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Origin and history

The menhirs Jean and Jeanne de Kerledan are two erect stones located in Sauzon, Morbihan, Brittany. They date from the Neolithic and are located in the east of the hamlet of Kerlédan, along the departmental road RD25. Jean is 4.70 m high, while Jeanne reaches 4.05 m. These two current menhirs were named by the cartographers after the destruction, around 1840, of the two original menhirs of the Runelo, themselves reported in 1760.

On a map of 1761, two "stones planted" are mentioned as Celtic remains at the borders of Sauzon, Bangor and Le Palais. In 1760, the English destroyed a nearby tumulus, the Runelo, to build a watch tower. Two menhirs were associated: "Jean" (3.60 m, in red shale) and "Jean" (7.90 m, in non-local granite). In 1770 Félix Le Royer de La Sauverie documented the menhir du Runelo, suspected of being a reported block of the continent. This menhir collapses after a search at its base, breaking in half. Around 1840, the two original menhirs were debited to erect the walls of a property in Kersantel.

The present menhirs, distinct from the originals, are classified as historical monuments on February 17, 1943. Their local folklore tells the story of Jean, son of a bard, and Jeanne, a shepherdess, transformed into stone by Druids for having braved the laws of castes. A legend affirms that they resume human form some nights of full moon, thanks to a compassionate fairy.

Their precise location is indicated as "very insufficient" (note 5/10) in the databases, but their administrative address is Sauzon (code Insee 56241), in the Morbihan. The protected elements correspond to the cadastral plots ZL 33 and ZR 110. These menhirs illustrate the importance of megalithic sites in Brittany, a region rich in neolithic remains.

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