Saint Onenne is a local Breton saint whose cult exists only in

Tréhorenteuc Tréhorenteuc (; ) is a commune in the Morbihan department of Brittany in north-western France. Inhabitants of Tréhorenteuc are called in French ''Tréhorentais''. See also *Communes of the Morbihan department The following is a list of th ...

. The church of the municipality partly bears her name. Initially associated with the image of a "Celtic saint," her cult has been linked to symbols of the swan-maiden or the bird goddess close to the goddess Ana, hence her connection with ducks and geese, birds that have retained an important place in her hagiography. Although she is said to have lived in the 7th century, her first written mention dates back to the 11th century. Over time, the removal of original elements brings her cult closer to that of the

Virgin Mary Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...

associated with grace and purity. Her hagiography, detailed and transcribed from the 18th to the 20th century, suggests that she is the youngest of the sisters of

Saint Judicaël Judicael or Judicaël ( – 16 December 647 or 652) (), also spelled Judhael (with many other variants), was the King of Domnonée, part of Brittany, in the mid-7th century and later revered as a Roman Catholic saint. Background Accordin ...

. She vows poverty and leads a humble and pious life as a goose keeper, receiving favors from the Virgin and escaping a rape attempt thanks to the protection of these birds. Saint Onenne is not known for performing

miracle A miracle is an event that is inexplicable by natural or scientific lawsOne dictionary define"Miracle"as: "A surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divi ...

s, but this figure of humility gains some popularity, attracting many pilgrims to Tréhorenteuc in the 19th century. She was originally celebrated twice a year, on April 30th and October 1st. Abbé

Henri Gillard Henri Gillard (30 November 1901 – 15 July 1979), also known as Father Gillard, the abbé Gillard or as ''le recteur de Tréhorenteuc'' (his pen-name), was a Breton priest attached to the Église Saint-Onenne in Tréhorenteuc from 1942 to 1962. ...

is also responsible for a procession, which has not always been followed. With the help of the Association for the Preservation of his Works and under the impetus of Abbé Jérôme Lebel, since 2018, a procession has resumed between the church and the Saint Onenne fountain preceded by geese on September 29th.

Etymology

Saint Onenne is a Christianized Celtic figure. She is also known by the names Onenna, Onenn, Onène, and Ouenne. Philippe Walter connects her name, with the ending "ene/ane," to that of the great goddess Ana (or Dana) and the duck (ane or ene, in

Old French Old French (, , ; ) was the language spoken in most of the northern half of France approximately between the late 8th

Due to her highly localized cult, she is also known as "Saint Onenne of Tréhorenteuc." In Breton language">Breton Breton most often refers to: *anything associated with Brittany, and generally **Breton people **Breton language, a Southwestern Brittonic Celtic language of the Indo-European language family, spoken in Brittany ** Breton (horse), a breed **Gale ...

, she is called ''Onenn'', and ''Onennus'' in Latin.

Jean Markale Jean Markale (May 23, 1928 in Paris – November 23, 2008) was the pen name of Jean Bertrand, a French historian, writer, poet, radio show host, lecturer and high school French teacher who lived in Brittany. As a former specialist in Celtic studie ...

, whose ideas have since been widely contradicted in the academic world, linked her original Celtic name to that of the "ash tree".

Origins and Mentions

The hagiography of Saint Onenne is clearly of Celtic origin. According to Philippe Walter, she constitutes the most interesting case of a "Celtic saint". He relates her to the myth of the inviolability of the divine virgin and other saints related to birds and water, two themes very present in

Celtic mythology Celtic mythology is the body of myths belonging to the Celtic peoples.Cunliffe, Barry, (1997) ''The Ancient Celts''. Oxford, Oxford University Press , pp. 183 (religion), 202, 204–8. Like other Iron Age Europeans, Celtic peoples followed ...

, which are also found, for example, in the legend of the fairy Viviane. Bernard Robreau sees her as one of the rare emanations of the Celtic myth of the swan-woman in

Brittany Brittany ( ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the north-west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica in Roman Gaul. It became an Kingdom of Brittany, independent kingdom and then a Duch ...

