Tradition: French Mythology
Alternative Names: Pie-Pie-Van-Van
Category: Gnome
The Myth
The Pie-Pie-Van-Van were horrible malevolent lutins said to inhabit the valley of the Meuse, particularly between Bogny-sur-Meuse and Braux. They were associated with the waters and marshes of the valley and were feared for their habit of luring travelers into the water. Once a person had been drawn into their reach, the lutins would drown them and then mock their victim by dancing upon the corpse.
Their danger was especially feared by travelers who wandered near the water. One miserly young man known as Bayeux was lured by the Pie-Pie-Van-Van into a marsh. He managed to escape only after crying out desperately for help. A blacksmith from Braux also encountered the creatures and succeeded in escaping them by covering his face.
The Pie-Pie-Van-Van were therefore remembered as dangerous little spirits of the Meuse Valley, whose apparent playfulness concealed a deadly purpose. They used the landscape itself—its waters and marshes—to trap unsuspecting people before turning their deaths into a grotesque spectacle.
Sources
“Pie-Pie-Van-Van.” Wikipédia, l’encyclopédie libre (French Wikipedia). Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 5, 2026. https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pie-Pie-Van-Van