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between the mid-XVIth, since it refers to the pilgrimage, and
1632 and it is located by the narrator exactly at the outlet of
the Lac Ténébreux (Gloomy Lake), an obvious transposition
of Lacus pavens. The action can be abridged into several
parts:
(i) “ There is a lake, 2½ leagues from Besse , named
“Ténébreux” because it is always covered with fog and thick
and dark clouds that bring damages to the limagne [valleys] of
Auvergne: because during the whole spring and summer, these
vapours escape from the lake, causing storms and thunder that
very often damage fruits, grains and vineyards in this
country...”This description features thunder, storms and damages on
crops, including lowland vineyards that are far downstream
of Pavin, in the valleys (limagne) (Fig. 1.2b, c ). All these
Pavin attributes are already present in several other witnessed
accounts of Pavin misbehaviour between 1551 and the mid-
XVIIth century (See Sects. 2.3.3 and 2.3.4 ). The storm is not
triggered by a thrown stone in this story.
(ii) “ The Ténébreux Lake is wide and its water is green as
spring grass and its sand is as verdigris. There are monster
fi shes that have never been fi shed because this place is inac-
cessible and uninhabitable, and only visited by the pilgrims
attracted by their curiosity; however [they come] on one side
only, since on the south side [of the valley, where the lake
outlet is] no one would dare to come, as one can hear such
terrible sound and screams, from immemorial time”.The grass-green water colour is an unusual colour for
common lakes but it is observed today in some acidic volca-
nic lakes. The inaccessibility and inhabitability of this place
is outlined. Pilgrims fearing the terrible lake sounds and
screams, avoid the direct route from Besse to the Vassivière
mountain (see schematic pathway on Fig. 1.2c ). The cascad-
ing lake outlet and the pathway between Besse and Vassivière
are represented in the 1575 picture of the Land Register of
Besse (Godivel I 1579a ) (Chap. 2 ).
(iii) “ From the beginning of time there is, adjacent to the lake, a
rock named the Fairies Rock (Roche des fées) which is believed
to be the hiding place of the monster which I will describe”.The Fairies Rock refers to the Montchal volcano , i.e. the
burning mountain, adjacent to Pavin. At this stage the story
becomes fantastical with the dragon encounter, dated on the
“15th of last May”, possibly in 1632, at midnight when La
Brière comes back from Chaufour to Besse.
(iv) “The monster has an excessive length ...a head like an
ox...but longer. His eyes are sky-blue with red like a turkey cock
crest, with peacock feather between the horns and white feather
wings like a swan; his neck is 3 to 4 feet long...his back is cov-
ered with strong scales...the tail is 15 to 16 feet long; he has big
claws” , etc.This dragon portrait is an archetype combining multiple
attributes: as long like a snake, powerful as an ox, rapid andFig. 3.2 The Gloomy Lake dragon story published by de Beaufort in
1632 at Paris, so far not attributed to Pavin, describes with precision a
sudden mudfl ow, one of the multiple misbehaviour of lacus pavens.
(Bibliothèque Ste Geneviève, Paris). It has been re-published again in- It was not attributed so far to Pavin by folklorists
M. Meybeck