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Origin and history

Menhir de Mentoul, also known as Menhir de Saint-Philibert, is an iconic megalithic monument located in the municipality of Moëlan-sur-Mer, in the Finistère department. This large-grained yellow granite block, 3.10 metres high, dates from the Neolithic and illustrates the typical constructions of this prehistoric period. Its irregular shape and its imposing dimensions (2 m wide at the base and 1 m thick medium) make it a remarkable vestige of Breton heritage.

The first written mention of the menhir dates back to the late 19th century, thanks to René-François Le Men, who described it as menhir de Saint-Philibert. At that time, the ruins of a covered driveway were still visible nearby, in the moorland on the other side of the road, suggesting a larger megalithic site. These observations highlight the archaeological importance of the area, although these incidental remains have now disappeared or are indistinct.

Ranked as historical monuments by order of 16 August 1973, Mentoul Menhir is also associated with persistent folk practices. Until the mid-20th century, local residents rubbed themselves against menhir protuberance to treat the colic. Another custom was that newlyweds rub their belly: men to hope a son, women to assert their domestic authority. These traditions reflect the symbolic and therapeutic dimension attributed to megaliths in Breton culture.

From a geological point of view, the menhir is composed of large-grained yellow granite, a rock typical of the region. Its state of conservation and its current location, near the rue de Quimperlé in Moëlan-sur-Mer, make it a point of interest for those passionate about archaeology and local history. The available sources, including the works of Georges Guénin and Yvan Pailler, document its inclusion in the inventories of Neolithic monuments of Finistère, strengthening its status as a protected heritage.

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