"An Alarc'h" ("The Swan") is a Breton traditional song. It is found in the 1839 collection Barzaz Breiz. It tells of the return from exile in England of the Breton prince Jean de Montfort (known as "The Swan of Montfort") and his defeat of the French army under

Bertrand du Guesclin Bertrand du Guesclin ( br, Beltram Gwesklin; 1320 – 13 July 1380), nicknamed "The Eagle of Brittany" or "The Black Dog of Brocéliande", was a Breton knight and an important military commander on the French side during the Hundred Years' Wa ...

in 1379. It has been recorded by, amongst others, Alan Stivell and

Gilles Servat Gilles Servat is a French singer, born in Tarbes in southern France in 1945, into a family whose roots lay in the Nantes region of Brittany. He is an ardent promoter ardent of the Breton culture, and sings in both French and Breton, as well as ...

. The Scottish folk song "The Twa Corbies", a variation of the English song "

The Three Ravens "The Three Ravens" () is an English folk ballad, printed in the song book ''Melismata'' compiled by Thomas Ravenscroft and published in 1611, but it is perhaps older than that. Newer versions (with different music) were recorded right up throug ...

", was set to the tune of "An Alarc'h" by R.M. Blythman.

Lyrics

(From the ''Barzaz Breiz'' of 1839)

Recordings

* ''À l'Olympia'', Alan Stivell (1972, Fontana, 6399 005) * ''Musiques Celtiques'', An Triskell (1973, Philips, 632145) * ''Je Ne Hurlerai Pas Avec Les Loups'',

(1983, Kalondour, 814 362-1) * ''Tri Yann an Naoned'', Tri Yann (1972, Kelenn, 6332 626) * ''Hanternoz'', (August 2013) * ''Molène'', Didier Squiban (1997, L'Oz Production – L'OZ 17)

References

{{authority control Breton folk songs Year of song unknown Songwriter unknown