His mother was Rivanone, a woman of surpassing beauty who knew the properties of plants and herbs.

His mother became an anchoress and entrusted the seven-year-old boy to the care of his uncles who placed him with a learned hermit who lived in the forest.

At about fourteen years of age, he went to study at the monasastic school at Plouvien, where his maternal uncle, Gourvoyed was abbot.

Hervé then preached a sermon that was so eloquent that the wolf begged to be allowed to serve in the ox's stead.

[6] For fear of the Normans, his relics were removed to a silver shrine in the chapel of the Château de Brest.