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Origin and history

The Dolmen de la Frébouchere, also known as Pierre-Couverte, is an angeline-style dolmen located at Bernard in Vendée. It dates from the Neolithic and is distinguished by its portal-forming corridor, its rectangular 7.20 m long chamber, and a cover table of more than 80 tons. The monument is facing southeast and surrounded by the remains of a pear-shaped tumulus, partially masked by a hedge. Nearby, the megalithic ensemble is complemented by menhir satellites.

The history of the dolmen is marked by human and natural disturbances. Around 1833, clandestine searchers turned two pillars into the interior of the chamber. In 1887, the monument was restored and classified as historical monuments in 1889. The cover table, broken in two parts, was reportedly struck by lightning in 1793 or 1815 according to the sources, although this fracture may be much older. No major archaeological discovery was made on site, but lithic objects, including a polished axe, were found nearby.

Dolmen is associated with a rich local folklore. According to legends, it was built by fairies and fadets. There is a tradition that, at parties, young girls danced on the cover table while elders drank wine in the sepulchral room. Excessed, the fairies would have cursed neighbouring farms, causing epidemics among cattle. The table would also carry a bowl called "not the Devil," and its fracture by lightning would be interpreted as a divine punishment against a pagan monument.

From an architectural point of view, the dolmen consists of nine orthostats (seven granite and two sandstone) delimiting the room. A truncated stone of unknown function is inside. The bedside slab, wider than the bedroom, shows traces of attempted cutting. Granite blocks could come from a quarry 50 metres west. The site, owned by the commune, is today a valuable testimony to the funeral practices and beliefs of the Neolithic in Vendée.

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