Le Cheval Guillaume

 

    Bonne Nuit is a natural bay that sailors could rely on for shelter overnight, hence the name 'good night'. Still used as a fishing site, mostly for crabs and lobsters, it is mostly visited for its impressive cliffs and reputation for being a perfect place to practice diving at high tide. Not necessarily a tourist hotspot, it is the site of a rock formation with an interesting history.

  Le Cheval Guillaumewas the focus of St John's Day celebrations, as people would row round the rock for luck. It has not always been there though. In the past, a young woman called Anne-Marie used to skim rocks at the bay. One day whilst there, she was noticed by a sea-sprite. After watching her for a while, the sea-sprite decided it wanted Anne-Marie as its wife. Anne-Marie already had a suitor, William. The sea-sprite decided to get rid of William s he could have Anne-Marie fr himself. William woke one morning to find a white stallion in his stable. Surprised but pleased by the gift, he decided to ride it to show Anne-Marie. That right, William dreamt that the stallion was dangerous. As a precaution, he took mistletoe with him when he went riding. Mistletoe was known for protection against witches and demons. As William rose towards the beach to show Anne-Marie, the stallion suddenly charged towards the sea. It was the sea-sprite in disguise, trying to drown William. William struck the best on the head with the mistletoe and it was petrified and turned into rock. 

  The rock has never disappeared and the sea-sprite has never reappeared. With many stories of supernatural beings carrying women off, probably a good thing William was around for Anne-Marie.

The Legend of La Houge Bie

 

   Seigneur de Hambye (often called Sir Hambie in modern tellings) is a legendary figure who saved St Lawrence from a dragon. Often portrayed in a similar way to St George, a brave knight slaying a dragon, the full story is a little different. A widely unknown Jersey folktale it was included in a limited edition stamp collection and even had a novel written about it in 1869. Taking many liberties with the original legend, The Knight and the Dragon is not a faithful retelling, more inspired by the legend than following it. 

  A terrible dragon settled in St Lawrence and terrorized the whole island, killing people and burning houses. Any men brave enough to attempt to kill the dragon were never seen again. News of the dragon spread far in wide, mostly due to islanders fleeing their homes. The news reached the ears of a young knight in Normandy. Seigneur De Hambye left Normandy with his squire and managed to defeat the dragon. However, the squire, wanting the glory for himself betrayed his master and killed him. The squire returned along to Hambye, with the dragon's head. He told the Seigneur's wife that the dragon had killed her husband, but the squire had managed to kill the beast in vengeance. He also said that the Seigneur's dying wish was for the squire to marry his wife. The squire did not manage to enjoy the results of his lies. After marrying the Signeur's widow, the squire cried out in his sleep, admitting his crimes. The Seigneur's wife had the squire brought to trial, where he confessed and was executed for his crime. La Houge De Hambye is one of two things, either the resting place of the dragon, buried by the Seigneur, or a mound raised in his memory by his wife. 

  In essentials, the main plot of the legend is pretty run-of-the-mill. It is very similar to the Norse legend of Sigurd the Slayer. Sigurd slays the dragon Fafnir and a drop of the dragon's blood gives him the ability to understand animals. Two birds then warn Sigurd that his disloyal companion, Regin, plans to murder him. Sigurd kills Regin, avoiding the fate the Seigneur suffered.

  Like many legends, some historians believe it has a basis in fact. If we take the dragon as a metaphor, for some Christians in the past a dragon was a symbol of paganism. Seen as the enemies of Christians for their beliefs, Knights who slew a Pagan chief were said to have 'slain a dragon'. Seigneur De Hambye may have been a real man who assassinated a Pagan chief. A real dragon or metaphorical one, these Knights should perhaps leave their squires at home.