French folklore

medieval epic work

Roland (; ; or Rotholandus; or Rolando; died 15 August 778) was a Frankish military leader under Charlemagne who became an epic hero and one of the principal figures in the literary cycle known as the Matter of France. The historical Roland was military governor of the Breton March, responsible for defending Francia's frontier against the Bretons. His only historical attestation is in Einhard's Vita Karoli Magni, which notes he was part of the Frankish rearguard killed in retribution by the Basques in Iberia at the Battle of Roncevaux Pass.

thumb|Gargoyles of Notre-Dame de Paris thumb|Dragon-headed gargoyle of the Tallinn Town Hall, [[Estonia]] thumb|Gargoyle of the Vasa Chapel at Wawel in [[Kraków, Poland]]

French scrivener

"Bluebeard" ( ) is a French folktale, the most famous surviving version of which was written by Charles Perrault and first published by in Paris in 1697 in . The tale is about a wealthy man in the habit of murdering his wives and the attempts of the present one to avoid the fate of her predecessors. "The White Dove", "The Robber Bridegroom", and "Fitcher's Bird" (also called "Fowler's Fowl") are tales similar to "Bluebeard". The notoriety of the tale is such that Merriam-Webster gives the word Bluebeard the definition of "a man who marries and kills one wife after another". The verb bluebeardi

man-eating animal(s) which terrorised Gévaudan (modern-day Lozère) in France in 1764–1767

medieval narrative in poetic form

leader in the French army, companion-in-arms of Joan of Arc, convicted serial killer of children

17th century prisoner, among the most famous in French history

thumb|upright=1.35|The death of Roland at the Battle of Roncevaux (manuscript illustration c. 1455–1460) The Paladins, also called the Twelve Peers (), are twelve legendary knights, the foremost members of Charlemagne's court in the 8th century. They first appear in the medieval (12th century) chanson de geste cycle of the Matter of France, where they play a similar role to the Knights of the Round Table in Arthurian romance. In these romantic portrayals, the chivalric paladins represent Christianity against a Saracen (Muslim) invasion of Europe. The names of the paladins vary between sources,

In ancient Roman religion, Abundantia (), also called Copia, was a divine personification of abundance and prosperity; abundantia means "abundance" in Latin. She helped protect savings and investments, and assisted with major purchases. She was among the embodiments of virtues in religious propaganda that cast the emperor as the ensurer of "Golden Age" conditions. Abundantia thus figures in art, cult, and literature, but has little mythology as such. She may have survived in some form in Roman Gaul and medieval France. Abundantia is depicted carrying a cornucopia filled with grain and coins, a

cycle of Old French fables

fictional character

thumb|Ankou in La Roche-Maurice, Finistère

Folkloric manifestations and UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage

legendary knight in chivalric romance, Christian saint

thumb|A depiction of the mythical dahu The dahu () is a legendary creature that resembles a mountain goat and is well known in France and francophone regions of Switzerland and Italy, including the Aosta Valley. The dahu, a quadrupedal mammal, may have been inspired by the chamois, a small, horned goat-antelope once plentiful in European mountainous regions, and also resembles the ibex.

legendary magical horse in chivalric romance

legendary figure

leading character in the Italian romantic epics Orlando innamorato by Matteo Maria Boiardo and Orlando furioso by Ludovico Ariosto

13th-century French epic poem

mercenary and pirate from France

medieval tale

The pastourelle (; also pastorelle, pastorella, or pastorita is a typically Old French lyric form concerning the romance of a shepherdess. In most of the early pastourelles, the poet knight meets a shepherdess who bests him in a battle of wit and who displays general coyness. The narrator usually has sexual relations, either consensual or rape, with the shepherdess, and there is a departure or escape. Later developments moved toward pastoral poetry by having a shepherd and sometimes a love quarrel. The form originated with the troubadour poets of the 12th century and particularly with the poet

Christmas-giftbringer in the French-speaking world

thumb|19th-century postcard showing Korrigans. In Breton folklore, a Korrigan () is a fairy or dwarf-like spirit. The word korrigan means in Breton "small-dwarf" (korr means dwarf, ig is a diminutive and the suffix an is a hypocoristic). It is closely related to the Cornish word korrik which means gnome. The name changes according to the place. Among the other names, there are korrig, korred, korrs, kores, couril, crion, goric, kornandon, ozigan, nozigan, teuz, torrigan, viltañs, poulpikan, poulpiquet, and paotred ar sabad.

character in Jean de l'Ours

Companion of St. Nicholas in folklore

French quasi-legendary composer, poet (b. 1450)

In French folklore, Graoully (spelled as Graouli, Graouilly, Graouille or Graully) is a creature with the appearance of a dragon. According to legend, it lived in the arena of the Roman amphitheater in Metz, France. Legends state that Saint Clement of Metz fought against Graoully and vanquished the beast.

fairy spirit in Breton mythology

thumb|Maugis on his horse Bayard, fighting against the Infidels, in Renaud de Montaubant. Loyset Liédet, Bruges, 1462-1470 thumb|Maugis fighting the Saracen wizard Noiron in Aigremont, in Renaud de Montaubant. David Aubert, Bruges, 1462-1470 Maugris or Maugis was one of the heroes of the chansons de geste and romances of chivalry and the Matter of France that tell of the legendary court of King Charlemagne. Maugis was cousin to Renaud de Montauban and his brothers, son of Beuves of Aygremont and brother to Vivien de Monbranc. He was brought up by Oriande the fairy, and became a great enchanter

The bacchu-ber (), derived from Occitan bau cubèrt (, covered dance or indoor ball), is a traditional folk dance performed with swords. This dance takes place in the district of Pont-de-Cervières, city of Briançon (Hautes-Alpes, France). Its origin dates back to many centuries ago (first written confirmation in 1730). This folk dance is unique in France and is one of the rare sword dances that have stood the test of time. It is performed once a year on 16 August, day of Saint Roch (1340–1379), patron of the Pont-de-Cervières district. Similar shows are performed on the Italian side of the Cot

Bishop of Rouen

Mythical beast in French folklore

literary and legendary figure from the Middle Ages

French fairy tale written by Marie Catherine d'Aulnoy and published in her book Fairy Tales (Les Contes des Fees) in 1697

fictional character in Orlando Furioso

alignment of some 77 standing stones in Brittany, France

English fairy tale