La Pierre Levée in St-Fort-sur-le-Né (Charente) has a 6x3m chamber with a 40-ton capstone resting on 3 tall orthostats with lower slabs between. In folklore it was built by the Virgin. This card by Nouvelles Galeries was in print by 1905.

The menhir known as La Demoiselle de Rhuis in Rhuis (Oise) is a little over 3m tall. In 1764 it was recorded as part of a group of six menhirs; by 1789 there were only two and one of those was destroyed in 1793. This card pre-1904.

The dolmen of La Pierre Levée near Le Bras in St-Sulpice-les-Feuilles (Haute-Vienne) has a 3.6m long capstone; a groove across the top is probably from quarrymen trying to split it. This card by a publisher with the initials P.M. c.1913.

This view of the V-shaped passage grave on the SW corner of the alignments at Kermario in Carnac was taken from the bend in the road before the railings were erected by local archaeologist Le Rouzic. It was in print by 1903 and remained so for over 25 years.

Several war memorials in France use displaced menhirs as a centre piece. This one in Quiberon erected in 1921 used a menhir which originally stood on the Point of Beg er-Lann. #RemembranceSunday #StandingStoneSunday.

The centre pieces of the monument aux morts in Plozévet (Finistère) were a displaced and fallen menhir and a statue by the sculptor René Quillivec. It was inaugurated on 12th December 1922. #RemembranceDay. Card by Villard in Quimper.

MAGA Voice

In the early 1900s the 18m long allée couverte of Coat-Mez in Trévou-Tréguignec (Côtes-d’Armor) was being re-used as a barn by a smartly dressed dairy farmer judging from this card by Emile Hamonic in St-Brieuc. #TombTuesday.

The menhir of Camp de César in Avrillé (Vendée) is the tallest in the département at 7m above ground with another 1.7m below and an estimated weight of 85 tons. This has given it the alternative name of “Roi des Menhirs”. Card by Dugas c.1904.

No this isn’t just a pile of rocks! It’s the simple dolmen of La Pierre Chaude in Paulmy (Indre-et-Loire). It has a 2.6m capstone which has slipped due to the collapse of some of the 6 orthostats which form a polygonal chamber. The fairies who built it would not be pleased!

The cylindrical menhir of La Pierre au Diable in Jullouville (Manche) is 3m tall and 7m in circumference at the base. In one tradition the groove across the face is from the chain the Devil used to drag it there. Card by Puel c.1905.

The Peyrelevade in Vaour (Tarn) is the biggest dolmen in the département. The 4x2.9m capstone had broken in two by late C19 as had one of the 2 broad (3.7 and 3.5m wide) orthostats as shown on this card by Guilhem c. 1905.

The “giant” in the alignments at Menec in Carnac (Morbihan) is 4m tall and stands among smaller menhirs in the 4th row about 150m from the W end. One face is crazed and crackled, the other smoother but uneven. #StandingStoneSunday.

Le Grand Menhir Brisé in Locmariaquer (Morbihan) when intact would have stood 20m tall and weighed an estimated 300 tons. The 4 fragments laid in a row are very impressive but its true immensity is only realised when you look at the cross section of the lowest fragment.

The allée couverte at Mougau-Bihan in Commana (Finistère) has an 11m long chamber with an open terminal cell at the end. Six of the orthostats have decoration. The entire hamlet seems to have turned out to pose on this card by Léon, a jeweller in Landivisiau. #TombTuesday.

The menhir of La Pierre du Domaine (aka Château Beaufort) in Plerguer (Ille-et-Vilaine) is made of fine-grained granite, has a rhomboidal section and stands just over 4m tall. Card by Sorel in Rennes c.1916.

The site of Les Mousseaux in Pornic (Loire-Atlantique) has 2 transepted passage graves set in one mound. This card from c.1905 shows the southern tomb before the site was restored in the 1970s.

The menhir of La Pierre Longue de Sale-Village in St-Georges-des-Sept-Voies (Maine-et-Loire) is 5.5m tall. In one tradition it was Gargantua’s whetstone. The woman on the right is holding a sickle which maybe needed sharpening after cutting the crop in her apron….