With In Search of the Moulin de Perbet, Renaud Benoist tackles one of the greatest enigmas of Haute-Loire by taking the reader on a terrifying story, in the heart of the Aubépin valley, in the town of Saint -Forehead.
The episode hit the headlines at the beginning of the 20th century. Marie and Philomène Joubert, 14 and 11 years old, who lived at Moulin de Perbet in Mézenc, had been victims of paranormal phenomena. Two teenagers who throughout “the country” had ended up being nicknamed “the devil’s daughters”.
The “devil girls” of the Aubépin Valley
“It’s a bit like our Amityville”
“Several times, objects began to fly around them while they were thrown to the ground by an invisible force, their eyes rolling back. Events confirmed by many witnesses, without being able to explain them. »And even today, the mystery remains…
“What fascinated me was that a story taking place in a lost valley had such an impact,” enthuses Renaud Benoist. There were numerous press articles, journalists and foreign experts came to the site, we talked about it in Parisian and London evenings… Even today when you go for a walk there, the locals warn you: Above all, we must not bring back anything from there, neither flower, nor stone, nor anything, even though the events took place more than 120 years ago. It’s a bit like Amityville
from home. »
Do you know the “devil girls” of Haute-Loire?
At 52 years old, the author is not at his first mystery, he who is known for his two volumes of In Quest of the Burle Triangle. As with his previous works, he embarked on extensive in-depth work over two years, combing through books and newspapers of the time.
“There were a lot of testimonies like those from the mayor of Saint-Front, the priest of Laussonne, friends, neighbors… The gendarmes will also collect more than 250 testimonies from curious people. These facts happened and they cannot be denied. »
Renaud Benoist’s work is not, however, an archive catalog since it also presents the different theories put forward to explain these strange phenomena. Theories that he presents one after the other, before bringing forth contradictions that undermine them.
Receive our leisure newsletter by email and find ideas for outings and activities in your region.
Rehabilitate the Joubert family
Because with this book, this former cinema director, now a professor of visual arts in the department, hopes to rehabilitate the Joubert family. “She found herself at the heart of a media malstrom. You have to imagine what they went through: people constantly came to their house to see if anything would happen. The story fascinated the crowds and these two poor teenagers must not have understood what was happening to them. Not to mention the rumors they have been the subject of. »
Among the theories exposed: the poltergeist, haunting, demonic possession, chronic hallucinatory psychosis and scam. “We realize that many do not hold up,” maintains the Altiligrian writer. However, the poltergeist theory is interesting; we talk about the power of the mind and the telekinetic power of teenage girls. » It is now up to readers to form their own opinion.
Ségolène Perret
Amityville is a horror film and television series that focuses on the haunted house of Amityville, New York in the United States.
è Practical. In search of the Perbet mill by Renaud Benoist, at YukuluteEditor. Price: €19 – 171 pages.
France
