Menhir of Saint-Uzec

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The christianized menhir of Saint-Uzec with the Arma Christi

The menhir of Saint-Uzec (also Saint-Duzec or Saint Uzee ) is located about 2.5 kilometers northeast of Trébeurden in the Côtes-d'Armor department in Brittany in France . It stands about 600 m north of the chapel of the same name on the old road from Penvern to Pleumeur-Bodou .

The menhir is about eight meters high and three meters wide. This makes it the largest menhir in France with Christian symbols. His sculpturing by the Jesuit priest and Breton orthographer Julien Maunoir (1606-1683), also called "Apostle of Brittany", was made in 1674 as a declaration of war on the supposedly reviving paganism . The redesigned menhir could be included as a station in processions. On top of it he wears a crucifix . In addition to the moon and the sun, scenes of worship and the instruments of passion or Arma Christi (hammer, nails, whip and others) are carved into the south side .

Until well into the 20th century, the Catholic menhir on the altar side was provided with colored Baroque painting, but the smooth yellow granite could not stop the rapidly progressing weathering of the painting due to environmental influences and increasing pH value changes in the climate, so there is nothing left on it today suggests. Because of the very naive depiction of the hanging Jesus, the restoration or restoration of the painting of the menhir was dispensed with.

The menhir of granite was v about 2500th Erected. On the north side, a cart erosion with a depth of 25 cm shows that the stone has been lying for a while. The back has vertical grooves that only form while the stone is standing.

The Allée couverte von Keryvon is about 900 m north . Both are lined up in a network of cultic rows of stones that were or are to be found scattered across Brittany (e.g. in Carnac ).

Nearby is the Saint-Samson menhir .

See also

literature

Web links

Commons : Menhir of Saint-Uzec  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Coordinates: 48 ° 47 '19.4 "  N , 3 ° 32' 40.3"  W.