Legends of the Mas d'Azil Cave
THE IMPATIENT BRIDEEE
Used by man since the Paleolithic, the Mas d’Azil cave is gigantic in shape,
The Arize enters the cave through its immense southern porch and rushes under the Plantaurel massif,
After an S-shaped path, 420 m long, it emerges through the north porch in a cascade,
It crosses the mountain and has given birth to some legends and misfortunes.
During Prehistory by the Aurignacians and the Magdalenians the cave was inhabited,
Leaving as traces of life flints, punch smoothers and streamlined scrapers,
And as a testimony from hunters, the fabulous propeller called “bird fawn”,
Daughter of a king of the region, this is where a girl of rare beauty lived, AIMIGO.
When “Aimée” was 15 years old, she was betrothed to a foreign prince, living in sunny Iberia,
In her impatient curiosity to know her handsome prince, escorted by a few knights and pages helping
She set off, by the light of torches, to cross the cave to meet Prince Charming.
But a violent gust rushed into the gallery, plunging it into complete darkness.
The Queen, distraught, moved away from the usual path, groped through the darkness, in despair,
She took a few steps and slipped into the abyss, at the edge of the opening torrent,
She ended up falling and her body sank into the cold water, never to be seen again,
Since then, this chasm has been called the Queen's Chasm, Gourgo Regino.
According to legend, the pale face of the princess sometimes rises to the surface of the water,
Seeing it then is, it is said, an omen of happiness for the newlyweds,
Since this tragedy, the brides of the country come to consult the Gourgo Regino,
Leaning, the day before their wedding, for a long moment over the waters of the blue abyss.
In the vaporous wave, if they are lucky enough to see the white face of a woman,
With blue pupils, like two flax flowers blooming in a charming field of snow,
It is that Princess Aimigo, rising for a moment from the depths of her damp grave, falls haughtily,
Foretells them a marriage blessed with love, like a beneficent star illuminating their entire life.
When the white apparition disappears, after having brought this happy omen,
The engaged couple fill a large ageless stoneware jug with water from the abyss,
Like the ancient amphora bearers they return to their homes, jug on the carried shoulder,
Warding off evil spirits, they sprinkle their love nest, for perfect marital happiness.
THE DEVIL’S ARK
The cave had a reputation for harboring evil spirits, ghosts and legendary fears,
But it was home to a beautiful love story between Brunissendre de Roquebrune and Jéhan de La Kère,
These young people had known each other during the festivals given by the lords showing their power
To get a closer look at her beauty, Jéhan de la Kère disguised himself as an easy-going troubadour.
The Lord of Roquebrune intended the beauty for a rich and powerful lord of Fossat, old and podagre,
Our lovers seeing each other very rarely, imagined a stratagem to meet more often,
One morning, Brunissendre with ebony hair and beautiful black eyes, not at all chiragre,
Went to find his father and in an emotional voice, informed him of his concern about him, while trembling
Father, I had a vision last night telling me to go to the cave after dark,
Under the stone arch, near the river, I will learn an important revelation about you,
The cunning damsel, who knew her father was very superstitious, pretended to refuse,
Father, she said, I would never dare, but the Lord ordered his armed people to escort him.
Thus, every evening, the beautiful Brunissendre found her dear Jehan under the stone arch,
One evening coming out of the cave, all amazed, with dark circles around her eyes and a wrinkled dress,
Her guardians did not doubt for a moment that she had really seen the devilish being,
When, nine months later, a little blond angel was born at the castle, the Lord became terribly angry.
The entire castle shook, serfs, valets and maids hid beyond the reach of his sword,
His kind lady, who had seen others, let the storm pass and presented him with the newborn,
Faced with fairness and innocence, the Lord understood that love was stronger than money,
Planned for the spring, in the Church of St Étienne, he gave his consent to the marriage.
"As is the case with any story that ends well, they lived happily for a long time,
and had many children."
According to tradition, the cave would have been a wild cloister of fateful Virgins, true stars,
Called “Las Encantadas”, sang and taught mortals the sacred arts,
They only fed on divine songs, and drank only immaterial nectar,
But did one of them violate the regulations in gold letters on a block of crystal, inlaid?
What sacrilege he desecrated their sanctuary, no one knows,
But these priestesses disappeared forever, the crystal darkened and turned into rock,
On Saturday the witches' sabbath was held there, a meeting place for fears and evil spirits,
We could hear their wicked laugh from hell mixed with the clashing of broom handles.
