The Ardennes, land of legends, is home to mysteries and ancient Ardennes customs. Today, let me tell you about it four legends, the legend of the Nutons, the legend of the three brigands, the legend of the rock of Madame de Cormont, the legend of the Mahwot, the Ladies of the Meuse and the legend of the Pierre Haussée. Let's go together to discover the legends mysterious things attached to our territory.
The legend of the Nutons of Fromelennes
Le nuton is described by the Ardennes in the form of elf or gnome having magical powers. They are recognized by their manual talent, their benevolence but also by their susceptibility. If a villager had the misfortune to make fun of them, their anger would be immediately triggered against them. The name nuton would come from the old walloon, from the term “the nut” which means night, because that would be when these creatures would come out most often.
The legend that is told today is…
Once upon a time, in a small nestled village in the heart of the Ardennes, a fascinating story that unfolds transmitted from generation to generation. This legend featured a brave widow and to be mysterious called nuton.
Our story begins with a recently widowed woman who found herself alone raising her three daughters. The loss of her husband had left her in a desperate situation, as she could no longer cultivate her land. Famine threatened her small family.
One day, while she was wandering near a caves, she met a Nuton. These creatures, half-men half-elves, were renowned for their wisdom and their longevity. This one, aged two centuries, was moved by the widow's distress. The Nuton offered him a deal: in exchange for room and board, he would take care of his fields. He then gave him a simple instruction: “Leave the tools in the field, and the work will be done.” As by magic, the widow's fields were plowed and sown. Night after night, the crops thrived. Soon, his harvests became the most abundant in the village, arousing the admiration and curiosity of all.
Unfortunately, greed eventually won out. A neighbor, seeing the widow's success, offered her money in exchange for the Nuton's services. The widow, tempted by the gain, accepted and placed her tools in the neighbor's field, thinking she was deceiving her benefactor.
It was a fatal error. Not only did the neighbor's field remain fallow, but the Nuton, disappointed by the treason, disappeared forever. The widow then found herself alone facing her destiny, having lost much more than she hoped to gain!
The Nutons' habitats were caves or grottoes nicknamed by the villagers the " Nutons holes".
Come explore the Cave of Nichet à Fromelennes, where is the Nutons room.
The legend of the three bandits of Givet
The legend of the three bandits of Given is a captivating tale that illustrates the richness of Ardennes folklore. This story features three evil giants who terrorized the Givet region for a long time.
These bandits, dressed in black, were characterized by their limitless audacity and their crueltyThey operated mainly at night, breaking into houses to loot. without mercy the inhabitants, whether rich or poor.
Faced with growing resistance from the villagers, the bandits adapted their strategy by posting in isolated places to attack their victims. Their audacity reached its climax when they robbed the priest of Givet Notre Dame et burglarized Saint Hilaire church.
The most striking element of this legend is the divine punishment which fell upon these criminals. While they were returning from stealing sheep, they were petrified when crossing the Meuse. Their silhouettes transformed into rocks remained visible for a long time on the banks of the river, serving as a warning to future generations.
Unfortunately, the physical traces of this legend have disappeared over time, victims of the progress and development of the banks of the MeuseHowever, the story continues to live in the collective memory, testifying to the importance of legends in preserving local cultural heritage.
The Legend of Madame de Cormont's Rock
In the 17th century, in the picturesque village of Haybes, a rich lord lived on top of a hill, in a magnificent castle which he had built with his own hands. This lord, Mr. de Cormont, owned the whole village, and his wife, Mrs. de Cormont, accompanied him in this life of opulence. The castle housed a strange turret, nicknamed “the prison”, because Mr. de Cormont played the role of gaoler and vigilante with his vassals. Yet, despite their immense wealth, Mr. and Mrs. de Cormont were not happy.
One morning, against all expectations, Mr. de Cormont, usually stern and authoritarian, invited his wife to do a horse ride. Happy, Madame de Cormont accepted, unaware that this stroll would be the beginning of a tragic destiny. As they passed through a carriage entrance, Mr. de Cormont made the animal jump under her. Madame de Cormont, taken by surprise, seriously injured her head and fell into a bloody fainting. When she woke up, her husband had already disappeared into the forest, and he was never seen again in Haybes.
Despite the accident, Madame de Cormont survived, cared for by devoted vassals. After a long convalescence, she continued her generosity, but on March 29, 1729, she died at the age of 75. Her tombstone, still visible in the old cemetery of Haybes, bears witness to his passage.
Before dying, Madame de Cormont bequeathed all her gold to the poor and its lands to Jeromists of Fumay, who paid homage to him by raising a Chapel in the forest, accessible by a path now called the Cormont trail.
The French Revolution brought the destruction of this chapel, and legend has it that in the midst of fire, a strange phenomenon occurred. Madame de Cormont's face was engraved on a rock, facing the flames, as if to protester against this act of vandalism. Even today, hikers can admire this female face engraved in the rock, during the hike of the Cormont Rock, an everlasting memory of the intriguing story of this generous woman, whose spirit continues to watch over the village of Haybes.
The legend of Mawhot
The last legend I will tell you is that of the “Mawhot” or “Mawhotte in Belgium, creature dreaded amphibian from the depths of the Meuse which would move from Revin to Liège. Imagine a monster as big as a calf and having the appearance of a lizard. This Nessie local rarely shows up, but his appearances always carry bad omens. According to tradition, it emerges from the waters to announce impending disasters : wars, epidemics, death and desolation.
