LEGEND OF THE BRIDE'S JUMP AND THE GIANT'S MUFFLER

On the road to the Place Moulin dam, after the last village inhabited all year round, called Chez-Les-Chenoux, there are two natural curiosities: the giant's pothole and the bride's jump. The first is a natural cavity in the rock in a circular shape due to the erosion of the waters of the torrent, while the bride's jump is a huge precipice where, according to a legend, a bride sitting on a mule, on her return from the wedding ceremony, would have fallen because of the blanks fired by the rifles that frightened the animal.

LEGEND OF THE "BORNA DE LA FAYE" OR "THE FAIRY'S CAVE"

Continuing beyond the village of Pouillaye, past the Arbière stream, is the "borna de la faye" or "fairy cave", a natural cavity 35 cm high whose walls are undulating and covered in a fine yellowish powder. The name refers to a fairy with large black hair, who fell in love with a farmer from Pouillaye, who had a wife and children. Not knowing how to tie him down, she lured him with the promise of a rich gift and gave him a magnificent scarf to offer his wife to tie around her neck on feast days. In the evening, the farmer left the fairy to return to his home, but feeling tired after too much walking, he rested near a larch tree and leaned it against a branch so that the ribbon would not get ruined. Waking up in the middle of the night, he went home.

The next day he remembered the forgotten ribbon, but in the forest the beautiful pine tree that had been vigorous the day before was now completely dry, struck by an evil influence. He understood the fairy's evil plan and fled, horrified at the thought of the misfortune that might befall his beloved bride.

LEGEND OF THE 'PAS DE L'ANO' OR 'DONKEY'S STEP

It is said that Theodul, bishop of the Valais canton, was on his way to Saint-Barthélemy through Colle Livournea when a viper bit the donkey on one leg. The saint then cursed all the snakes hiding among the rocks, and they died. The inhabitants of Bionaz claimed and still claim today that there are no traces of snakes in the area. This belief is so widespread that when a locality was infested with vipers, the farmers would go there to take the land.

On that occasion, the donkey left its hoofprint on the rock, which gave it the name "pas de l'ano" or donkey's step.

THE LEGEND OF THE "DE LA QUELOZ" GIANT

The old people of Bionaz talk about a certain Crounoz, a kind of Hercules who lived in La Queloz. The man climbed one night to the Vessona Alps where he chose the most beautiful cow from the herd, tied her by the legs, carried her on his shoulders and, before dawn gilded the sky, took her to the cottages in the hamlet of La Queloz. In order not to let the herdsmen know which route he had taken, he took off his shoes and tied them to his feet in the opposite direction, i.e. with the heel in front and the toe at the back.

THE LEGEND OF THE SAINT OF PRARAYER

According to legend, a very pious hermit lived in Prarayer in the middle of the alpine pastures and nature. He spent his time praying, and the marks of his knees can still be seen carved on a stone. At that time, there was only the parish of Valpelline. Because of his age and distance, the old hermit could not go to Sunday mass. He only came down once a year on Easter Sunday to take communion. The priest frowned upon what he saw as a lack of Christian zeal. On the occasion of the customary Easter communion, the old man, who was planning to go to confession, went to the rectory with the priest, where once inside he hung his cloak on a ray of sunlight coming in through the window. The parish priest, amazed by the miraculous event, threw himself at the hermit's feet and considered him a true saint.

THE LEGEND OF LAKE LEXERT

Lake Lexert is linked to a legend that tells of a farmer who went with his oxen, on the day dedicated to the valley's patron saint and against the priest's ban, to work a piece of land and only stopped in the evening. On his return, seeing his oxen tired from too much work, he expressed the desire to have a clear spring to quench their thirst. Suddenly, in the middle of the field, a spring appeared and in a short time invaded everything present, including the oxen, thus forming a large lake.