Under
date of the chalcolithic period in Provence (1500-100 before JC) this dolmen
called The Fairy stone is located from 1 Km in the North-West of Draguignan.
It is contituted by
three vertical paving stones, 2,20 to 2,40 metres hight, supporting the
table of more 5 metres long for sixty tons weight.
In additional supporting stone existed
the last century and still in 1996. The paving stones in place are calcareous.
A few dates
:
* about 1849 : Fitting
out of a stable under the upper table, it was demolished in 1856.
* in 1849 : Léon
COMPAGNON the archaeoligist carried out some excavations.
* January 3rd 1889 :
Classification Decree of the dolmen as historic manument.
* in 1937 : Some children
discovered bones and two flints. An excavation carried out immediately after
brought up the discovery of new bones and equipment.
* in 1975 : An explosive
charge partly damaged the dolmen.
Légends
:
With Raymond FERAUD
the poet, the dolmen became the weeting place for steril women where fairy
Estérelle made fertils with the help of a secret potion.
François
PERROT the archaeologist related the beautiful love story in which a young
Lord (a genie) fell in love with a shepherdess (a fairy). The latter with
her magic wand raised this altar stone in front of which both gave up the
ghost after their marriage.
Dr CAVALIER wrote that
at Fréjus lived Count Armand, father of Rosilde. The latter was seduced
by Vilfrid, one of her father's pages. Both ran away from Draguignan where
they spent the night by a dreadful storm. A fairy touched by the couple
distress, raised with her magic wand the dolmen in order to shetter them.
Return to Mégaliths from elsewelse