Paris1972-Versailles2003

There is so much architecture and history around here enough for a blog on its own! Let me go again into my road warrior mode and take you down to lovely Carnac. I have written on the megaliths stones before but not much on this one which deserves attention and it is very close to me. Therefore, let me tell you a bit on the Dolmen Mané Kerioned of Carnac !! Hope you enjoy it as I.

We passed by it every time to the beaches but have stop here for a bit of history. The dolmen Mané Kerioned is on the D768 road between Auray and Plouharnel, on our way to Carnac but belongs to the latter. The stones here dates from more than 3500 years BC. Its a group of 2 dolmen stones standing side by side facing South, and a third one facing them; the longest one you need to kneeled but it is 10 meters long below the surface. It has several engraving hard to decipher even today, these were burial chambers….impressive!!. They are in the town’s limits of Carnac but they are really closer to Plouharnel, just before entering the peninsula of Quiberon.

In the past, these dolmens were covered with a cairn, a mound of stones and earth which has partially subsided. The arrangement of the three tombs forms a whole unique in Brittany: two dolmens are open towards the South and perpendicular to the third which is placed in the center. The largest is below ground level and can go unnoticed by dazed visitors. It is certainly the most interesting. Its total length is around 10 meters. You can clearly see the corridor of the trapezoidal chamber and the decorations engraved in the pillars. This style of parietal engravings resembles the patterns observed on the back of the cover slab of the large dolmen of the Table des Marchand de Locmariaquer (see post). There are tangles of rectangles that look like labyrinths and wavy lines like snakes.  Six of the 27 pillars are decorated with these patterns: Engravings at the level of the room, slab in escutcheon, engravings in the pillars of the corridor, and engravings near the entrance. It is freely accessible although it is located on private land. The dolmen underground it is good idea to bring a flashlight to fully see the engravings within this tomb, there are many finely carved stones, with unusual chequerboard designs on them, as well as some more standard serpents and axes.

Kerioned means Korrigans, these little goblins or leprechauns would therefore inhabit the dolmens. The mound measures approximately forty meters in diameter and is delimited by four small menhirs. It must certainly have been completely surrounded by a quadrilateral of menhirs. Part of the mound was removed during the creation of the D768 road, and another part was destroyed during excavations in 1866. The dolmen located today in the center of the site, must also have been in the center of the mound and therefore must to be the oldest of the three. The dolmen to the west is nine meters long. The orthostats composing it rise and form the steps of a staircase towards the north. It still has four tables. Eight of the orthostats of the underground dolmen carry engravings on their surface. Only its tables are visible from the surface. Superbe!

The official Menhirs of Carnac on what to see: https://www.menhirs-carnac.fr/en/visit/visits-and-activities#to-prepare-or-deepen-your-visit

The Carnac tourist office on the dolmen Mané Kerioned : https://www.carnactourism.co.uk/fiche/site-de-mane-kerioned-en

The town of Carnac on the dolmen location : https://www.carnac.fr/Annuaire-des-services-et-equipements/Dolmens-du-Mane-Kerioned

There you go folks, another wonder of our world very easy accessable from the expressway N165 to the D768 direction Carnac and right in front of the bowling alley on your right coming from Auray are the dolmens!  Again, hope you have enjoy this post on the dolmen Mané Kerioned of Carnac !!! as I.

And remember, happy travels, good heatlh, and many cheers to all !!!