BRETAGNE

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Les mégalithes ou tumuli que l’on trouve en Bretagne impressionnent par leurs dimensions et leur signification. Mais tous les mystères les entourant n’ont pas été révélés  …

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Ce Ce site présente d’étonnantes ressemblances avec des cités d’Amérique centrale, mais il s’agit du cairn du Petit Mont à Arzon, à la pointe de la presqu’île du Rhuys dans le golfe du Morbihan. Les premières pierres auraient été érigées vers 4 500 avant J.-C.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Dans l’imaginaire collectif, ces monuments sont souvent associés aux peuples celtes ou gaulois. Un anachronisme encore ancré dans les esprits.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Les mégalithes datent toutefois de plusieurs millénaires avant l’ère chrétienne tandis que la civilisation celte en Armorique remonte à 600 ans seulement avant J.-C. !

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Pourquoi ces erreurs historiques ? Parce qu’il a fallu attendre les techniques de datation au carbone pour pouvoir déterminer l’âge de ces pierres.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Le Le site de Kermaria (Carnac, dans le Morbihan) représente un alignement mégalithique de menhirs, de dolmens et d'allées couvertes réparti sur plus de quatre kilomètres. Cet ensemble est parmi les plus célèbres et les plus impressionnants de cette période et aurait concerné près de 4 000 pierres levées.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Le romantisme et la science faisaient  bon ménage pour trouver un sens aux alignements de pierres.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Gavrinis Gavrinis est un îlot de 15 hectares dans le golfe du Morbihan. Il présente un tumulus parementé de pierres sèches, long d’une centaine de mètres et culminant à 24 mètres d’altitude.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Ce monument funéraire mégalithique (IV^ème siècle avant J.-C.) est l’un des plus exceptionnels connus à ce jour.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Le Le caractère sacré de ces monuments prévaut indubitablement. On sait ainsi qu’il existait un culte aux divinités du labour, de la fécondité et des morts, et que la déesse de l’Agriculture était aussi celle des Morts.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Dans le cairn de Gavrinis, des dalles sont entièrement couvertes d’arceaux emboîtés. On pourrait y voir le symbole de vulves multipliées, et en déduire que Gavrinis était un temple dédié à la fécondité ; autrement dit à la survivance de l’espèce.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Dominant la baie de Morlaix (dans le Finistère), depuis le sommet d’une presqu’île escarpée, le cairn de Barnenez compte parmi les plus beaux monuments mégalithiques européens.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      De De dimensions importantes  (75 mètres de long pour 28 de large et 9 de haut), il comporte deux parties renfermant onze chambres funéraires, auxquelles on accède par des allées couvertes de dalles, longues d’une dizaine de mètres chacune.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               La La construction de ce monument, qui date de quatre milliers d’années avant notre ère, a exigé 14 000 tonnes de pierres !

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     A Locmariaquer (dans le Morbihan), le grand menhir brisé d’Er Grah ou Men ar Hroëc’h (Pierre de la fée), est le plus grand d’Europe, soit plus de 20 mètres.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Sur le site de Locmariaquer, à côté du Grand Menhir, se dresse un cairn dit la Table des Marchands. La date de naissance de ce dolmen à couloir est fixée aux alentours de 3 900 ans av. J.-C.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   On On pénètre à l’intérieur dos courbé, autant en signe de respect que pour mieux contempler les multiples gravures ornant les dalles, dont cette hache emmanchée et d’énigmatiques représentations géométriques en relief.