Chaire des Druides means 'the duids' pulpit'.chaire des druidesThe distinctive, stone-studded countryside around Mael-Pestivien reaches its climax at the Chaire des Druides, a beech-covered hill housing a collection of remarkable granite boulders. The site, regarded as holy up to this day, is thought to have been a sacred spot of great significance in pre-Roman times. The stones themselves are strongly reminiscent of the man-made prehistoric megaliths.
A perfect place for a family outing or picnic.
The Celtic stones, half-masked by trees.the celtic stonesQuite frankly, I was completely taken aback. During the past couple of years that I have been visiting megaliths, I had never seen anything like the Celtic Stones, also called the Pierres Causantes (Chatting Stones), and I believe that few people have.
It was a biting-cold December afternoon when I set out by bicycle on my pilgrimage to the stones - and a pilgrimage it certainly turned out to be; I had underestimated the distance, so ended up making a 40 km round trip, which made me both tired and very cold.
At one end of Mael-Pestivien, the road forks. The right fork (direction Lanrivain) is marked by a nearly-faded signpost for the ‘Pierres Celtiques de Pempoul’ - our destination.
The stones are quite a distance down this little road, just after the hamlet and chapel of Coat Maël. A long track leads off through the picturesque, rock-studded pastureland of Maël Pestivien. Finally I reached the summit of the hill, which was a small wilderness of heath and trees. The Celtic Stones stand at the very top, towering over the surrounding countryside. I have rarely seen anything quite so impressive. Two towers of stones mirror each other, almost identical, with a small crack running between the two. What are the origins, and what is the significance of the site? Their name refers to their being ‘Celtic Stones’, and they occupy a position not far from the Chaire des Druides (which is in fact in full view), a site generally accepted to be a place of ancient worship. Almost certainly the Pierres Celtiques were also a holy site.
As I climbed back down the hill the sun was setting, and as the world grew black, my attention was drawn to the brilliant colours of the sky. I believe I had visited one of man’s earliest temples, which had lost none of its power to inspire awe, even after many thousands of years.
