The History and Legends of the Haunted Abbaye De Mortemer

Discover the secrets and legends of Abbaye De Mortemer, an infamous haunted abbey in rural France. Explore its haunting history from Dames Blanches, ghost monks, werewolves and a goblin cat guarding a treasure.

Hidden deep within the French countryside lies the Abbaye De Mortemer, an ancient structure with a chilling past. The former Cistercian Monastery in the Forest of Lyons is the home to eerie sightings and ghostly apparitions.

Origins of the Abbaye De Mortemer

Established in 1134, the Abbaye De Mortemer was an ancient abbey that was a gift to the Cistercians by Henry I of England.

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The name comes from the stagnant water of the lake that was dug out by the monks. It was called the Dead Pond which in French is Morte Mare.

Who owned the abbey depended on who owned the land from year to year. It was founded by the English king, but ended up under the French crown after the Hundred Year War ended in 1453.

It held out despite it falling into disrepair until 1790 when it was dissolved under the French Revolution. Only 4 monks remained alive living in the abbey. They would end up remaining there, even in their afterlife.

Dame Blanches of Mathilde I’Emperesse

The one thought to be haunting the place is the daughter of Abbaye De Mortemer founder, Mathilde I’Emperesse or Matilda of England.

Her father was King Henry I of England and she was one of those with a claim to the English throne in the civil war between England and Normandy between 1138 and 1153 which was known as The Anarchy.

Why she is haunting this abbey is unclear as she died at an old age far away. She had close ties to this abbey as it was said she was a very spiritual woman and the order of the Cisterican monks because of the importance of the Virgin Mary, a saint of great importance to her.

A picture supposedly depicting her ghost got well known in 1999, however French television has since debunked the image as lighting trickery.

According to legend she walks by the ancient pools and mist is created on them. By local lore you do best to look away if you spot her. If she wears black gloves it means bad luck and misfortune. If she is wearing white, there is a happy event in the coming year. If you see her twice though you are condemned to death.

The Helpful Ghost Monks

People have reported a number of sinister legends and stories about the Abbaye De Mortemer. One popular story involves sightings of the infamous Black Monks, which are said to appear on dark nights in the abbey’s ruins.

This is believed to be the ghosts of four monks who were murdered during the French Revolution in 1789 when the churches and abbeys were robbed for their wealth to fund the revolution and the monks were hunted down and dragged to the old cellar were the last brothers of the orders were massacred.

Other visitors have experienced ghostly apparitions, chills, strange voices, and other forms of supernatural activity. Both the Delarue family that were going to move into the former abbey reported about seeing the monks as well as an English paratrooper in the second world war.

He said that he was spotted by the enemy and was running around in the forest to hide. A monk came forward and guided him to safety before disappearing. The people at The Resistant Cell the paratrooper found, knew it had to be a monk from the Abbey.

The Goblin Cat Haunting the Treasure

The haunted abbey is also said to be the home to a certain Goblin cat you can meet in the ruins in the form of a black cat.

According to the legend, the cat is guarding a certain treasure of the abbey said to be so grand it could restore the abbey to its former glory.

The She-Werewolf

One of the most famous legends concerning the Abbaye de Mortemer is the story of a werewolf haunting its grounds. According to legend, a cursed woman transformed into a wolf every night and terrorized all who crossed her path.

This was thought to be a female werewolf known as the Garache in French Folklore with yellow eyes. This is the only tale of a Garache in Normandy apparently, a weird thing perhaps as French Folklore is filled with legends of shape shifting werewolves.

A man named Roger Saboureau was out poaching in the forest in 1884 when he encountered this werewolf and he shot it dead without hesitation.

When the Garache died though it returned to its human form and he saw it was his own wife.

The Demonic Pink Room

In 1863 the building, restored somewhat and made into a family home, was bought by a rich Parisian named M.Delarue. He moved into the place with his wife and two children, but they soon found that it wasn’t without its history.

One of the most notorious stories revolves around Abbaye De Mortemer’s so-called “Pink Room.” The room is mentioned by some of the owners who experienced so much hauntings it even broke an engagement.

A young girl who was the fiance of the son, Charles Delarue, the owner of the building and living there came to stay with them once. She was given the pink room as it was the only one available. She was found in the morning, terrified of all the paranormal activity that had happened during the night. She announced she would never live there, broke off the engagement and hurried back to Paris.

M.Delarue’s daughter had been a nurse during the First World War and told her father she had never been afraid in the trenches and would not be afraid of the pink room either. She made it her own and lived in it, but said that she always felt observed, but not threatened in the same way the former fiance of the family had.

The Exorcism of the Abbey

The Delarue family stayed in the former abbey for quite some time, but in 1921 they thought it was about time with an exorcism. Not the first one though, and they called once again upon Abbé Humbolt who had done the previous ones also.

They ordered another exorcism of the Pink Room and the Abbey and it did become quiet for some time. But then it started again. How is it today?