Le Corbeau Cruel is a Hollow One chantry in Paris, France.
Overview[]
Only blocks from the Seine and within sight of Notre Dame cathedral sits a small, unassuming café... just another bit if charm to attract tourists. The establishment offers coffee, cigarettes, chewing gum, fresh-baked croissants from a local bakery, chocolates, and souvenirs that reflect the more macabre side of the cathedral; charming items like gargoyle replicas, relic replicas, little bottles of "lucky" sand and dirt said to have come from the last time the church was sand-blasted, tomb-shaped jewelry boxes, holographic hunchback keychains, and rosaries alleged to have been blessed by the priests of Notre Dame.
Ownership of Le Corbeau Cruel café has been in the DuVauge family for more than three quarters of a century, though before it was a café it was a mortuary. Whichever of the owners happens to be on duty will happily talk about its history. For two and a half centuries, the family ancestors received the bodies of nobility and prepared them for burial or entombment and they proudly display locks of hair supposedly taken from various noble celebrities, including the Marquise de Pompadour and Victor Hugo. Whichever of the DuVauge Triplets is on duty will be more than happy to tell stories of the history of the place.
Exterior[]
Here, the Orphans and orphans of Paris come to smoke their cigarettes, drink their coffee, and wax intellectual. All kinds come to Le Corbeau Cruel. Outside, they sit in plastic chairs and set cups on wrought-iron tables. They slouch and lean close conspiratorially, adding throaty whispers to the hiss of Paris-by-Night. They look, to the casual observer, like they own the place. Only the most daring irregular stops here and that is how the owners like it. If the street kids laughing and shoving and jibing each other does not deter American tourists, then the disturbing artwork inside on the blood-red walls will. While the artwork may change, it is always of a certain genre... a dark one. It could be sculptures of humanoid robots with animal-skull heads or paintings of Hell. The artistic fare of the place not only does not appeal to tourists, it usually appalls them.
Interior[]
The interior is split in half. On one side, visitors can spend their money in the bizarre souvenir shop and the tabac. On the other side, interior seating keeps customers dry and warm in inclement weather with a combination of booths and couches around the room. A short bar stands against the back wall. Musical selections range from classical, to Edith Piaf, to Enya, and even a rare taste of Depeche Mode.
References[]
- MTAs: Tradition Book: Hollow Ones, p. 40-41