The Ankou

PHOTOGRAPHER:  (Paris, France)   |   CAMERA:    |   LENS:    |   MEDIA: 

This photo has been viewed 4624 times.

In Breton mythology, the Ankou is a creature that collects the souls of the dead in an old horse drawn cart. Legends say that the Ankou can be met on misty days in the moors. The first sign of its presence is the squeaking of the wheels of his cart. If you ever hear this kind of sound, you'd better flee or you will finish in the back of the cart.
The Ankou is generally depicted as a tall man wearing a hat and long coat, but on sculptures such as this one, he appears as a dancing skeleton.
This stoup is in the entrance of the church of La Martyre.