10 la Bérane Inktober2020

La Bérane (also called « la vieille ») is an evil entity living in the north of Dordogne, in Périgord. It would have the reputation of living deep in wells, water holes or rivers and would suddenly pop out of the water to catch children too close to take them and drown them.
As its name suggests, the creature look like an old lady with wrinkled skin, white and gray hair, and an unappealing glow. His appearance as an old people thus joins the figure of the bogeyman and the witch just like his counterparts such as the Roumec in the Cevennes Valley, Tiranega in Provence or Marie Grauette in the Audomarois marshes.
In many cultures, water is a source of healing property but also of magic and supernatural. The well symbolizes in particular a passage to another world, to the afterlife, or even to the underworld, in the center of the earth. For a long time, many human sacrifices took place near water points and peatlands for religious purposes because the water were considered as access to the world of the gods, especially in Germanic mythology. These pagan practices could very well have been the origin of the creature as we know it today.
Moreover, this legend as well as all the beliefs associated with the drowning creatures (cf Lou Drapé) can be rationally explained by a frightening story which serves above all as a warning. He shields the children from their recklessness and curiosity by claiming a horrible monster ready to take them away, to prevend them from approaching, accidentally falling and drowning.