. This myth features women of royal origin who, threatened with rape, transform into a bird (duck, goose, or swan) to save their virginity. All are to be related to the goddess Ana, the symbolism of water, and the cult of springs. He notes that geese have always been associated with Onenne. The clergy preserved this trace of her original identity by transforming her into a goose keeper, and then linking her to the cult of the

. The oldest known mention of Saint Onenne dates back to the 11th century and appears in the Briocense Chronicle, which gives the names of Judicaël's nineteen brothers and sisters, without dwelling on their hagiography or sanctity. The same is true in the Vita Winnoc, in the following century. Onenne's saintly character, however, is recognized by the historian and hagiographer

Pierre Le Baud Pierre Le Baud or Lebaud ( – 29 September 1505) was a French clergyman and historian known for his writings on the history of Brittany. Life Lebaud was born around 1450, probably in Saint-Ouën-des-Toits, Maine, on the borders of Brittany. His ...

, who mentions "Saint Onenne" in 1538.

Albert the Great Albertus Magnus ( 1200 – 15 November 1280), also known as Saint Albert the Great, Albert of Swabia, Albert von Bollstadt, or Albert of Cologne, was a German Dominican friar, philosopher, scientist, and bishop, considered one of the great ...

cites her in 1637 in his "Lives of the Saints," among the children of Judhaël and Pritelle, under the name "Ouenne".

Hagiography

The hagiographical data concerning Saint Onenne come from two sources: the Christian oral tradition of Tréhorenteuc collected at the end of the 19th century, and a lost manuscript dating from the 18th century, which served as a source for Sigismond Ropartz. In 1943, Abbé Gillard synthesized these two sources and included new elements.

Onenne defended by the geese

This legend is the oldest. It comes from an 18th-century manuscript transcribed by Abbé Piederrière, rector of

Saint-Léry Saint-Léry (; ) is a commune in the Morbihan department of Brittany in north-western France. Inhabitants of Saint-Léry are called in French ''Saint-Léritins'' or ''Léritins''. See also *Communes of the Morbihan department The following ...

, in 1863. It presents Onenne as the sister of

and Saint Urielle, daughter of Judaël, king of Domnonée, and Pritelle. She was born in Gaël and at the age of ten, left the royal castle unbeknownst to her parents. On her way, she exchanged her princess's clothes for those of a pauperess from the Breton moorland, so as not to be recognized. Upon arriving near

, she settled in ruins near a fountain and made it her hermitage.

Onenne embraced by the Virgin

This version comes from an oral tale collected by Adolphe Orain. According to the Encyclopedia of Brocéliande, it is more Christianized than the previous one. Onenne's devotion to the Virgin becomes the heart of the story, sexual assault and the protective role of geese/ducks disappear: it seems to come from a deliberate intention to link the cult of Saint Onenne to that of the Virgin in the 17th century, when the parish of Tréhorenteuc was placed under the authority of the Abbey of Notre-Dame de Paimpont. Saint Onenne loses all her Celtic character to become a devotee of the Virgin. According to this

oral tradition Oral tradition, or oral lore, is a form of human communication in which knowledge, art, ideas and culture are received, preserved, and transmitted orally from one generation to another.Jan Vansina, Vansina, Jan: ''Oral Tradition as History'' (19 ...

, Onenne is the daughter of the King of Brittany Hoël III (a legendary king assimilated to Judaël). An hermit reveals to her early on that her life on earth will be short. The princess vows to spend her time deserving Heaven. She runs away from her parents' castle and, on the way, exchanges her clothes for rags. She arrives at the castle of

after nightfall and, threatened by wolves, asks for hospitality. The next day, she is hired as a goose keeper. She takes to picking roses in the lady's garden to offer them to the Virgin Mary. The noblewoman, seeking to know the reasons for the disappearance of her flowers, follows Saint Onenne to the church, from where she sees two angels lift this humble child up to a portrait of the Virgin, from whom she receives a kiss. The lady finally asks her identity of this pious child, and Onenne eventually returns to her parents' castle. Her parents are very happy to see her again, and she now spends her time helping the country. Still young, she falls seriously ill and dies, sure to join the Virgin in the afterlife.

