Cy à Mateur
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Celestin Trahan
Celestin Trahan, Cy for short, was born the son of Rosalie and Amateur Trahan in Meteghan in 1848. However the legend of "Cy à Mateur" and his supernatural powers only truly begins in the late 1880's when Cy was in his 40's. Some say that Cy made a pact with the devil, others say it was all practical jokes, but everyone agreed that Cy à Mateur was a man to be feared.
For what some say was a seven-year period, Cy was the topic of many a discussion. There are stories of him flying on a piece of tree bark while crossing the bay and changing himself into a large black dog, a white horse, or a bear circling the town. According to one source, Cy didn't even age during those seven years.
It Goes Like the Devil!
The most common power attributed to Cy was the one of travelling great distances in very little time. Cy loved to dance and he would do anything and go anywhere just to get the chance to swing a few girls around the floor. This was common knowledge regarding Cy's pastimes. Although, when Cy began showing up at dances far from his hometown in a fraction of the time it would take any normal person to travel the distance, people began to wonder how the man could do it.
As the stories go, Cy à Mateur would take a piece of wood or tree bark, throw it out onto the water, say the words "Ça vâ le djâble!" which means "It goes like the devil!", jump on the piece of wood and it would take off like a flash! Some say he could fly this way as well though most of the stories describe him going across bodies of water. One of his favorite spots to visit was Boston. Cy attended every dance or event that was put on in the city. Sometimes he would bring a friend along but he would warn him not to say a word or he would fall into the water and drown. Once Cy and a friend twenty feet from the Meteghan shore where the friend spoke and fell into the water as expected.
Horses and Black Dogs and Bears Oh My!
Another way that Cy travelled was by white horse. It is said that Cy could be anywhere anytime and he had only to whistle or say "Shu assez fatiqué que si l'djâble passait, h'embarquerait dessus!" meaning "I'm so tired that if the devil were to pass by I would climb up on his back!". At that moment a white horse would come trotting out of nowhere, Cy would mount the horse and they rode away like the wind.
There are also some people who say that Cy could turn himself into a white horse. One evening, a group of young people was making its way to the dance when a lone white horse passed in front of them. One of the young men in the group picked up a rock and threw it at the horse wounding its leg. That night at the dance, Cy à Mateur was dancing with a limp!
Cy was also said to be able to turn himself into a large black dog and into a bear. As Cy loved to dance, he would become angry if a lady turned him down. One story claims that once when a girl refused to dance with Cy, he met her at her home that evening as a large black dog with a mouth full of fire in order to scare her and teach her a lesson.
As for the story of Cy the bartender… Cy à Mateur had always been open to making money, and he had found his niche in bootlegging. One evening a couple of friends decided to visit Cy's place and join in a game of cards with some of the locals. At the end of the evening, one of the two gentlemen went home while the other, having fallen asleep drunk, remained sleeping. When the man awoke he saw not Cy, but a huge bear behind the bar. Seeing that his new friend was terrified, Cy returned to his human form as quickly as possible.
More stories about Cy, like his childhood and upbringing, his wife and son, his supernatural abilities, the exorcism performed in order to save Cy's soul, and his life afterwards can be found in Lise A. Robichaud's book Le Djâble et le Cordonnier (The Devil and the Shoemaker). Have fun exploring further into the depths of the Cy à Mateur legend!
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