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Origin and history

The Verziau de Gargantua, also known as the Haute-Borne, is a 4.35 m high menhir in hard sandstone, set on a hill overlooking the surroundings of Bois-lès-Pargny (Aisne). The stone, probably local, comes from the abundant sandstones in the area, especially in the Berjaumont wood. Its short-cut top and its 1.50 m wide base make it a typical example of the Neolithic megaliths of the Hauts-de-France.

Mentioned for the first time in 1851 by Amédée Piette, the menhir was initially accompanied by a second, destroyed in the 19th century by carriagemen. Ranked a historic monument in 1889, it is associated with local legends: one tells that a giant would have thrown it there after removing it from his boot, another that it served as a stone to sharpen (picket) to an angry colossus. The neighbouring plots, known as Champ de la Bataille, do not, however, have any proven link to a warrior event.

The site is part of a geological landscape marked by clay, sand and sandstone, characteristic of the Land of Pargny. The surrounding sandstones, some of which exceed 200 kg, suggest a close origin for monolith. Menhir illustrates the funeral or symbolic practices of Neolithic, a period when agricultural communities erect these erect stones, often linked to territorial beliefs or landmarks.

Local folklore attributes the menhir a depth of depth equal to its visible height, an unverifiable but recurring hypothesis for megaliths. These stories, mixing giants and thrown objects, reflect attempts to explain popularly for structures whose exact use remains mysterious. The Verziau de Gargantua remains today a rare testimony of the megalithism in the Aisne, protected for its archaeological and heritage value.

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