The Bretons (; br, Bretoned or ''Vretoned,'' ) are a
Celtic ethnic group native to
Brittany
Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica during the period ...
. They trace much of their heritage to groups of
Brittonic
Brittonic or Brythonic may refer to:
*Common Brittonic, or Brythonic, the Celtic language anciently spoken in Great Britain
*Brittonic languages, a branch of the Celtic languages descended from Common Brittonic
*Britons (Celtic people)
The Br ...
speakers who emigrated from
southwestern Great Britain, particularly
Cornwall
Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...
and
Devon
Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devo ...
, mostly during the
Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain
The Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain is the process which changed the language and culture of most of what became England from Romano-British to Germanic. The Germanic-speakers in Britain, themselves of diverse origins, eventually develope ...
. They migrated in waves from the 3rd to 9th century (most heavily from 450 to 600) into
Armorica
Armorica or Aremorica (Gaulish: ; br, Arvorig, ) is the name given in ancient times to the part of Gaul between the Seine and the Loire that includes the Brittany Peninsula, extending inland to an indeterminate point and down the Atlantic Coast ...
, which was subsequently named Brittany after them.
The main traditional language of Brittany is
Breton (''Brezhoneg''), spoken in
Lower Brittany (i.e., the western part of the peninsula). Breton is spoken by around 206,000 people as of 2013. The other principal minority language of Brittany is
Gallo; Gallo is spoken only in Upper Brittany, where Breton is less dominant. As one of the
Brittonic languages, Breton is related closely to
Cornish and more distantly to
Welsh, while the
Gallo language
Gallo is a regional language of eastern Brittany. It is one of the langues d'oïl, a Romance sub-family that includes French. Today it is spoken only by a minority of the population, as the standard form of French now predominates in this are ...
is one of the
Romance
Romance (from Vulgar Latin , "in the Roman language", i.e., "Latin") may refer to:
Common meanings
* Romance (love), emotional attraction towards another person and the courtship behaviors undertaken to express the feelings
* Romance languages, ...
''
langues d'oïl''. Currently, most Bretons' native language is
standard French
Standard French (in French: ''le français standard'', ''le français normé'', ''le français neutre'' eutral Frenchor ''le français international'' nternational French is an unofficial term for a standard variety of the French language. It ...
.
Brittany and its people are counted as one of the six
Celtic nations
The Celtic nations are a cultural area and collection of geographical regions in Northwestern Europe where the Celtic languages and cultural traits have survived. The term ''nation'' is used in its original sense to mean a people who shar ...
. Ethnically, along with the
Cornish and
Welsh, the Bretons are
Celtic Britons. The actual number of Bretons in Brittany and France as a whole is difficult to assess as the
government of France does not collect statistics on ethnicity. The population of Brittany, based on a January 2007 estimate, was 4,365,500. It is said that, in 1914, over 1 million people spoke Breton west of the boundary between the Breton- and Gallo-speaking region, roughly 90% of the population of the western half of Brittany. In 1945, it was about 75%, and today, in all of Brittany, at most 20% of Bretons can speak Breton. Brittany has a population of roughly four million, including the department of
Loire-Atlantique, which the
Vichy government
Vichy France (french: Régime de Vichy; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), officially the French State ('), was the fascist French state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II. Officially independent, but with half of its terr ...
separated from historical Brittany in 1941. Seventy-five percent of the estimated 200,000 to 250,000 Breton speakers using Breton as an everyday language today are over the age of 65.
A strong historical emigration has created a Breton diaspora within the French borders and in the
overseas departments and territories of France; it is mainly established in the
Paris area, where more than one million people claim Breton heritage. Many Breton families have also immigrated to the Americas, predominantly to
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
(mostly
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
and
Atlantic Canada) and the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
. The only places outside Brittany that still retain significant Breton customs are in
Île-de-France
The Île-de-France (, ; literally "Isle of France") is the most populous of the eighteen regions of France. Centred on the capital Paris, it is located in the north-central part of the country and often called the ''Région parisienne'' (; en, Pa ...
