MYTHS AND HEROES
AURAY
Goustan is the patron of sailors and fishermen.
Born in the year 974 in Cornwall, he was kidnapped at the age of 18 by pirates who abandoned him on
the island of Houat. Hungry and hurt, Saint Goustan was contented every day by a part of a big fish he
had sinned. And every day, the fish completely was recomposed. Thereby Saint Goustan is often
depicted with a fish in his hand.
He became a monk in the monastery of Saint Gildas of Rhuys. It was founded at that time upon the
peninsula of Morbihan, by one of the most distinguished British emigrants,
Abbot Gildas, called the Wise, and this abbey reckoned among its monks the Saxon Dunstan, who had
been carried away from his native island by pirates, and became, under the name of Goustan, the
special patron of sailors, as is shown by the verses still sung by the sailors' wives of Croisic: " "
St: Goustan Notre ami, Ramenez nosmaris: St. Goustan Notre amant, Raraenez nos parents." At the
extreme point of the peninsula and of Gaul, on the height of the promontory so fitly
named Finisterre, rose aji abbey in honor of St. Matthew the Evangelist, whose head St. Mathad been
stolen from Egypt by the Armorican navigators.
Georges Cadoudal was born in Brech near Auray (1 January 1771 – 25 June 1804). He is sometimes
called simply Georges, was leader of the Chouannerie during the French Revolution
Cadoudal means in Breton language "warrior returning from the fight"
From 1793 he started fighting against the National Convention of the First Republic.
He joined the army of the Vendée insurrection, Then returning back to Morbihan he wan a lot of places,
but he was arrested, and imprisoned at Brest. He succeeded, however, in escaping, and started again the
struggle against the Revolution. In spite of the defeat of his party, and of the fact that he was forced
several times to take refuge in England, he always kept the same convictions and he refused to come to
any understanding with the government, although offers were made to him by Napoleon Bonaparte, who
admired his skill and his obstinate energy.
Before being executed (with the « guillotine » he shouted to the crowd: "And now, it's time to show to the
Parisians how Christians, Royalists and Bretons die".
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