Dark Poli-Sci With Some Burrberry Glasses

November is just as spooky to me as October. I’m not ready to let the season go. I’ve had this little idea that I’ve wanted to share for a while now. In Leroux’s novel, Christine and Raoul run around the Breton village of Perros Guirec begging for fairy tales from the old people. I’ve always wanted to know what kind of stories they collected. Certainly, lots of stories about korrigans. But what else? It seems like a fun project for PotO fanfic writers and artists -  to imagine these stories. 

Les Légendes rustiques is a collection of twelve creepy French legends gathered by George Sand and illustrated by her son, Maurice Sand. These stories were collected in the Berry region, but some are also told in Brittany. 

My idea was to invite PotO fic authors and artists to write a small piece (500 to 1,000 words) or to make art for each of the twelve legends Sand collected. The premise is that each is a story Christine and Raoul would have heard as children. The story can be connected to later events in their lives, to Erik, to their past, or can simply be stories that stand on their own. There is no deadline. 

Follow the #légendes rustiques on Tumblr. Here is the list of stories and art to look forward to:

1. Les Pierres-Sottes ​- @from-aldebaran

2. Les Demoiselles - @catcorsair​

3. Les Laveuses de nuit - Annard Noz (fic) by paperandsong, Annard Noz Art by  @sirensinginggraphicnovel 

4. La Grand’Bête - @sirensinginggraphicnovel (art), @cdaae (fic)

5. Les Trois Hommes de Pierre - @illuminaughti-online

6. Le Follet d’Ep-NeII - @flora-gray

7. Le Casseu’ de Bois - @staminaoverlook

8. Le Meneu’ de Loups - @emotionalmotionsicknessxx

9. Le Lupeux -  @shinyfire-0

10. Le Moine des Étangs-Brisses - @ashadeintheshade

11. Les Flambettes -  @textsfromthefifthbasement

12. Lubins et Lupins - @lebzpel (art)

Click on each title for a link to a summary of the legend. You can read the entire  Légendes rustiques here in French, or listen to the French audio here. I couldn’t find an online version in English - but google translate can help. 

Les Pierres-Sottes, Maurice Sand, illustration for Légendes rustiques by George Sand, 1858

Les Pierre-Sottes (the Foolish Stones) or Pierres-Caillasses (Gravel Stones) are stones capable of appearing and disappearing in various places, either by themselves or moved by supernatural beings, fairies called fades or martes.

Iron jewelry, also called Berlin Ironwork jewelry because it was primarily made in Berlin, was popular in the early 1800s.  It came to prominence during the Napoleonic Wars when the Prussian Royal Family asked citizens to donate their gold and silver to fund the war effort.  People would turn in their gold jewelry and receive iron jewelry in return which would typically be inscribed with Gold gab ich für Eisen/I Gave Gold for Iron or Für das Wohl des Vaterlands/For the Good of the Fatherland.  Since it was black in color from the linseed oil or lacquer coating it could be used for mourning but was more frequently used as a way for people to show their patriotism and resistance to Napoleon.  The designs followed other jewelry trends at the time like cameos and naturalistic elements.  The style spread to other countries and remained popular until the mid-1800s.  Because of the brittle, rust prone nature of iron few examples survive today.

Iron Cameo & Leaf Tiara, circa 1810, Albion Art Institute

Iron Cameo Tiara, Faerber Collection

Iron Cameo Tiara, circa 1820, Rheinische Eisenkunstguss-Museum

Iron Tiara, Nordiska Museet

Gothic Window Iron Tiara, circa 1825, Hunt Museum

Iron Cameo Tiara, circa 1830, Kunstmuseum Den Haag

Iron Cameo Tiara, circa 1830, Berlin Museum

Iron Tiara, Tekniska Museet

Revivalist ring with hand holding a heart, gold and ruby

“I do apologize - my wife is a rather messy eater”