Medieval France
The following magical and legendary creatures in French narratives of the Middle Ages have mythological roots. While many of the original myths were replaced by Christianity, these mythological creatures remained a part of the cultural folklore, legend, epics and fairy tales as part of deeply embedded spiritual allegories and mythological archetypes:
- European dragon - Dragons from Norse mythology, Germanic mythology and Greek Mythology were often woven into folklore and myths as the greatest opponents of the feudal knights and kings.
- Fee - Fairies and Elves (See etymology of "Fairy") - The word Fairy comes from the French name of the Fates in Greek mythology, but they had morphed into strange, fantastic, magical beings.
- Dames Blanches - were female spirits, who may come from the mythology of the Matres guardian goddesses.
Read more about this topic: French Mythology
Famous quotes containing the words medieval and/or france:
“Our medieval historians who prefer to rely as much as possible on official documents because the chronicles are unreliable, fall thereby into an occasionally dangerous error. The documents tell us little about the difference in tone which separates us from those times; they let us forget the fervent pathos of medieval life.”
—Johan Huizinga (1872–1945)
“The anarchy, assassination, and sacrilege by which the Kingdom of France has been disgraced, desolated, and polluted for some years past cannot but have excited the strongest emotions of horror in every virtuous Briton. But within these days our hearts have been pierced by the recital of proceedings in that country more brutal than any recorded in the annals of the world.”
—James Boswell (1740–1795)