The Chasse-Gallery (The Flying Canoe)

One of Normandy's most distinctive legends involves the chasse-galerie, a flying canoe that carries sinners through the night sky. While this legend later traveled to French Canada where it became famous, its Norman origins reflect the region's maritime culture and lingering pagan traditions.

The basic story involves voyageurs (travelers/traders) who make a pact with the Devil to fly home in their canoe, covering vast distances in a single night. The rules are strict: - No holy names must be spoken - No church steeples can be touched - The canoe must return before dawn - All participants must keep the pact secret

Breaking any rule sends the canoe crashing to earth and the souls to Hell. The legend serves multiple purposes: warning against deals with evil, emphasizing the importance of holy days (the pact is usually made to attend Christmas or New Year festivities), and expressing the homesickness of those who work far from family.

Norman versions often set the story among fishermen trying to return from the Grand Banks of Newfoundland—a journey of weeks compressed into hours of diabolic flight.