The legend of Chirapa
And also
The tops
Nowadays, we can discover the cathedral’s treasure: well, in the past, before the French revolution’s plunderings, it was more colossal than that! Among the most interesting pieces we had an ostrich’s egg and a silver fish, hanged to a beam… but also the famous Chirapa’s candle, about 15 cm long…
The legend (14th c.) tells that in the Middle-Ages lived a man called Chirapa. He was rich, spending for him and others!
But one day, his creditors came to see him and took him everything… he was ruined. Never mind, he sold his soul to the Devil in exchange for few golden objects…
Once the contract was signed, our man was full of gold, again! Better than this, his safes filled up by themselves with jewels… When they saw this, the creditors, amazed, gave their apologies to Chirapa and gave him back his money.
Chirapa told them that it didn’t matter: everyday now, his house would be opened for lunch. Friends, relatives, bourgeois, poor… everyone could come to have a meal.
During one of these lunches, they lacked of wine. Chirapa went down his cellars… and saw the Devil who was awaiting for him! He came to seek his soul… Now?! Oh, wait a little, I want to finish my diner, begged Chirapa.
Well, OK, the Devil accepted. Chirapa came back to the table and told the story to a monk, who decided to have a talk with Satan.
Hey, Devil, let him one more week. No way, laughed the daemon. So one hour? No! So, let this candle burn and he would be yours… Mhh, well, OK. But immediately, the monk put the candle out and dedicated it to God! Chirapa was saved… and the monk put the candle in the cathedral’s treasure.