Saints, Demons, and the Christianization of Heights

Christianity came late to the high Alps, and when it arrived, it made accommodations. Saints took on characteristics of older deities, demons inhabited places once sacred to pre-Christian powers, and the Virgin Mary assumed aspects of mountain goddesses.

Saint Bernard and the Mountain Passes

Saint Bernard of Menthon (not to be confused with Bernard of Clairvaux) established hospices at the Great and Little Saint Bernard Passes in the 11th century. But he did more than provide shelter—he bound the demons that made the passes deadly.

These demons, described as giants who triggered avalanches and froze travelers, sound suspiciously like personified mountain forces. Bernard's binding didn't destroy them but channeled their power: - They still test travelers but cannot kill those who show charity - They maintain the passes' difficulty to prevent unworthy passage - They serve the hospices by warning of weather changes - Most remarkably, they became the ancestors of the famous rescue dogs

The Saint Bernard dogs, say local traditions, carry the spirits of the bound demons, their massive strength and storm-sense inherited from their supernatural forebears. This explains their uncanny ability to find buried avalanche victims and their mournful howling before deadly storms.

Notre-Dame des Neiges

Throughout the Alps, shrines to Notre-Dame des Neiges (Our Lady of the Snows) mark places where the Virgin appeared to save travelers. But these locations often coincide with pre-Christian sacred sites dedicated to the White Goddess of the peaks.

The synthesis creates a uniquely Alpine Mary: - She appears in snowstorms as a woman in blue (not white) to distinguish her from White Ladies - She leaves no footprints but flowers bloom where she steps, even in snow - She speaks in ancient dialects, not church Latin - Her shrines must be maintained by women, never clergy alone

At the chapel of Notre-Dame des Neiges above Chamonix, offerings include: - Traditional Catholic ex-votos for healing - Pre-Christian items: crystals, pressed flowers, braided hair - Modern additions: worn climbing gear, summit photos, GPS units that failed at crucial moments

The Virgin here protects not through miraculous intervention but by teaching respect for mountain realities—a practical mysticism perfectly suited to Alpine needs.