Henri Gillard's Synthesis

In June 1943 Abbé Henri Gillard published a Notice on Saint Onenne, synthesizing the two previous sources with some new elements: his version differs from the previous one from the moment Onenne returns to the court of the castle of Gaël. It has the particularity of better anchoring Saint Onenne's life in local toponymy. According to him, Onenne would be the youngest of the 22 children of the royal couple formed by Judaël and Pritelle. Born around the year 604, she leads a simple and pious life, spending a lot of time in prayer and caring for the sick or distributing alms. At the age of 12, she pronounces her vows before Saint Elocan at the hermitage of

. The saint blesses her and assures Pritelle of her daughter's sanctity. Onenne goes to live in Tréhorenteuc in the castle of Mazeries (or the castle of Sainte-Onenne, the manor of La Roche), offering all her possessions to the poor and spending her time in prayer. Around the age of 26, returning from Brambily (near Mauron), she is attacked by a group of young men who kill her companions, one of them trying to abuse her. Onenne defends herself. Wild geese flying in the sky alert a troop of soldiers who come to her rescue. A few months later, Onenne dies from the consequences of her assault (dropsy before the age of thirty or at the age of 30), around 630. Her body is laid to rest in the church of Tréhorenteuc.

Historicity

The legendary nature of Saint Onenne is almost beyond doubt. Philippe Walter considers the saint to be an

avatar Avatar (, ; ) is a concept within Hinduism that in Sanskrit literally means . It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of a powerful deity, or spirit on Earth. The relative verb to "alight, to make one's appearance" is sometimes u ...

of the goddess Ana.

"never believed for a single second in the historical reality of this Saint Onenne, whose name means 'ash tree' and who is a Christianization of a cult of trees from popular Celtic tradition". He adds that "Abbé Gillard didn't believe in it" either, even though he devoted a significant part of the developments of his new village church to the cult of the saint. Four centuries pass between the supposed existence of Onenne and her first written mention in the 11th century, as Judicaël's sister, and according to which she has no saintly character. It is possible that a cult dedicated to Onenne existed as early as this period in Tréhorenteuc: linking her to Judicaël both gives her Christian legitimacy and associates her with the Benedictine abbey of Saint-Méen, founded by Judicaël.

Cult

The cult of Saint Onenne may have originated with the creation of a Christian religious building in

in the 7th century, which aimed to compete with a "Druidic center". As such, Onenne is representative of the transitional period when

paganism Paganism (, later 'civilian') is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions other than Christianity, Judaism, and Samaritanism. In the time of the ...

shifted towards Christianity. A tomb was long dedicated to her in the church of Tréhorenteuc, also containing three statues of this saint. Saint Onenne's tomb is said to have attracted many pilgrims to the church in the 19th century, as attested by Sigismond Ropartz, who visited it in 1861. It was moved in 1914 and again in 1927, before being definitively removed in 1943: only a marble plaque in the church reminds that Saint Onenne was buried there. There is no trace left of the original place of worship. The church, which fell into ruins at the beginning of the 20th century, was almost entirely rebuilt and restored by Abbé

after the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. The cult of Saint Onenne seems to have been deliberately confused with that of Saint Eutrope from the 15th century onwards, hence their celebration on the same day, April 30th (a date mentioned by Canon Garaby in 1839), and the belief that Saint Onenne would cure dropsy (this power is not mentioned in her hagiography). Another celebration date is given in 1836, October 1st, the day on which Saint Onenne's sister Saint Eurielle is also celebrated. From the 17th century, her cult is linked to that of the Virgin Mary. Henri Gillard strengthens this association by moving Saint Onenne's procession to August 15th, the day of the Notre-Dame pardon. No

s are attributed to Saint Onenne.

