Oral Memory & Legends

Intangible heritage of Mizoën

The legends of Mizoën are the vibrant heart of our heritage.

The Buried of Le Chambon
The Buried of Le Chambon

The construction of the Chambon dam was so dangerous it gave birth to a dark legend: that workers who fell into the wet concrete were left there, sealed forever within the structur...

Source : Association Freneytique, Chambon : dans l'ombre d'un géant --Témoignages et historiographie locale.
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The Brigand of Malaval
The Brigand of Malaval

A brigand once hid in a cave at Grusseru, overlooking the dangerous Malaval gorge. He ambushed travelers until one day he nearly killed his own nephew. The guilt-ridden nephew even...

Source : Paul Louis Rousset, Au Pays de la Meije
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The Treasure of the Italian Wars
The Treasure of the Italian Wars

During the 16th-century Italian Wars, a soldier hid his looted booty under a large stone at Pont Long, fearing he would be abandoned. He died before retrieving it. An "Esprit Folle...

Source : Paul Louis Rousset, Au Pays de la Meije
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King Herod

On Epiphany night in Mizoën, children were told to stay inside because "King Herod" was passing. He was described as a dark man on a horse with bells, pulling a creaking cart to co...

Source : Version librement racontée à partir de sources locales, dont : Paul Girard, Les Noms de Lieux de la Vallée du Ferrand
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The Dwarves of Mizoën

Long before modern villages, a race of small, dark-skinned beings lived in the "Dwarves' Cave." They were skilled bronze smiths but lived by raiding Gaulish settlements. The confli...

Source : Version librement racontée à partir de sources locales, dont : Paul Girard, Les Noms de Lieux de la Vallée du Ferrand -- Roger Canac & Bernard Boyer, Vivre ici en Oisans
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The Sorcerer and the Fox

Muleteers heading to the high pastures at midnight were once followed by a mocking fox. The beast avoided passing in front of a chapel, circling it instead—a sign of a sorcerer led...

Source : Version librement racontée à partir de sources locales, dont : Paul Girard, Les Noms de Lieux de la Vallée du Ferrand
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