THE GROAC'H OF LOK ISLAND
The Departure
Source
Then Bellah led Houarn to her cupboard and took out a bell, a knife, and a stick.
“These three relics,” she said, “never left my family. First here is the bell of Saint Kolédok; it has a sound that is heard, whatever the distance, and which warns our friends of the perils we run. The knife belonged to Saint Corentin, and everything it touches escapes the enchantments of magicians or the Demon. Finally, the staff is the one that Saint Vouga carried, it leads you where you want to go. I give you the knife to protect you from curses, the bell to let me know your dangers, and I keep the stick to join you if you need me.
Houarn thanked his bride, and he cried a little with her, as one always has to do when we separate, then he left for the mountains.
But it was then like today; in all the villages he passed through, Houarn was pursued by beggars who took him for a lord because his breeches were whole.
"By my faith, he thought, this is a country where I see more opportunity to spend than to make a fortune: let us go further."
So he continued downhill to the coast and arrived at Pont-Aven, which is a pretty town built on a river lined with poplars.
There, as he was sitting at the inn door, he heard two salt marsh workers chatting while loading their mules and talking about the Groac'h of the [island of Lok. Houarn asked what it was; they replied that this name was given to a fairy who inhabited the lake of the largest of the Glénan Islands, and who was said to be as rich, in her own right, as all the kings put together. Many people had already gone to the island to seize her treasures, but none had returned.
Houarn immediately thought of going there to try the adventure. The mule drivers did their best to divert him. They even gathered all the people around him, shouting that Christians could not let a man go to his doom like this, and they wanted to hold the young boy by force. He thanked the interest shown in him, and declared himself ready to abandon his project if they only wanted to make a collection whose proceeds would allow him to buy a small cow and a lean pig; but, at this proposition, the mule drivers and all the others withdrew, repeating that he was stubborn and that there was no way of holding him back.
Houarn therefore went to the seaside, to a boatman, who took him to the island of Lok.
He easily found the pond located in the middle of this island, which is surrounded by sea grass with pink flowers. As he went around it, he saw, towards one of the ends, in the shade of a clump of broom, a sea-colored canoe floating on the still waters. This canoe had the shape of a sleeping swan, its head under its wing.
Houarn, who had never seen anything like it, approached with curiosity and entered the boat to see it better; but barely had he set foot there when the swan seemed to wake up; its head emerged from beneath its feathers, its broad paws extended over the water, and it moved abruptly away from the shore.
Source: La Groac’h de l’Île du Lok from the French book Contes et légendes de Basse-Bretagne published in 1891.
Hello, my name is Vincent Celier.
I am writing translations of folk tales that I found in public domain French books, so that people who do not understand French may enjoy them too.
Bellah gave Houarn three talismans that she got from her parents. Those are obviously powerful magic objects, so it is strange that Bellah is so poor.
On his trip, Houarn arrives at Pont-Haven. This is a city that at the time the French book was published had 1,600 inhabitants. It has now around 1,800.
It is mostly known in France for its "Galettes de Pont-Haven", which are cookies made with plenty of butter and sugar.
It is in Pont-Aven that Houarn hears for the first time about the "Groac'h of Lok Island". And, of course, he decides to go to the island and steal the treasure of the fairy.
But this is a dangerous adventure. Will the two talismans that Bellah gave him be sufficient?
As I got shingles at the end of May and I have suffered from this for three months, I have decided to be vaccinated, as you can get shingles multiple times during your life.
I also wanted to get another shot of the COVID-19 vaccine and for the first time the current flu vaccine.
I had noticed a pharmacy not far from where we live that advertised all kinds of vaccines, including for shingles.
So, two days ago, I went to the Pinetree Pharmacy. Its name is derived from the avenue 50 m ahead called Pinetree Way.
Inside the pharmacy, I saw mainly Asian people. I was the only non-Asian patient.
The pharmacist told me that it is recommended to wait at least a year after getting shingles to be vaccinated. So, I will get the shingles vaccine next year.
I got both COVID-19 and flu vaccines. Yesterday, I was feeling a little unwell because of that, but today I am OK.
-- Vincent Celier