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Origin and history

The Causers are two white granite menhirs, located on the island of Sein in the Finistère, dating from the Neolithic. The heights of 2,30 m and 2,80 m, the shape of these two characters are reminiscent of two characters in discussion, hence their Breton names Ar Fillistérien ("The Causers") or Ar Prégourian ("the preachers"). At the end of the 19th century, they were surrounded by a cromlec Their visual appearance and their original implantation have made them local symbols, linked to folk traditions such as the ritual of pebbles against fever.

Ranked historic monuments on April 1, 1901, the menhirs were almost moved to build the church of St.Collodan, but were preserved in situ. Their presence attests to a dense neolithic occupation on the island: in 1874, the archaeologist H. The Carguet listed 11 sites, including tumulus and burials. Roman remains (tails, amphorae) were also discovered, highlighting a continuing occupation. The Causers, the only megaliths still standing, would be associated with an ensemble including the tumulus of the Nifran, now extinct.

Local folklore lends them therapeutic virtues: a patient's relatives laid nine pebbles wrapped in his handkerchief at the foot of the menhirs. He who collected them then inherited fever, according to belief. This practice illustrates the symbolic and sacred role of megaliths in ancient Breton societies, where erect stones and rituals were intimately linked. The Causers thus embody both an archaeological heritage and an immaterial memory, always alive in island culture.

Archaeological studies, such as those of Fréminville and the Châtelier, have revealed other megalithic remains on the island (menhirs of Beg Kae Beran, covered driveway of Kerlaouru), confirming its prehistoric importance. The Causers, properties of the commune, remain accessible near the church, on the Place François-Le-Sud. Their state of conservation and ranking make them privileged witnesses of the Breton Neolithic, attractive to both researchers and visitors.

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