Corentin was a devout Christian in the Early Middle Ages. He lived as a hermit in the woods of Brittany in northwestern France. Amid the beauty of the forest, the hilltop of Menez-Hom, and the shorelines of the Bay of Douarnenez – his life of faith was one of simplicity. But, there was one unexpected thing: near his hut, there was a spring. Every day, Corentin would go to that spring and a fish would swim up to him. He would lift it from the water, cut a small piece of the fish for his dinner, and put it back in the water. And yet, the fish regrew. Holy smokes! Somehow, it kept regrowing and it didn’t look like it had ever been cut! This went on for years.
One day, the King ventured into the forest to hunt. He had a large group with him, but he ended up getting lost. He and his cook didn’t know where they were, but they stumbled upon Corentin’s hut. Corentin could tell how hungry they were, so he went to the miraculous fish and cut a portion that was larger than what he usually cut. The cook looked at the tiny portion and laughed. Corentin said, “heaven will provide.” As Corentin cooked it on the fire the fish got bigger and bigger until it was as big as the pan! There was more than enough food for the king, the cook, and Corentin.
Eventually, the rest of the hunting party showed up. The cook told them about this incredible fish and he took them to the spring. There was the fish, frolicking in the water, healed and whole. They were amazed, but one of them just had to see for himself. He grabbed the fish, cut out a large piece, and the fish wriggled away weakly. It gasped and struggled.
One of the men ran to get Corentin and he quickly said a prayer for his friend the fish. God granted him the power to heal the fish. Corentin told the fish that he should probably swim away and be wary of people from now on. He blessed the fish and said farewell. Heaven provided for the faithful fish, too.
Resources:
-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corentin_of_Quimper
-https://www.menezhom-atlantique.bzh/en/decouvrir-menez-hom-atlantique/nos-17-communes/plomodiern/
-https://www.heritage-history.com/index.php?c=read&author=hall&book=saints&story=corentin
-https://greencanticle.com/2008/12/11/saint-corentin-and-his-friend-the-fish/
-http://folkmasa.org/yashpeh/mb_yashp.php?mishtane=1927
-https://www.viennale.at/en/blog/myths-without-heroes