 | |
| Grouping | Gigantic white mare |
|---|---|
| Sub grouping | Bayard |
| Folklore | Folklore, Horse |
| First attested | The Grand and Priceless Chronicles of the Great and Enormous Giant Gargantua |
| Other name(s) | Grant Jument, Grand'jument |
| Country | Traditional French oral stories |
| Region | France |
The Great Mare (la Grand Mare, grant jument or grand'jument in French) was a gigantic mare that was ridden by giants in several Renaissance works. Stemming from medieval traditions inspired by Celtic mythology, she first appeared in The Grand and Priceless Chronicles of the Great and Enormous Giant Gargantua, written in 1532, in which Merlin created her from bones atop a mountain.
Rabelais was inspired by these Chronicles and built on the descriptions, meaning the mare Gargantua's mount in The Very Horrific Life of the Great Gargantua, Father of Pantagruel, which was published five years later. Incidents include the mare drowning her enemies with her urine and levelling all the trees of Beauce, transforming the region into a plain.