The Sirens with hair long and fine as silk, styled with golden combs,
Resembled, from head to waist, beautiful young girls of eighteen, haughty
On the belly and tail of fish the same as the rest of the body,
Living underwater during the day, they hid at the bottom of the rocks of the river.
The evening Angelus sounded, when night came they returned in herds to the edge of the meadow,
Until the first stroke of the Angelus in the morning they frolicked, swimming in the light of the moon, delighted,
Their song, so sweet, so sweet, attracted all the lovers to them, charmed as they approached the water,
Especially those whose mouths were united in a long kiss, before the blessing from above.
Immersing their bodies in the clear wave, the Sirens fond of flesh jumped on them,
Ate their livers, hearts, guts, sucked their blood, brains and eyes,
The poor lovers becoming in their turn so many sirens, until the last judgment,
How many lovers have disappeared like this in the clutches of “enchanted”
The most famous is the story of the loves of Rose-la-Fileuse and Bertrand-le-Roux,
For a long time, above the cave, the small cross was raised in their memory,
A place of pilgrimage, at Midsummer, for young girls and young people crazy about love,
In homage to Rose and Bertrand and their long kiss of love, a very dark story.
For more than two years, Rose-la-Fileuse and Bertrand-le-Roux loved each other tenderly,
In all innocence of their chastity, both as pure as the meadow daisy,
Rose, with hair long and fine as silk, like that of pretty mermaids,
Broad chest, strong like a Gascony ox, face like a golden pancake, it was Bertrand.
Rose and Bertrand, too young, had not yet been able to marry to unite their destiny,
Their wedding was scheduled for the next harvest, after midsummer,
In the meantime, they loved each other with all their hearts, with long sighs, in all purity,
But one very hot evening, Rose came up with the idea to cool her body in the water of the river.
She hastily undressed, looking around to see if anyone could see her from afar,
As soon as she was naked, her arms, her throat, her legs, white as a morning lily,
Shivered with fear, at the sight of the mermaids combing their silken hair with golden combs,
They were swimming and frolicking in the moonlight, Rose could hear their cries and their laughter, very loud.
They saw her and shouted: “A young girl! A beautiful young girl! »
And everyone turning towards her: “Rose-la-Frileuse, my dear, come, come swim with us. »
" Mother of God ! I came across a flock of mermaids, I have to run”
But the sirens began a song and the enchanted Rose could not run away.
By the virtue of this song, she was forced to approach the sleeping water,
And quickly she dove in, shouting in a voice so loud that Bertrand heard her,
As fast as a greyhound, he came down from the top of the hill, he saw the mermaids embracing Rose,
Bertrand dove into the water, impatient to remove the body of his beloved from their virtuoso clutches.
The mermaids thought they were dealing with guilty lovers of the flesh peach tree,
But Rose and Bertrand were pure like the innocent daisy in the meadow,
The mermaids couldn't suck their brains and blood and turn them into two friendly mermaids,
They could only hold them for nine months and nine days, without overbidding.
Nine months and a week among the mermaids, during the day hidden underwater, naked,
The night frolicking and swimming with them, in the light of the moon, until the first stroke of the Angelus,
They lived with their flesh burned with desire, not daring to look at themselves for fear of succumbing to sin,
When the morning of the ninth day came, the mischievous sirens set them free.
After putting on their clothes, Rose and Bertrand, without touching each other, ran to the bridge church,
“Monsieur priest, marry us, marry us quickly; otherwise the mermaids will eat us",
“My children, I will marry you tomorrow, and so the mermaids will not be able to eat you.”
But at night, the last lights of Saint-Jean extinguished, Rose and Bertrand wanted to get closer.
Alone, on the top of the hill, where the little black cross rises, sincere,
Long sighs of love, escaped from heaven and earth, ran around them, suspicious,
Forgetting priest and sirens, mad with desire, in a great embrace they kissed,
Lips to lips, sucking in a long kiss the flavor of their mouths.
Immediately, the song of the sirens rose to them, they were forced to dive into the water,
The mermaids jumped on them, sucked their blood and brains, and immediately ate their hearts,
Thus perished on the evening of Midsummer, Rose-la-Fileuse and Bertrand-le-Roux,
For having given each other a long kiss on the lips, a single kiss of love, very gentle.
Nothing better than Nadau to sing his Encantada, Patapim, patapam!!!
Guy says l’Arié…..Joie