The Lantern of the Dead

Although there apparently remains only one example in Britain, ‘lanterns of the dead (Lanternes des Morts) can still be seen in rural France and there are a couple of (fairly) local examples.

And what, you may be asking, is a Lanterne des Morts? This is how Wikipedia describes it:

“Lanternes des morts) are small stone towers found chiefly in the centre and west of France, pierced with small openings at the top, where a light was exhibited at night to indicate the position of a cemetery. These towers were usually circular, with a small entrance in the lower part giving access to the interior, so as to raise the lamps by a pulley to the required height.”

This small photo shows the exterior of the top part of the Lanterne in the village of Rancon:

However, Cee’s Black & White Challenge this week calls  for unusual perspectives, so this is what you would see if you were small enough to get inside the base of the tower and look up towards the sky.

Cee’s Black & White Challenge: Unusual Perspectives