We first thought the animal insignia on the flag of Vannes was a rat or stoat! How wrong could we be. It is an ermine, prized for its long, white, winter fur.
The mystery of the ermine goes back to the Middle Ages when the fleur de lys, the Virgin Mary and the ermine became symbols for purity.
The ermine, chosen as the Breton insignia, represents the animal's tail, known as the "moucheture" (or ermine spot) fixed to the coat of arms with three brooches.
Legend has it that when out riding, Anne of Brittany (who is also known for decreeing that there would be no road tolls), spared the life of a hunted ermine, brought to bay in a muddy pool, because it preferred to turn and face it's hunters and death, rather than spoil its coat.
Thus was born Brittany's motto: "Rather dead than soiled!"
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