Menhir de Men Glas
MonumentHidden Treasure
Menhir de Men Glas, located in Erdeven (Département 56), is a historic monument. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Location
- Erdeven, Département 56, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 47.6330, -3.1522
- Mérimée Reference
- PA56000119
A stone sentinel erected since Neolithic times on the Erdeven moors, the Men Glas menhir - "the Blue Stone" in Breton - impresses with its unique schistose hue and its slender silhouette facing the Atlantic.
History
In the heart of the Auray region, in the commune of Erdeven, renowned for having some of the densest megalithic alignments in Morbihan, the Men Glas menhir is one of the most distinctive standing stones on the Quiberon peninsula. Its Breton name, literally meaning "blue stone" or "green stone", betrays the particular hue of the local schist from which it is cut, a bluish tinge that turns to silvery reflections in the low-angled evening light. Unlike the massive, stocky menhirs that can sometimes be found in the Breton hinterland, Men Glas has a slender profile, leaning slightly along the usual axis of the great Armorican standing stones, as if time had tilted it in reverence towards the solstice. This posture gives the monument a presence that is both austere and lively, capturing visitors at first sight. The surrounding moorland provides an unspoilt setting, swept by coastal winds and dotted with broom and gorse. To approach the menhir is to cross a landscape that has remained virtually unchanged for five millennia: no hedges, no tarmac roads in the immediate vicinity, just the earth, the sky and this column of stone in silent dialogue with the maritime horizon. For the photographer, the late afternoon light in summer is particularly favourable: the bluish schist blazes with orange, while the moorlands melt into a cameo of purples and golds. For lovers of prehistory, the Historic Monument listing obtained in 2023 confirms the now officially recognised heritage value of this standing stone, too long overshadowed by the fame of the great Carnac alignments nearby.
Architecture
The Men Glas menhir is a monolithic standing stone, cut and erected in a single block from its original bedrock. It belongs to the Armorican menhir tradition, characterised by a sub-quadrangular shaft with blunt edges, tapering slightly towards the top in a profile typical of monuments on the Neolithic Atlantic coast. Its height, estimated at between two and four metres above ground level - a common dimension for isolated menhirs in inland Morbihan - gives it an imposing presence, without reaching the colossal proportions of the great broken menhirs such as the one at Locmariaquer. The material itself is at the heart of its identity: Armorican schist, a fine-grained metamorphic rock, has a flaky texture that gives it its characteristic blue-grey hue and justifies the name "Men Glas". This rock, which is harder and more resistant than granite in certain orientations, ensures that the edges are well preserved and gives the menhir a precise silhouette despite five millennia of exposure to the Atlantic weather. No engraved decoration has yet been documented on the surface of the menhir, unlike certain Carnacan megaliths decorated with polished axes or shield signs. Men Glas belongs to the category of 'rough' menhirs, whose power lies entirely in their shape, material and position in the landscape, which in no way diminishes their symbolic value for archaeologists, who see them as fundamental milestones in the organisation of the Neolithic territory.
Related Figures
Prosper Mérimée — inspecteur général des Monuments Historiques, pionnier du recensement des mégalithes bretons au XIXe siècleRené-Pierre de Robien — érudit breton du XVIIIe siècle, auteur des premières descriptions systématiques des mégalithes du MorbihanZacharie Le Rouzic — archéologue carnacéen (1864-1939), fouilleur et inventorieur des monuments mégalithiques de la région d'ErdevenMiln James — archéologue écossais ayant financé et conduit les premières fouilles scientifiques à Carnac et ses environs au XIXe siècleCommunautés néolithiques du Morbihan — bâtisseurs anonymes ayant érigé Men Glas entre 4500 et 2500 avant notre ère
Tags
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Menhir de Men Glas located?
Menhir de Men Glas is located in Erdeven, Département 56 department, Bretagne region, France.
Is Menhir de Men Glas open to visitors?
Menhir de Men Glas is currently closed to visitors.