Occult Auvergne: Witches and Fatsillères
I fancied that Auvergne was a country far, very far off, where strange things were to be seen, and where one could not travel but with great danger and under the safeguard of the Mother of God. -François René de Chateaubriand In many ways, Old Auvergne was the “Transylvania of France”, a realm that — […]
Occult Auvergne: 5 Spine-Chilling Legends
“Among the Auvergnats a host of tales and legends has grown up, including circumstantial accounts of wizard meetings on the puy de Dôme, stories of curious and unaccountable phenomena of earthquakes, each attributed to some occult power and giving rise to bloodcurdling narrations about ghosts and ghouls…” -E.C. Vansittart In his iconic Gothic novel Dracula […]
Wolves in Auvergne: A Thrilling Tale from the 19th Century
Auvergne was once home to man-eating wolves. This 19th-century tale describes a thrilling encounter with these creatures of the night.
A Visit to the Puy de Dôme…in 1879
What was visiting the puy de Dôme like in the 19th century? Here’s an account from writer and feminist Matilda Betham-Edwards.
Is Le Puy the Most Picturesque Place in the World?
For us, therefore, wandering in a “fairyland of travel,” there was something of the joy of the discoverer when the forgotten cathedral town, to which work was our guide, turned out to be “the most picturesque place in the world,” something of the pride of the pioneer when we settled down and made ourselves at […]
The Mysterious Lake Pavin
It was out of the ‘bottomless’ Lac Pavin that the sorcerers conjured wind and storm by casting a stone into its enchanted waters… -Margaret Roberts Situated inside a volcanic crater in the Dore Mountains, Lake Pavin is the deepest lake in Auvergne. Its entrancing appearance, which has been a subject of interest for travel writers and geographers […]
Why Algernon Charles Swinburne Loved Auvergne
In August 1869, the English poet Algernon Charles Swinburne — one of the leading figures of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood — visited Auvergne with his friend, the adventurer Sir Richard Burton. Among other places, they stopped at Vichy — known for for its natural spas — and Clermont-Ferrand. Captivated by Auvergne’s rustic beauty, Swinburne quickly fell […]
Superstitions of Auvergne: Part 2
“In Auvergne, too, you will find again the homely farms, with great hearths and cupboard-beds…the strange superstitions and beliefs; the markets, the picturesque processions and dances, the music, the songs, the stories.” -Frances M. Gostling This is the second part of our abridged version of Antoinette Bon’s list of Auvergne superstitions: If one on his way […]
Country Living: Eating Well in 1900s Auvergne
Given astronomical rises in food prices, temperatures, and the overall cost of living, finding more sustainable ways of eating is increasingly becoming more important. To hedge against these and future challenges, many have opted to live “off-the-grid” and return to traditional methods of cooking. Doing so, they argue, helps to empower families and communities by […]
Superstitions of Auvergne: Part 1
“All nations have their omens drear, Their legends wild of woe and fear…” -Sir Walter Scott (1808) An interesting list of Auvergnat folk traditions was collected in the nineteenth century by the French folklorist and writer Antoinette Bon. The English version, translated by Mary Osborn, first appeared in 1890. I have abridged the list slightly, […]