Saint Onenne Fountain

The Saint Onenne fountain near the village of Tréhorenteuc is a deeply entrenched spring, adorned with a niche decorated with a statuette of the Virgin, with a granite cross on top. In the 19th century, processions took place between the church of Tréhorenteuc and this fountain, often with the presence of

geese A goose (: geese) is a bird of any of several waterfowl species in the family Anatidae. This group comprises the genera '' Anser'' (grey geese and white geese) and ''Branta'' (black geese). Some members of the Tadorninae subfamily (e.g., Egyp ...

and

duck Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family (biology), family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and goose, geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfam ...

s, but not always: many healing rituals are recorded there, consisting of dropping water on the eyelids of sick children and wetting the shirts of feverish people. Women could hope to be cured of dropsy there, but in fact, it seems that some simply presented themselves as pregnant: the effigy that was in the choir of the church of

would have presented a rather round belly. Parishioners also take Saint Onenne's banner to go on procession. This fountain became the only place of worship for Saint Onenne after 1943. Processions do not take place continuously: Jean Markale reports having witnessed this event on April 5, 1957, with the presence of

, but the tradition was interrupted before being revived in the 1990s at the initiative of the Association for the Safeguarding of the Works of Abbé Gillard.

Sainte-Onenne Castle

Onenne is reputed to have settled in a castle in Tréhorenteuc, near the Sainte-Onenne fountain. Popular tradition places the ruins of this castle at a place called Les Mazeries. The first known mention of this castle is in Jean-Baptiste Ogée's dictionary (1780). The supposed ruins of this castle are described in 1843 by Abbé Oresve and then by Sigismond Ropartz, who specifies in 1861 that "everyone will tell you that this is where Sainte Onenne's house was located". Excavations carried out in 1927 concluded that the ruins dated back to the Gallo-Roman era and that the establishment was probably dedicated to metallurgy. Abbé Le Claire believes that these ruins could have been the hermitage of the saint, so on April 18, 1927, a plaque was affixed there with the message "Here was the castle of Sainte Onenne, princess of Brittany, 7th centur". Eight days later, the plaque was found attached to the tail of a stray dog in the streets of Tréhorenteuc. Abbé Gillard links Saint Onenne's castle to the castle of La Roche mentioned in the

Lancelot-Grail The ''Lancelot-Grail Cycle'', also known as the Vulgate Cycle or the Pseudo-Map Cycle, is an early 13th-century French Arthurian legend, Arthurian literary cycle consisting of interconnected prose episodes of chivalric romance originally writte ...

, which allows him to link Saint Onenne's legend with the quest for the Grail. Another tradition, attested by a single source, names these ruins the "castle of Saint-Bouquet" and asserts that "from his castle, Saint Bouquet could, every morning, greet Saint Onenne who was, for him, a great source of edification. Saint Bouquet cured bites made by rabid dogs".

Representations

The only known representations of Saint Onenne are on six stained glass windows of the Sainte-Eutrope Sainte-Onenne church in Tréhorenteuc, and among the possessions of this same church. A wooden statue depicts her in the

choir A choir ( ), also known as a chorale or chorus (from Latin ''chorus'', meaning 'a dance in a circle') is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform or in other words ...

. On one of the stained glass windows, she exchanges her clothes with a beggar woman. Another stained glass window shows her saved by her geese. A banner, owned by Tréhorenteuc and "classified as an object" in the inventory of historic monuments since June 20, 1929, represents Saint Onenne and Saint Eutrope kneeling near the Virgin and Child, against a background of fleurs-de-lis, with a white goose and three ducklings. Local tradition has it that it was offered by Anne of Brittany, but the object dates from the 17th century. It seems that this banner was offered to Tréhorenteuc with the aim of Christianizing Saint Onenne's procession, by placing it under the patronage of the Virgin. This banner was restored in 1994, at the initiative of the Association for the Safeguarding of the Works of Abbé Gillard. Saint Onenne is represented in statue at La Vallée des Saints in Carnoët, by the sculptor Seenu.

References

Bibliography

* * * * * * {{Portal, Christianity Armorica 7th-century Breton people Breton saints