Post by Graveyardbride on Jun 15, 2015 12:56:58 GMT -5
Man to Spend 60 Days at a Haunted Lighthouse
The haunted Tévennec Lighthouse has been uninhabited for more than a hundred years. But now, one of France’s most terrifying places will finally have a guest. Marc Pointud, founder of the National Society for Heritage, Lighthouses and Beacons, plans to remain at the lonely sentinel for 60 days.
The Raz de Sein is a stretch of water between the Isle of Sein and the Pointe du Raz in Finistère in the Brittany region. The treacherous waters are an essential route for vessels passing between the Atlantic and English Channel. Farther west at high tide, the Isle of Sein and its embankment stretch for more than 30 miles. It is an exceedingly dangerous zone for navigation because of intense sea currents from the surf which increase up to six knots during spring tides. The sea rises quickly from the current, so it is recommended that heavy vessels attempt to cross the strait at still water in calm conditions. But even on the calmest days, it is a difficult transit with 15- to 20-foot overfalls. The Raz has been compared to Cornwall’s Land’s End. The ancient Celts avoided the area, believing the dead traveled over the sea to distant islands. And according to local folklore, at night, those who drown at sea are transported from Pointe du Raz to the Isle of Tevennec. The Baie des Trépassés (Bay of the Dead) is named for the many corpses that have washed ashore following shipwrecks.
The storied lighthouse has a dark and haunting reputation and the tiny spit of rock seems to have seen more than its share of human tragedy. Prior to the construction of the tower, Tévennec was said to be the home of Ankou (the personification of death in Breton legends). When sailing without an engine near the rock, the current takes the boat directly to Tévennec. Many sailors have drowned or died from exposure to the elements at the location.
Ships traversing the Raz are guided by La Vieille (the “Old Lady) Lighthouse just off Pointe du Raz and its companion light, Petite Vieille (“Little Old Woman”) on the rock called Gorlebella (Breton for "farthest rock"). Ar Men Lighthouse, dubbed the “Hell of Hells,” stands guard at the western end of Brittany, and the Tévennec Light, the most isolated of the four sentinels, is just to the north of the Raz de Sein.
There are tales of insanity, suspicious deaths (including those of children), people falling on knives and ghost sightings at Tévennec Light and the recorded history of the station confirms the stories. The lighthouse went into service in 1871 and its first keeper, Henri Guezennec, went mad. Between 1874 and 1910, the station required a new keeper every year because no one could bear the harsh conditions and extreme isolation. “Nobody could last longer,” Pointud said. “But it was a different time. You weren’t able to communicate with the outside world. You basically only had the birds to talk to. It’ll be much easier for me. I’ll be in touch with both the media and my association all the time.”
As for being shut off from human contact, Pointud said, “That is exactly what this is about. Solitude is the Tévennec’s keepers’ tradition. There’s no furniture. It’s completely abandoned. I’m going to bring a couple of bits and pieces – bed, a chair, a table, food and some stuff to write with. It’s going to be a bit like being a prisoner, I suppose. The lighthouse is fully automated, so I don’t have to operate it or anything. There’s no running water, no electricity, no heating. It’s going to cost a fortune to refurbish that place. That’s why we are crowd-funding this project.” Although Pointud insisted he doesn’t believe in ghosts, he said he respected the belief of others and if it turns out the stories are true and he is confronted by a spirit, he said he would attempt to snap a photo of the apparition.
Sources: Ilyass Malki, Vice, May 29, 2015; George Zapo, The Inquisitr, May 30, 2015, and Verity Jones, Digging in the Clay.
