. It will be also noted that, in its book the legend of dead the (receuil of accounts and beliefs on death), Anatole Braz devotes a chapter to the town of Ys.

Is and Paris

A legend also says that the francs, seeking a new name for their capital, called it Paris (Similar in Is) because these two cities, at the time, disputed the title of town of isis but that never it did not equalize the town of Is at the time of its splendor.

But the History teaches us that this " légende" is probably false because Paris especially owes its name with the Gallic tribe of the Parisii, the latter having for capital Lutetia Parisorum, which one currently names " Lutèce ", the ancestor of Paris. However, it will be also noted that, according to Voltaire, this city would have been called " Parisis" before becoming Paris because of the arrival of the worship of Isis in this city: what goes in the direction of the legend.

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