MENHIRS LIBRES




www.menhirslibres.org



















TO SAVE AN ANCIENT SACRED GROUND







The menhires in Carnac, Brittany, served as a religious and social meeting place in the ancient Celtic culture. For thousands of years they have continued to pass on thier suggestive message to the inhabitants of the area as well as to all 

of the others in Europe who have been able to decipher their precious meaning. They are a proof of living archeology that are able to transmit the Celtic spirit that continues to live on in Brittany.

For many centuries  the inhabitants of this region have included this living testimony in their social and cultural stitch-work.

The people of Carnac would go amongst these sacred stones to celebrate weddings, bid farwell to their deceased and swear the reciprical love of their youth before engagement.

However,today this is no longer possible.  The French government has decided that it wishes to use the main area of the megalithic alignments for speculative purposes, that is that, in that area a large housing and commercial complex is planned to be realized.

Moreso, the French government declared that it shall enritch this megalithic area by creating a sort of Disneyland amusement park within the site of the alighnments On the other hand, the inhabitants of this place are protesting this action, which they see as scandalous and sacrilege. This action will destroy the poetic sense of a testimony that has managed to make it up to our time, crossing through history unharmed. 



   

It is with great sadness that we stand united in the wake of this loss that, at the birth of United Europe, where on the contrary the historical roots of the European community should be protected, sees the destruction of the testimonial of ancient poetry narrated by the feats of bards and druids that is of an incalculable value.

What can be done? On our behalf, we can do no more than ask the for the help of the European peoples solidarity, so that it can raise it's voice to denounce this vicious action, and ask for the French governments mercy, so that it should not sacrifice this testimonial of incalculable value, that is represented by the megalithic alignment of Carnac, in the name of money.




















   



Giancarlo Barbadoro


President of the Ecospirituality Foundation






THE CASE AT THE UNITED NATIONS

























THE ROLE OF THE ASSOCIATION  "MENHIRS LIBRES"





In order to defend the sites menhires, the association "Menhirs Libres" was born at Carnac. For ten years this association 

unites the people and the various associations that are against the commercial and tourist project that threatens the Alignments.

The action of "Menhirs Libres" has given way to a collective force baring the Breton name "Holl a-gevred" (All Together) , that is made up of about ten associations that fight against the project that is underway. 

On August 2002 the collective group "Holl a-gevred" seized the Belvedere of the Kermario Alignments for 40 days, until it was not forced to evacuate the area by the police.






To know more:   www.menhirslibres.org



























A Little History








Makes the following proposals for
 human- scale tourism  in harmony
  with the  environment




















Expropriate 250 residents of Carnac

and transform the alignments in a sort of large museum

 that comes to life during the summer periods 

and dies down during the winter months.

The goal is to also create a sort of “ megalithic reserve”,
 
in brief a MENHIRLAND. 

This would mean creating a site devoid of its true reality, 

devoid of its traditions and of the site’s memories.


This would deal a great act of injustice to history.







Association Menhirs Libres
La Petite Métairie - 56340 Carnac - France 



 www.menhirslibres.org


































The archaeologists take action to 'protect' the menhirs



WHEN ARCHAEOLOGY WANTS TO 'SAVE'
 THE SOUL OF THE MENHIRS






The transformation of the site seems only to foreste the commercial trivialization
 of a site considered sacred by the inhabitants of Carnac.



    


The tourist train for the theme park, under construction, and the panels with the various prices for the tours.


    


The imposing 'archaeological' bookshop alongside the site is one of the expensive souvenirs of the merchandising that has nothing to do with archaeology.


    


One can't help wondering what the jams and t-shirts in the gift-shop have got to do with	archaeology's attempts to "save" the menhirs…


    


The sale of necklaces, jewellery, key-rings and flags in the "archaeological" gift-shop which	stands next to the site. What has all this got to do with archaeology?



    


The marquee beside the bookshop, to house the 'volunteers' of the archaeological staff in charge of convincing the tourists of the legitimacy of the confiscation of the site. In the picture on the right, a volunteer insistently explaining to an unapprised tourist that the site must be saved from "destruction". A concern that did not prevent many menhirs from being blithely demolished in order to re-route a state road.


    


The gate to the site that prevents anyone without a ticket from entering. In the picture on the right, a group of tourists is guided through the menhirs by the 'volunteer' on duty, who high-handedly explains that the megalithic structure is nothing more than a burial ground, trivializing the true meaning attributed to it by the inhabitants of Carnac and the surrounding area. This is the explanation given for the techniques used for erecting the stones by the ancient Celts.





A panoramic view of the menhirs, imprisoned by the metal fencing that prevents the inhabitants of Carnac from freely accessing the area.