The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-08-01
THE ORIGINAL BLUE-BEARD.
The Historical Origin of the Old Nursery


The Historical Origin of the Old Nursery
Tale.
Amelia E. Barr. in New York Independent
In the days of the grand mOnarque there were
two brothers called Claude and Charles Perrault
The first designed the famous coonnade of this
Louvre; the latter wrote some very ambitious
poems and disputations, of which he was very
proud, and some exquisite fairy tales, OF which
he thought very little. Nobody now cares any
thing about his poems; but everyone Is familiar
with his "Hopo' Thumb" 'Riquet with the
Tuft," and his still more famous "Blue-bear
Many of Perraults fairy tales are purely imag-
lnative others are based upon legends or historic
facts, which were already we'll known; and among
the latter class is blue beard"
The home of the true Blue beard was Brittany.
lake map and look for the river Blayet. At
the point where it changes its course from east
to west there is a desolate, rocky promontory,
and on its summit the remains of stone fortifica-
tions. 1t is still called Castel Finans and be-
yond all reasonable doubt it was the strong
hold of Blue beard, whose real name was CO.
morre the cursed.
He lived about 100 years ago; but, in order
to begin the story at the beginning must go
still further back to the time when Grallon the
Great, British prince emgrated to Breton,
and built the famous city OF Is, whence some
scholars say the city of Paris derived it's name
This was long before King Arthur and his
famous knight fought dragons and redressed
| wrongs in Gralons native isle. Gralon had a
daughter. beautiful and wicked princess, called
Ahes, and she gave her name to the quaint old
city of Carhaix-KerAhes, which still stands,
full of high-peaked, queer gabled houses, be-
tween Lorient and Roscoff.
Well, in A D. 500 Carhaix was taken from
GrallCns descendant by notorious bandit
called Finans, or Comorre. This was when
Prince Arthur regned in Britain; but it was an
age of great and general misrule and oppres
sion: an age which allowed many bad brave
men to carve out kingdoms for themselves and
Comorre was only following the prevalent law,
That they should take who have the power
And they should keep who can
Comorre was a brutal tyrant. worse even than
the traditional Blue beard: for he killed his sons
we'll as his wives, although of them was
such holy man that he was canoniZed after bis
death. The incidents of his life adorn the church
door at Carhaix; and in of the groups he is
represented as holding his head on his hands;
so we may presume that he was beheaded by his
fathers order. While ruling at CarhaiX Comorre
married four wives, ali of whom mysteriously
disappeared. Then he fell in love with Triphyne,
the daughter of the Count of Vannes.
But ne was so universally abhorred for his
unnatural cruelty that he did not care to ask her
| hand himself So he sent for Sir Gidas, whose
fame for sanctity all Brittany. He
built the abbey which bears uis name, overlook
ing the bay of Quberon. and of which, 600 years
later, the renowned Abelard was abbot. ST.
Gildas answered readily the call os Comorre
He desired to convert him, aud when requested
| to go and ask for the hand of Tripbvne he did
| his best to forward the marriage. He hoped to
| prevent war and bloodshed, and to bind Comorre
! to better life through the influence of wife
| whom he loved.
Triphyne was not willing to 90 to Castle
Finans but she consented finally on condition
that the very hour Comorre tired of her. she
should be allowed to return in honor and safety
to her fathers court Comorre promised all that
required, and the marriage was spendidly
solemnized at Vannes.
So far the monkish chronicles gathered by AL
bert La Grand agree with the more important
evidence Of the frescoes discovered few years
ago near Napoleonville; but as the monks were
writing, to glorify St Gildas, they tell the story
to suit that aim According to them, very soon
after Triphyne arrived at Castle Finans she saw
a change in her husbands manner His brow
was ever black with anger, his words few and
rough. She became terrified and one morning,
in a sudden panic, mounted her palfrey and
fled
Her fight was Immediately discovered. She
was pursued by Comorre, dragged from the
thicket in which she had hid, to the high road,
and beheaded. Then Comorre left the body and
returned to the castle; but servant who had
accompanied her, reached Venues and told what
had been done to her mistress. The poor lady's
remains were recovered by her father and st.
Gildas was sent for to see the result Of his ad-
vice.
The saint was terribly angry, and much
troubled; and, according to the monks by a
wonderful prayer full of sublime faith he re-
stored Trlphyne to life. Then he went to Castle
Fnans, but Comorre refused to admit him. So
the holy man threw handful of dust against
the walls, and they instantly crumbled away.
Comorre was not killed; he escaped to another
castle which he possessed, and continued his
course of sin and cruelty until convocation of
bishops met upon his case and solemnly cursed
him. He was Immediately seized with soma
awful malady, and his soul was borne to hell on
q stream of blood.
This is the story as told for the gloriScation
of St. Gildas and the convocation of bishops, but
in the vault of the chapel OF ST. Nicholas de
Bienzy, south of Napoleonville, some workmcn
discovered about twenty years ago. a set Of fres-
Goes which tell the story as Perralt told it. The
first is the marriage of Comorre and Triphyne
at Vanues; and the beard of Comorre is painted
blueish black. The second exhibits Comorre
starting on some warlike expedition, and hand
Ing Trphyne key. The third is the mysterious
chamber the door is open, and the seven MUIR
dered wives hang against the wall: Then fol-
lows the scene of the terrible question: Where
is the key" Triphyne is on her knees, sister
Anne is looking anxously out of the window. In
the last Comorre is putting the rope round
Triphynes neck but her brothers, accompanied
by ST. Gidas in his holy robes, are at the door.
These frescoes were certainly executed more
than 300 years ago, and before LIE Grand wrote
his lives of the Breton saints, yet they only give
form and color to the far more ancient oral
tradition preserved by the almost prehistoric
city of Carhaix; Carhaix. the city of Comorre
1t IS worth noticin g in passing that less than
80 years ago, Carhaix obtained kind Of pte0us
notoriety the first landing place of bonnie
Prince Charlie" after his escape from Scotland
and the fatal field of Culloden.
The dreadful death procured by the bishops
| for Comorre is not ratified by popular tradition
| which asserts that he was killed in battle at q
| spot called Willow Bough near the heights Of
Arez. Within a very few years a large stone was
pointed out as the one covering the grave OF
Comorre, the Cursed, who was-if the frescoes
of ST Nicholas de Bienzy are to be believed
without much doubt, the real Blue beard
Why Charles OConor Spelled His Name