History & Culture

Pirates of pre-18th century were among the first to enjoy the remote, unknown, spectacular jewel of the Seychelles, particularly Praslin's Côte d'Or. French navigator Lazare Picault arrived in 1744 to explore the granitic islands and christened it Isle des Palmes.

Years later it was re-christened Praslin after the French marine minister Duc de Praslin in 1768, when the original 'Stone of Possession' (known till now as Anse Possession) was erected to commemorate French proprietorship, and when they discovered Vallée de Mai and its mystical coconut.

Praslin without more than mere mention of its coconut extraordinaire is akin to describing a bullfight without bulls. They say many centuries ago, a strange coconut would occasionally land on the shores of Africa, India and other countries in the area. It was a humongous ”freak,” like Siamese twin coconuts enjoined to resemble the mid-section of the female torso, which preceded the belief that this object possessed mystical sexual powers. (Could this have been the “forbidden fruit” of Eve?)

Such a one-of-a-kind fruit made it a treasure fit only for Kings and Sultans. Anyone who found one had to surrender it immediately to the King lest he was ready to pay with his life. Because this coconut was never seen growing anywhere in the world, they dubbed it “coco de mer” or coconut of the sea. Finding it high on the palm trees of Praslin finally dispelled its mysterious origin.

These special coconuts used to be offered as presents to European visitors. Today they are strictly protected. Each nut is marked with a registration number authorizing its sale, the authorized quota of which is small and high-priced. Should you have the fortune to be able to buy one of these, be sure to present its identification papers together with your travel documents or you will have to leave it behind. When it’s safe in your home away from Seychelles, mount it on your wall instead of some poor antelope’s head, and thrill your guests with its intriguing tale.