Mont Saint Michel

Mont Saint Michel The Revelation of the Archangel on "le Mont Tombe".

The huge Scissy forest was situated on the boundary of Normandy andBritanny. In the middle there was a rocky hill, resembling a burial-mound, called "le Mont Tombe. At a distance of 3 km there was a smaller hill called "la petiteTombe". These hills were occupied of the druids and later on perhaps dedicated toRoman divinities. Towards the 4th century the region was christened and in the followingcentury Avranche became an episcopal see. The Scissy forest attracted people wanting toperfect themselves and it quickly became a centre for hermits. Seveal recluses who livedthere became famous. Saint Gaud, bishop of Evreux, renounced his see to become an hermit;Saint Paterne spent some time there before being appointed bishop of Avranche.

The apparition of the Archangel SaintMichael to Saint Aubert the year 708. The picture is found in the ancient monasteryattached to the basilica.

The hermits settled at the foot of the hills, which in their isolation fitted the austerelife of the hermits. Saint Aubert had cells built instead of the huts and had a churcherected, thus founding a monastery. Saint Aubert was the twelfth bishop of Avranche. Nowand then he liked to relax from the work of his high office by sharing the silent life ofthe monks. It was there that in 708 he received a message from heaven. In a dream he sawSaint Michael, the archangel, who asked him to build a sanctuary in his honour on the topof "le Mont Tombe". The pious Aubert who feared it was a delusion put off thecarrying out of the request. The archangel revealed himself to Aubert a second time withgreater severity to reproach him of his incredulity. The difficulties of this enterprisekept back the bishop who had still done nothing when Saint Michael appeared a third time.

The apparition according to a miniaturefrom the XII century conserved in the abbye of Mont Saint Michel

To leave a visible trace the archangel touched the bishop´s forehead withhis finger-tip, producing a mark that the centuries have not effaced.

On the third time he touched SaintAubert's forehead in order to give an indeleble sign for all times: still today yu can seea hole in the cranium conserved in the church Saint-Gervais d'Avranches.

This time Saint Aubert was convinced and did all to execute the demand of the archangel.The task was not easy as the top of the mound was covered with enormous rocks, traces ofthe druid period.. The bishop gathered the people living nearby, told them about theapparition of Saint Michael and asked them to help with the erection of the church. Themonument resembled the basilica of "il monte Gargan", a kind of round cryptholding about 100 people.

The gothic basilica from within. At theleft there is pillar with a staty of Saint Michael in wood

The bishop put two canons in charge of the sanctuary to receive the pilgrims and tocelebrate holy mass. At the same time he sent two young canons to "il monteGargan" in Italy to recount to the guardians of the sanctuary there the infinitegrace bestowed on them and to ask them to have some of the relics they kept. The abbot wasbenign and gave them a part of the red veil that was said to have been left by SaintMichael in 493 and a piece of the marble on which he had been seen sitting. The twoemissaries returned and numerous miracles gave evidence of the blessing of the archangel.The most famous is the recovery of a blind woman from the village of Astériac. When shefollowed the cortège of the emissaries carrying the relics she got her sight back whenarriving at the shore opposite Mont-Saint-Michael. Filled with gratitude she exclaimed"How beautiful it is to see!" This miracle soon became so famous that thevillage of Astèriac lost its name and became Beauvoir. Saint Aubert received the returnof the two canons with great joy. He himself carried the relics into the church andcelebrated the dedication of the sanctuary to Saint Michael. According to an oldmanuscript this took part on the 16th October 709. It was undoubtedly round about thistime that a powerful movement of the sea invaded the Scissy forest, isolating the twohills from the continent. The liturgy has preserved the memory of this event in the officeof the archangel. Mont-Saint-Michel was really surrounded by movable sand where the risingof the water was particularly quick. This quick and insidious rising of the water almostcost a woman her life. She risked the pilgrimage the day before having a child. Thisevent, called the miracle "de la croix des grèves", is the most popular of allthe miracles connected with Mont-Saint-Michael. In 1011 a woman from Normandy convincedher husband and some neighbours to go on a pilgrimage to Mont-Saint-Michael, although shewas soon to give birth. When they returned from Mont-Saint-Michael they were suddenlysurrounded by vapours and they heard the coming of the water. They were forced to continueas fast as possible to save their lives. As the woman could not keep pace with them, theyhad to entrust her to God and Saint Michael. The woman invoked the archangel with all herheart and he saved her. The water stopped short of her and a dry circle surrounded her.She gave birth to a boy, whom she baptised Danger. When her husband and neighbours came tofetch her "dead" body, they saw a woman who carried a child walking towards theshore. They all invoked God and thanked him and Saint Michael who had achieved thismiracle. The boy grew up and became a priest. Each year he returned to Mont-Saint-Michaelto celebrate mass. To indicate the place where the miracle had taken place a cross waserected, which does not exist any longer.
Saint Aubert also achieved miracles. While alive his last miracle was that of the water.They were short of fresh water and he gathered all people to pray God and Saint Michaelfor help. By an angelic indication they dug a deep hole near the rock and found anabundance of water. They also found that the water contained a remedy for attacks offever. Saint Aubert died at Avranche in 725. According to his wish he was buried onMont-Saint-Michael near the altar where he used to say mass. Several miracles took placenear his tomb,

The ancient wooden staty of Saint Michaelin the basilica

Continue to the statue of Saint Michel on the pinnacle

Pilgrimage with Saint Michael the Archangel

Mont Saint Michel The Revelation of the Archangel on "le Mont Tombe".