is chapter. We are left absolutely in the dark as to
whether the knight and the lady came together at last. I for one do
not blame Marie for this, as with the subtle sense of the fitness of
things that belongs to all great artists she saw how much more
effective it would be to leave matters as they were between the
lovers. There are those who will blame her for her inconclusiveness;
but let them bear in mind that just because of what they consider her
failing in this respect they will not be likely to forget her tale,
whereas had it ended with wedding-bells they would probably have
stored it away in some mental attic with a thousand other dusty
memories.

CHAPTER XII: THE SAINTS OF BRITTANY

An important department in Breton folk-lore is the hagiology of the
province--the legendary lore of its saints. This, indeed, holds almost
as much of the marvellous as its folk-tales, ballads, and historical
legends, and in perusing the tales of Brittany's saintly heroes we
have an opportunity of observing how the _motifs_ of popular fiction
and even of pagan belief reflect upon religious romance.

Just as some mythology is not in itself religious, but very often mere
fiction fortuitously connected with the names of the gods, so
hagiology is not of sacerdotal but popular origin. For the most part
it describes the origin of its heroes and accounts for their miracles
and marvellous deeds by various means, just as mythology does. It must
be remembered that the primitive saint was in close touch with
paganism, that, indeed, he had frequently to fight the Druid and the
magician with his own weapons, and therefore we must not be surprised
if in some of these tales we find him somewhat of a magician himself.
But he is invariably on the side of light, and the things of darkness
and evil shrink from contact with him.

_St Barbe_

Overlooking the valley of the Elle, near the beautiful and historic
village of Le Faouet, is a ledge of rock, approached by an almost
inaccessible pathway. On this ledge stands the chapel of St Barbe,
one of the strangest and most 'pagan' of the Breton saints. She
protects those who seek her aid from sudden death, especially death
by lightning. Of recent years popular belief has extended her sphere
of influence to cover those who travel by automobile! She is also
regarded as the patroness of firemen, at whose annual dinner her
statue, surrounded by flowers, presides. She is extremely popular in
Brit