A medieval legend the echos of which have reverberated into to the XVIIIth century and beyond, right through to the present day.
The story tells that at Blanchefort, located a few kilometres from Rennes-les-Bains; beneath the ruin of it's Château there, a Demon guards a vast treasure. Some claimed, 19 and half million sous, or so.. The legend further tells, that on a certain day, a shepherdess drawn by the chanting of an awful voice, espied a demon high on the mountain side, counting a great pile of gold coins. She hurried off at once to inform the elders of her village, but on their return, the demon and his treasure had disappeared. Fearful, the peasants called upon a local wizard, 'Le Breicht de Limoux' to be their advocate with 'Satan himself'. A cunning schemer, the wizard demanded his commissions in advance and further, laid claim to one half of all fortunes he might there discover. This accepted, he laid his plans before them. Alone, he would descend beneath the Château via ropes, and on his command they must speedily, help him to re-ascend. However, on hearing what they thought 'the most dreadful sounds of Hell', the peasants fled. Later, 'le breicht' confronted the villagers. "Fools! cowards! you now have nothing, I had roped his money bags but you failed me!", so saying he returned to Limoux.
The story further tells that, - on hearing of these mis-adventures, the local Seigneur, 'le Marquis de Fleury' the owner of Blanchefort and the lands there abouts, was said to be furious at the obvious trespass, and as local magistrate he had the means to punish the village, which no doubt he did. (Though no records appear to exist!)
Meanwhile, in the ruins of Château Blanchefort, the demon may still guard it's secret treasure.

Another legend tells that in 1645, a shepherd of Rennes-le-Château named Ignace Paris, who whilst searching for a lamb missing from his flock heard the bleats of the animal coming from the bottom of a pot hole, prudently he went down and at it's base found a passage leading towards a cave, where he found his lost animal. There in the darkness he distinguished many skeletons, he noticed that the ground was covered with gold coins.
Without hesitation, Paris fills of his pockets, his double sack and his beret and immediately went to tell his adventure at the village. Subjected to many questions, he refused reveal the place of his fortunate find. Consequently, the inhabitants perplexed by such a vast fortune, imagined that Paris could only get so much money so quickly, by either making some form of deal with the devil, or by theft. To their everlasting shame, so some tell, out of greed these ignorant peasants stoned the unfortunate youth to death.

An alternative ending to this sorry tale affirms, that Henry d' Hautpoul, the local Seigneur, avid to know the place where the treasure was, seized the shepherd in order to question him. Paris unfortnately died under tortures without revealing his secrects. Out of rage Henry d' Hautpoul had his awkward torturers executed.
Whatever his precise fate, the treasure of Paris will forever remained hidden with him, at the bottom of some lonely grave.

Consider now then the effigy of the demon in the church at Rennes-le-Château; It is imposing, almost life sized, it is painted, almost seated, draped in it's green tunic, it's twisted right leg, the nails of its hands hooked and black accentuate the démoniaque side of this character, his left hand is posed on it's knee, while thunb and index of its right hand, form a circle, two horns of ram crown its head, its face with the eyes petruding, mouth wide opened, on his back two splendid wings of bat.
Recognized by many as Asmodée, but the symbolism leaves little room for imagination, it is easy to believe him to be the prince of the Demons, indeed, as the slave of Solomon, used to help with the construction of the Temple of Jerusalem, and thereafter the guardian of the treasure of King Solomon, the comparison between the previous demon and Asmodée is easy behold.