Coulobre is a mythological creature, a species of dragon that, according to the legends of France, lived in a cave near Fontaine de Vaucluse . According to legend, Saint Veran , Bishop of Cavaillon, miraculously saved Sorg from the monster [1] .
Content
Etymology
The Celtic-Ligurian mythological creature Coulobre (with its variations couloubre , colobrice , colobrix or cobraz ), according to one version, forms its name from two words: Ligurian kal : stone and Celtic de-briga : hill. The very nature surrounding Vaucluse supports this etymology. Another version connects the origin of the name “kulobr” with the Latin “coluber” (snake). [2] . Accordingly, the images of the mythological Kulobra also look different. In some versions, this is a massive creature that looks like a giant tortoise, in others it’s a winged snake that looks like a classic single-headed dragon with a huge toothy mouth.
Description
According to legend, Kulobr is a female being. She lives alone and tries to find a mate. Dragons did not accept it due to ugliness. Having entered into a relationship with the black salamander, she gives birth to the same cubs [3] .
Kulobr and Saint Veran
In the Cathedral of Cavaillon, the painting of Pierre Mignard depicts Saint Veran defeating Colubre. According to legend, Bishop Veran drove away a monster with a wooden spear and flew to the Alps, where he died. The village of Saint-Veran was the site of the fall of the beast. In the village church, a sculpture of Kolubra is placed under the entrance columns. Researchers find in this legend the allegorical meaning of the bishop’s struggle with the ancient pagan cults.
Notes
- ↑ Fontaine de Vaucluse
- ↑ Albert Dauzat et Charles Rostaing, Dictionnaire étymologique des noms de lieux en France , Éd. Larousse, 1968, p. 1758 (Etymological Dictionary of Appellations of France)
- ↑ Édouard Brasey “La Petite Encyclopédie du merveilleux”, Paris, 2007 ISBN 978-2-84228-321-6 (“Small Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages”) 170 pp.
Literature
- Jean-Paul Clébert, Guide de la Provence mystérieuse , Éd. Tchou, Paris, 1972. A Guide to the Mythological Provence
- Lucette Besson, Véran de Cavaillon, le saint, la source et le dragon , Les Cahiers de L'Académie, n ° 2, Beaumes-de-Venise, 1994. ("Saint Veran of Cavaillon, source and dragon").
- Édouard Brasey “La Petite Encyclopédie du merveilleux”, Paris, 2007 ISBN 978-2-84228-321-6 (The Small Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages) 475 pp.