Bete Ro

 


The Bete Ro was a dragon from a Rochelle in France. It was said to live specifically at Pointe de Raux, hillside jutting out into the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by cliffs. The actual appearance of the dragon is left vague. It’s said to have wings, and a long reptilian tail, and live in the water, occasionally venturing onto land to attack the nearby settlements. An old worn down image of a beast carved into Church Sainte-Radegonde of Talmont was pointed to as the beast of Ro, however this is actually the lion of Ezekiel.


It was said that the bete Ro would attack ships and villages up and down the coast. It was as smart as a humans and possessing a cruel cunning that allowed it to set ambushes for ships and shepherds alike. Eventually seven heroes travelled from across the sea to slay the dragon. They shot the bete Ro with seven arrows, two in its ears, two in its eyes, two in its nostrils and one in its throat. Once the beast was cut off from all its senses the seven heroes pushed it down into a pit, where it will remain until the end of time. The heroes then took up stations around the pit where they acted as wise judges, protecting the community and keeping safe sacred knowledge.


Interestingly, there is a sea cave with a vertical opening in Point de Raux. Whenever there are strong waves a roaring sound is heard coming from this pit. There used to be seven standing stones around the edge of this pit, which have since been removed. It’s likely the legend of the beast of Ro was inspired by these aspects of the landscape. The legend of the monster being used to teach caution around the perilous cliffs.


Sources



https://www.leslegendes2laede.fr/la_bete_ro.html

https://abookofcreatures.com/2021/05/14/ro/


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