The mystery of the stuffed crocodile

With Halloween so close, it’s probably a good moment to mention a ghost story. I’ve long been a reader of M R James. Montague Rhodes James (1862-1936) was an academic medievalist who lived in scholarly institutions for most of his life. He was Provost of King’s College, Cambridge, and of Eton College. He had also been Vice- Chancellor of the University of Cambridge.

His academic work remains highly regarded in scholarly circles, but his true reason for fame lies in his ghost stories, regarded by some as the best of their kind.

When he was at Eton, he wrote a ghost story every year, and at Christmas would read it to the assembled boys - in a room illuminated mainly by firelight.

The Jamesian style of ghost writing relied on a formula where a naive gentleman scholar would find himself in a village, seaside town in England, or in France, Denmark, or in Sweden; or an ancient abbey or university. Very often the gentleman would discover an old book or similar, that somehow attracted a horrific menace from beyond the grave.

I’m particularly attracted to the foothills of the Pyrenees. From our friends’ Linda and Patrick’s house in St Orens de Gameville you can just see the mountains on a clear day. The region always seems to me to be packed with mystery, for example there is the village Rennes-le- chateau, the scene of the enduring mystery surrounding the priest, François- Bérenger Saunière. Maybe a good topic for a future post.

And not so far out of the area is another favourite spot in the city of Albi; its Cathedral Basilica of Saint Cecila with its amazing interior, Cathar-influenced, and its huge brick structure consisting of an estimated 19 million bricks.  Equally delightful is the city of Auch, ancient capital of Gascony.

However, in the interests of brevity, I would say that a visit to St. Bertrand de Comminges (pictured above) is an essential. As so often in that area you can see the former Roman Catholic cathedral surrounded by the village streets from many miles distance.

Auch gets a mention at the beginning of James’ ghost story, Canon Alberic’s Scrap Book. No need for a spoiler alert! I will disclose nothing of the plot. Suffice to say that an English Scholar called Dennistoun travels from Auch to St Bertrand de Comminges to take some pictures of the interior of the church. His adventures there make for a gripping tale with a horrific outcome. Oh, and there is the mention of a stuffed crocodile in the church.

I have visited St Bertand twice. It’s not unusual for rural village churches in France to display some eccentricities by way of architecture. St Bertrand is a good example. It’s a hot potch of architectural periods and styles. All described by Dennistoun in the tale. And yes, the stuffed crocodile hangs still on its chains. I’ve never discovered how it got there from its home on the River Nile. Or why.....