Tradition: French Mythology
Alternative Names: Rô, Beast of Rô
Category: Dragon
The Myth
The Rô Beast was a hideous dragon with a winged body and a long, scaly tail. It possessed a malign intelligence almost like that of a human, using its cunning to set traps for people and devour them. The creature lived in a cavern at the Pointe de Roux near Aytré, off La Rochelle, and its terror spread throughout the surrounding coastline. No one was able to stand against it.
The reign of the Rô Beast finally ended when seven pagan heroes arrived by boat on the rising tide. They had come specifically to judge the monster. When Rô saw them approaching, it panicked and retreated toward the Pont de la Pierre, keeping its eyes fixed upon the seven figures who pursued it.
There the heroes attacked. They loosed seven arrows at the dragon, each one intended to seal away a part of its terrible senses. Two arrows struck and closed its eyes, two pierced and blocked its ears, two sealed its nostrils, and the final arrow pinned its monstrous mouth shut.
Rô roared and thrashed in agony, but the heroes cast the helpless beast into a deep pit. There it was condemned to remain until the end of time. The seven heroes then took their places around the pit, becoming eternal guardians who watched over the imprisoned dragon.
Yet Rô was never truly silent. The beast still lives within its prison, screaming and howling with rage. Its cries are said to stir the surrounding sea. When Rô howls toward the north, the Gulf of Chevarache in the Breton Pertuis becomes agitated with waves. When it turns its fury toward the south, the waters of Maumusson begin to stir. The old people feared what might happen if the imprisoned beast ever turned its voice toward the west, for then, they said, the islands themselves would be reduced to dust.
The landscape around the legend became bound to the story. The Pont de la Pierre was once associated with a ruined cromlech, while seven granite stones surrounding a deep pit were regarded as the seats of the seven heroes who had judged Rô. An image resembling the beast was also recognized in the arch of the principal portal of the Church of Talmont, although the figure may instead represent the lion of Ezekiel.
The seven mysterious heroes remain an equally ancient part of the legend. Their arrival from the sea evokes warriors such as Vikings, while the tale may preserve the memory of an older Gaulish tradition in which divine or heroic figures came from across the sea. The name Rô itself has likewise been interpreted as possibly preserving the corrupted name of an older pagan deity.
Sources
“Ro.” A Book of Creatures. May 14, 2021. https://abookofcreatures.com/2021/05/14/ro/