71(Block, SB03 to SB06 and SH01 to SH03). She mentions
another “monster fi gure swallowing a man” in Lautenbach
credences in Alsace, where a fl ood-dragon has also been
reported (Leggin, 2003) (see previously). The Besse Abbé
Blot, in his description of the church ( 1924 ), had an inking
that these stalls were uncommon, describing “bizarre heads
with closed eyelids, bulging eyes, mouth dilated by pain,
scaly tongue and also a fl ying woman without arms, an
allured fl ying woman” , [the NB07, Block).
3.6.4 The Santa Martha Chapel, in Besse:
Another Protection Against Pavin
Disorders (1670)
The Santa Martha chapel was built in 1670 in St. André
Church. There, her statue, about 1 m high, was originally
standing in the middle of a dedicated wooden altar,
reproduced by Blot ( 1924 ) (Fig. 3.6a ). Santa Martha can be
easily identifi ed by the defeated Tarasque lying at her feet.
Santa Martha is often found in churches of cities along
major rivers: she is one of the most prominent sauroctonous
saints and is commonly invoked against river fl oods and
other water disorders (Reyt 2000 , 2002 ). As the city of Besse
was built high above the thalweg of the Couze Pavin, in the
headwaters area, the fl ood risk is limited and her presence
most likely guarantees protection against the catastrophic
events produced by the lake as the dragon featured in the
Gloomy Lake Dragon story (Section 3.4.1) dated 1632.3.7 Social Responses to Maar-Lakes
DisordersThe social responses to lake disorders generate a second set
of indicators of past maar-lakes degassing and their related
latent fear. They are also very diverse and include specifi c
constructions, still visible and/or functioning today, lake
cults with specifi c deities and Christian communities, lake-
related legends and fantastic stories featuring fantastic ani-Fig. 3.5 Misericords of Saint André Church (Besse, late XVIth) with
fantastic creatures, bizarre and suffering heads. This exceptional set is
re-attributed to representations of Pavin misbehavior representation
( upper pictures ), and fear and damages ( lower pictures ) to Humans.
(Author’s photographs)3 Lake Cult, Dragon, Fairies and Miracles at Pavin and Other Maar-Lakes