¤ St Leyeur of Shallya
"And in this year there came to
Couronne a great warrior, a lord and knight from the south, who was
called Gilles le Breton by those who knew him. This Gilles le Breton
stood with his companions and soldiers before the gates and demanded
entry; not knowing the will of Shallya, the people of Couronne held
council. There Leyeur, the high priest of Shallya and wisest man in the
city, spoke thus to the assembly: ’We have heard of the flourishing of
the men of Guisoreux, of the blessings that attend them in peace and
war. Their fields and cattle are the most bountiful; their blades the
keenest; their womenfolk the most fertile. In all these things they
stand pre-eminent before all other men, and it is known also that they
are full of praiseworthy faith and devotion to true religion, abhorring
the old and unclean gods of yore. This Gilles le Breton who stands at
their head, for one, has called often on the most graceful Shallya to
aid him in his quest; is it not clear to all of you here, men and
leaders of Couronne, that his is the power to which we must submit? For
in following him, it is evident that we would be following the course
chosen for this land by Shallya. For this reason I, Leyeur, am ready to
bow before Gilles le Breton as my king if he will continue to bow to
Shallya as his heavenly guide.’ Thus spoke Leyeur, and the men of the
council discussed what he had said and at length came to agree with
him. Then they went to the gates and allowed Gilles le Breton and his
men to enter their city, and they all made good cheer….After Gilles le
Breton had enjoyed the peace and hospitality of Couronne for several
weeks, he came one day to Leyeur and said unto him: 'Leyeur, I have now
won twelve great battles across the length and breadth of this fair
land, and now all parts of it have accepted my sovereignty. It behoves
me to have these conquests made fitting in the eyes of the gods; I
would like for this jewelled crown to be placed upon my head and so for
me to be proclaimed to the world and to the gods as king of Bretonnia.'
Leyeur listened to Gilles le Breton, and then said unto him: 'My lord,
if Shallya be willing I will gladly do this thing for you and let it be
an honour for myself and my city; in ages to come, all your line must
come here also to receive their crowns in this great city.' Both men
were contented and made good cheer; and in that same year, Gilles le
Breton was crowned as first king of Bretonnia."
From the Chronicle of Pepin le Grand,
11th century IC Cult
Although St Leyeur is justifiably revered for his smooth dealings with
Gilles le Breton when he began his wars of conquest, and much attention
is drawn to the fact that Gilles was crowned in Couronne in the great
temple of Shallya built in part by Leyeur. However, one aspect of this
proud legend that is not so well remembered is the quarrel which broke
out between Leyeur and Gilles shortly before the coronation, supposedly
over the rule of Couronne. This was a bitter disagreement, which was
never fully resolved; so intense was the discord between the two men
that Gilles at the last minute had the first Cardinal of Verena,
Chlotharius, summoned from Guisoreux to actually place the crown on his
head before a humiliated Leyeur. This is why, to this day, the
coronation of Bretonnian kings takes place in the great temple of
Shallya in Couronne but is actually carried out by the Cardinal of
Verena. There is still some bitterness on this matter in Couronne, and
one or two ambitious clerics dream of rectifying and resolving the
age-old conflict and allowing the Cardinal of Shallya to crown the
king. Cardinal Dumourieux is certainly interested in this possibility,
and secretly funds research into the matter. The cult of St Leyeur is
popular in Flandres and especially in Couronne, where the great
cathedral to Shallya is dedicated to him. Leyeur is seen as the patron
saint of the city, and is treated with due reverence and respect thanks
to his place in Bretonnian history. Pepin le Grand's famous chronicle
gives perhaps the most stirring account of his involvement with Gilles
le Breton, which culminates in the famous coronation in Couronne
towards the end of le Breton's long reign. Traditionally, Leyeur is
seen as simply a wise and suitably devoted high priest - forerunner of
the Cardinals of Shallya - who legitimised le Breton's power. The real
Leyeur was not quite like this, however. It seems that the only reason
Gilles chose to be crowned in Couronne instead of in his home city was
to try and placate the rebellious people of Couronne; for at the time
of his coronation, unification and control in Bretonnia were still a
long way off. Leyeur was virtual ruler of the city; a little-known
manuscript even describes him donning armour and leading the men of
Couronne out to confront those of Gilles le Breton. Fortunately for
Leyeur and his successors' reputation, this aspect of his life has been
largely forgotten.
Shrines
The great cathedral of Shallya in Couronne is dedicated to St Leyeur.
This is amongst the grandest buildings anywhere in the Old World; a
near-perfect masterpiece of Bretonnian gothic architecture rising
hundreds of feet above the city below. It is believed by some students
that the place is so majestic and graceful that it shouldn't actually
be able to stand, lacking support and stability in its design; they
claim that some force, magical or divine, must keep the thing upright.
Couronne and other settlements in Flandres often have shrines and
temples dedicated to St Leyeur, too. Because of their closeness to the
upper-echelons of the Shallyan cult in Bretonnia, temples and shrines
of Leyeur are some of the richest in the land.
Relics
St Leyeur's entire body is claimed by the cathedral in Couronne,
although it is in several parts; the skull and ribcage have been in the
cathedral's collection ever since records began and thus are probably
genuine. Some doubt is cast on the veracity of the other parts by the
fact that, if the claims of neighbouring shrines and temples were to be
believed, Leyeur would have had sixteen fingers and four legs. Which if
any of these relics are genuine is a question few dare try to answer..