Mothers who were upset with their child who did not want to obey, found a formidable method, it was the threat of the Mawhot. It can therefore emerge from the water, when she said:
- There's the Mawhot, if you weren't nai, you're already going to fuck up mindjie (Here is the Mawhot, if you don't shut up right away, I'm going to make you eat).
This threat proves effective in bringing their child back into line.
Personalized testimonials nonagenarians claim to have it preview in Revin and Givet in 1870, during the month of July. These stories were documented by Albert Meyrac, a specialist in Ardennes legends, thus adding credence to this legend which mixes folklore and local history.
In short, between legend and reality, the Mawhot continues to captivate the minds and hunter the inhabitants of our region!
Little advice
If you ever find yourself confronted and pursued by this legendary creature, throw him an item of clothing to distract him. There's a 50/50 chance he'll go for it, which isn't very reassuring, but still better than nothing, right?
The Ladies of Meuse Hierges
Héribrand, Geoffroy and Vautier were the three sons of the Lord of Hierges. They married Hodierne, Berthe and Ige the three daughters of the Count of Rethel.
The legend dating from the end of the 19th century tells…
One fine morning, Count of Rethel received in his manor three brave men, the sons of Hierges. The Count having three girls, they promised immortal love to the brave. However, they had promised to go fight in Palestine. So they left one evening with the cross on their chest to join Godfrey of Bouillon, leaving the three girls at the castle.
One day, while they were at their sad habit to still be alone, three knights presented themselves at the manor. These ladies having need comfortt, they put on their finest attire. That same evening, the three girls broke their promise welcoming three knights into their bed.
Understanding their treason, they ran away of the castle but That same night, a terror occurred, the crusaders had taken Jerusalem!
God took revenge by changing the three girls in three big rocks.
Today called the Ladies of the Meuse. They can be seen during a hiking on the banks of the Meuse at the exit of Laifour towards Revin.
The legend of the Raised Stone
Now I will tell you the story of the Quewet family and more specifically of the son of the Lambert Quewet family.
It all starts at fifteenth century visit us at the Falière mill, where Quewet and his wife lived. Desperate not to have children, they decided to try one last chance: Quewet's wife undertook a pilgrimage to Matagne-la-Grande, in Belgium, to invoke Saint Agrapaud, a saint famous for helping barren women. Their prayer was answered : shortly after, a son was born to themThe child was baptized Lambert et grew up under the blessing of the saint.
More Saint Agrapaud had not simply offered this child to the couple. He had also predicted that Lambert would perform three miracles in his adult life, provided that he invokes it by shouting: “Great Saint Agrapaud, protect your son Lambert!”. This promise would change the young man's destiny.
Having become an adult, Lambert inherited the mill after the death of his parents. Although he was a good miller et an honest man, it was clumsy and shy, especially with the young women who were eyeing the mill as much as him. Among them was Renaudette, a cunning young girl determined to win his heart.
One evening, while Lambert was working at the mill, Renaudette introduced herself to him under the pretext of being tired after a long walk. Disconcerted by this unexpected visit, Lambert lost all his means and instinctively invoked the saint, shouting three times: “Great Saint Agrapaud, protect your son Lambert!”. At this precise moment, the footbridge leading to the mill suddenly lifted with a deafening crash. Frightened by this strange phenomenon, Renaudette fled hastily towards Revin.
This was the first miracle.
More Renaudette was not the type to give up so easily. A few days later, she decided to return to the mill during Lambert's absence. She went into the kitchen, turned on the fire under a pot where a piece of ham was simmering, and settled down to wait for his return. When Lambert came in and found Renaudette at his house, he was so troubled that he invoked the saint once again. Immediately, the pot exploded with a terrible noise and the ham disappeared to leave room for an enormous black stone. which rolled on the ground. Panicked by this supernatural scene, Renaudette runs away again without asking for anything else.
This was the second miracle.
The rumor of the miracles spread quickly throughout Revin. The locals began to whisper that Lambert was involved in magical practices or witchcraft. The mayor and the bourgeoisie then decided to send a militia to the mill to capture the miller and put an end to these strange events.
Warned by Renaudette (who regretted having caused all this uproar), Lambert found himself facing the armed militia who was advancing towards him. Panicked but determined to defend himself, he summoned a third time Saint Agrapaud by throwing the famous black stone that he had kept since the episode with the pot. Against all expectations, the pebble miraculously grew in flight and fell into the Meuse with such force that it formed an enormous egg-shaped rock: the Roche des Diales or Pierre Haussée, still visible today.
This was the third miracle.
Faced with these extraordinary events, The bourgeoisie finally decided to forgive Lambert and even to integrate him among them as a respected member of the municipal council. As for Renaudette, she ends up winning the miller's heart.
Lambert Quewet never needed to invoke Saint Agrapaud again after that. Him and Renaudette lived happily at the Falière mill and had ua large offspring: eleven boys who all became millers like their father.
So, what do you think of these mysterious legends? Ready to explore these fascinating tales in person? Maybe you'll come across Nutons, will you find traces of the Three Brigands of Givet, or will you see the shadow of Madame de Cormont…Or even meet you the Mawhot.
Adventure awaits!
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