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Origin and history

The Menhir de Quélarn is a listed megalithic monument located in the municipality of Treffiagat, in the south of Finistère (British). Mounted in granite, it is about two metres high and has visible faults, giving it a fragmented appearance. It is located on the edge of the forest, near a creek and a slope marking the border with the neighbouring commune of Plobannalec-Lesconil. Its isolation and surrounding vegetation make it difficult to access and not very visible, although it has been classified as a historical monument since 1923 with a strip of land of two meters around.

The menhir derives its name from the place called Quélarn, located nearby on the town of Plobannalec-Lesconil, which has sometimes caused confusion with other neighbouring megaliths, such as a cairn and a dolmen located 300 meters south. Unlike the latter, the Quélarn Menhir is isolated and has not been thoroughly studied. Its position near a spring (a stream is born at its feet) and its alignment with other menhirs, such as those of Kerfland 1.8 km to the northwest, suggest a role both funeral and an indicator of water resources, typical of neolithic megaliths.

Ranked on 6 March 1923 at the same time as other local menhirs (like those of Lehan or Kerfland), the menhir of Quélarn is departmental property. Its inclination and fragmented state could result from its seniority or natural phenomena. Pierre-Jean Berrou hypothesizes that he served as a "menhir sign of sacred place", announcing the nearby megalithic ensemble. Armand Duchatellier, in 1851, evoked an uncertain etymology of the place called Quélarn, linked either to foxes (ker-leern), or to corruption of the word Lenn (lesson or reading).

Despite its ranking, the menhir remains unknown, absent from some IGN maps and little mentioned in the specialized books. Its access is complicated by its distance from hiking trails and by the modern houses built to the north, on Plobannialec. Its discretion contrasts with its potential role in the megalithic bigouden landscape, where menhirs, often isolated, marked sacred sources or places. Today, it illustrates both the richness and fragility of the prehistoric Breton heritage.

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