The Black Venus.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7974, 10 November 1905, Page 2

The Black Venus.

Ons of the most curious relics of paganism which is still worshipped iu a Christian country is the gigantic iblack stone figure ot a woman, which is to be found in a forest of the district of Morbihaii, i# Brittany. It is known as the "Black Venus, ' but probably dates far back to the time when the Greeks and Romans worshipped that goddess. Antiquarians assert) that this ugly idol belongs to the age of the serpentivorsliippers, one of whose suMtrrahean temples is in the neighbourhood This would make the figure :;iuch older ihjn th:' Christian era. Pie sti.ltic is !|,at of a huge, uncouth woman, with a sullen, angry countenance,, her form enveloped iu a loose mantle.

Iho superstitions Hri'lons lntve always worshipped the figure, asserting 'liat it lias power over lh''Weather and the crops. If the idol is. neglected they declare lli.it iln> .n'Miii dies in (lie rur, and if he auger of the Klack Woman is further aroused a lill.il wave sweeps over Jloriiihan Twice (he stone Was c.ist into the sea by pious toll;, who hoped thereby to put an end to the idolatry, ami twice the peasants dragged it l«ci; and sel up an altar before it. Aljijiit two centuries ago (says (he I'nuiy Magazine) Count Pierre <le 1 I.annion, on whose estate the figure Mooil, in order to save the statue Horn both friends and enemies dragi;ul it by In yoke of u x t .|i Ui his own chateau and sel it up in ih ( . Courtyard. 11,. cut a u inscription uti the ba.se of the pedestal, (hclaling the ■ igure to be a Ventis carvel |, y Caesar s soldi, rs. The c Hint and Ins i-Hi i «ui ale l.dthj gone; ] HI ( the' niijrr 15»aui\ Woman, ovrrrm>wii with i»os.s, still stands in the forest, and I »■ peasants slill heseech Iter to I' i'ss heir crops. II n oC d.s hut a S IM M"",, to bring an error Into. insiiti'" ' iue some times insull.cu nl (o banish it.