The Menhirs of Acq
The menhirs of Acq, also called “twin stones”, “stones of Acq”, “young ladies of Acq” or “stones of the devil”, are located on the territory of Ecoivres, on the edge of a field. They are, in fact, two giant rocks made of sandstone dating back from 4000 to 3000 BC. The taller one is 3.3 metres tall and weighs eight tons. They are classified as Historical Monuments.
Here’s some interesting history or legend for you: After Clotaire (son of Clovis, king of the Franks) died in 561, endless fights between his two last sons, Sigebert and Chilpéric, gave birth to a civil war within the Frank kingdom. Sigebert married the queen Brunehaut, a beautiful and intelligent but authoritative woman. Jealous of the power given to his brother through this marriage, Chilpéric decided to marry the elder sister of Brunehaut, Galswinthe. But Chilpéric rapidly became tired of his wife and organized her assassination. His wife was strangled in her bed around 570. Chilpéric then hastened to marry his long-standing mistress and maid Frédégonde. Subsequently an all-consuming hatred broke out between the two families, which turned into a civil war that lasted for nearly 50 years.
Sigebert was stabbed by two emissaries sent by Frédégonde. It was her who handed over two kitchen knives, with blades coated with poison, to the murderers. She also organized the assassination of all the children that her husband Chilpéric had had with other women in order to keep the throne for her son Clotaire. In the meantime, Frédégonde turned out to be an unfaithful wife and asked her lover to kill Chilpéric after he came to know about her extra-marital affairs. Frédégonde died in 597.
As for the queen Brunehaut, she had a sad fate a few years later. Around the age of 80, she was betrayed by her people while she was trying to run away. She was arrested and handed over to her adversary Clotaire (son of Frédégonde) who tortured her for three days. Clotaire then drove her naked on a camel and the queen was humiliated by Clotaire’s soldiers and the crowd. Finally, she was tied up to the tail of a wild horse by her hair, an arm and a foot, and was torn to pieces after the horse ran crazily. The queen died in atrocious suffering. Clotaire also ensured that all her grand-children were assassinated.
View of the Mont-Saint-Eloi from the Menhirs.