The Ankou

On this blog, we've been talking a lot about the Ankou but information has been a little vague on where this character came from. But no more! Here is the research I've done into this servant of Death and how his character functions and works.

The Ankou originates from the Celtic folklore of Brittany. He or she is an omen of Death and his official title is the 'King of the Dead'. He or she is the traditionally the last person within the parish to die during the year. They then take up the role as the Ankou and every parish in Brittany had their own Ankou.
This being would then travel to the houses of those about to die, accompanied by two ghostly figures and a cart, and knock on the door with a sound that can sometimes be heard by the living. They take the souls of the recently departed and loads them onto the cart before leaving for the next house.

There is an old story regarding the Ankou where three brothers come across the Ankou disguised as an old man upon his cart down a dark road one day and break it. The oldest two brothers scorn him and leave where as the third brother stays behind to help him repair the cart.
The next day, the ones who had scorned the Ankou had both died most horribly but the third brother, who had stayed to help, only had his hair turned white as a reminder of who the figure was.