Verziau of Gargantua

The Verziau of Gargantua, also known as Haute-Borne, is a prehistoric menhir at Bois-les-Pargny in the Aisne department, northern France. The monolith stands 4.35 meters high and 1.50 meters wide at its base, tapering to just over 1 meter at the top, carved from locally sourced hard sandstone. First documented by Amedee Piette in 1851, it was classified as a Historic Monument in 1889. A twin menhir once stood nearby but was destroyed in the early 19th century for its stone. According to local Picard legend, a giant used the stone -- called a verziau -- to sharpen his scythe and left it on the hillside in a gesture of anger.