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Trémeur, the decapitated saint

Western portal with Trémeur's statue | Moreau.henri / CC-BY-SA
Homicide Miracle Legend Parish church La Fontenelle Saint-Trémeur church

Storm and bloodbath

Here we are in front of church of Saint-Trémeur, an old collegiate church raised in 1371, on the location of a 12th century chapel. The current church was re-raised between 1880 and 1887.

The bell-tower (middle of the 16th c) is still standing… The primitive stony spire was broken during a storm in 1575, same thing for the new one in 1725. They never re-raised it!

The terrible Breton crook La Fontenelle besieged the church in 1592 and hid his loot inside. It was a perfect headquarters, where he prepared his gory raids…

Now, have a look above the entrance: you will see statue of a headless man… saint Trémeur! What happened to him?

Trémeur’s legend

The Breton Blue-Beard

Trémeur was count Conomor and saint Tryphine’s son, in the 6th century. Conomor was lieutenant for king Childebert, in Armorique.

He was a cruel and violent chap. A mad old woman told one day to Conomor he would be murdered by his own son.

So, to run no risk, he killed his wife! He would have 5 other wives, and each time, he killed them. People called him the ″Breton Blue-Beard″!

The headless saint

His 6th wife, Tryphine, quickly understood... her husband wanted to kill her! So she ran away to save her life. But Conomor caught her and cut her head… It was a headless Tryphine who stood up and who picked up her head.

Honestly! She hid herself in a cave, and gave birth to her son, Trémeur… from Breton trec'h (″victory″) and meur, (″great″).

Unfortunately, Conomor found them. Trémeur… his son… he decapitated him!! Our future saint picked up his head on the ground and put it on his mother’s grave…

French poet Leconte de Lisle wrote about this legend in his Poèmes barbares (″Barbarian Poems″), in a text called Le jugement de Komor (″Komor’s Jugdement″).

About the the author

Vinaigrette
I'm fond of strolls and History, with juicy and spicy details!