(mainly
Quartier de Montparnasse in Paris),
Le Havre
Le Havre (, ; nrf, Lé Hâvre ) is a port city in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the right bank of the estuary of the river Seine on the Channel southwest of the Pays de Caux, very ...
and in
Îles des Saintes
The Îles des Saintes (; "Islands of the Female Saints"), also known as Les Saintes, is a group of small islands in the archipelago of Guadeloupe, an overseas department of France. It is part of the Canton of Trois-Rivières and is divided in ...
, where a group of Breton families settled in the mid-17th century.
History
Late Roman era
In the late fourth century, large numbers of British auxiliary troops in the Roman army may have been stationed in
Armorica
Armorica or Aremorica (Gaulish: ; br, Arvorig, ) is the name given in ancient times to the part of Gaul between the Seine and the Loire that includes the Brittany Peninsula, extending inland to an indeterminate point and down the Atlantic Coast ...
. The ninth-century ''
Historia Brittonum
''The History of the Britons'' ( la, Historia Brittonum) is a purported history of the indigenous British ( Brittonic) people that was written around 828 and survives in numerous recensions that date from after the 11th century. The ''Historia B ...
'' states that the emperor
Magnus Maximus, who withdrew Roman forces from Britain, settled his troops in the province.
Nennius and
Gildas
Gildas ( Breton: ''Gweltaz''; c. 450/500 – c. 570) — also known as Gildas the Wise or ''Gildas Sapiens'' — was a 6th-century British monk best known for his scathing religious polemic ''De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae'', which recount ...
mention a second wave of Britons settling in Armorica in the following century to escape the invading
Anglo-Saxons
The Anglo-Saxons were a Cultural identity, cultural group who inhabited England in the Early Middle Ages. They traced their origins to settlers who came to Britain from mainland Europe in the 5th century. However, the ethnogenesis of the Anglo- ...
and
Scoti
''Scoti'' or ''Scotti'' is a Latin name for the Gaels,Duffy, Seán. ''Medieval Ireland: An Encyclopedia''. Routledge, 2005. p.698 first attested in the late 3rd century. At first it referred to all Gaels, whether in Ireland or Great Britain, but l ...
. Modern archaeology also supports a two-wave migration.
It is generally accepted that the Brittonic speakers who arrived gave the region its current name as well as the
Breton language, ''Brezhoneg'', a sister language to Welsh and Cornish.
There are numerous records of Celtic Christian missionaries migrating from Britain during the second wave of Breton colonisation, especially the legendary
seven founder-saints of Brittany as well as
Gildas
Gildas ( Breton: ''Gweltaz''; c. 450/500 – c. 570) — also known as Gildas the Wise or ''Gildas Sapiens'' — was a 6th-century British monk best known for his scathing religious polemic ''De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae'', which recount ...
.
As in Cornwall, many Breton towns are named after these early saints. The Irish saint
Columbanus was also active in Brittany and is commemorated at
Saint-Columban in
Carnac.
Early Middle Ages
In the Early
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
, Brittany was divided into three kingdoms—
Domnonée,
Cornouaille
Cornouaille (; br, Kernev, Kerne) is a historical region on the west coast of Brittany in West France. The name is cognate with Cornwall in neighbouring Great Britain. This can be explained by the settlement of Cornouaille by migrant princ ...
(Kernev), and Bro Waroc'h (''Broërec'')—which eventually were incorporated into the
Duchy of Brittany
The Duchy of Brittany ( br, Dugelezh Breizh, ; french: Duché de Bretagne) was a medieval feudal state that existed between approximately 939 and 1547. Its territory covered the northwestern peninsula of Europe, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean t ...
. The first two kingdoms seem to derive their names from the homelands of the migrating tribes in Britain, Cornwall (Kernow) and
Devon
Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devo ...
(
Dumnonia
Dumnonia is the Latinised name for a Brythonic kingdom that existed in Sub-Roman Britain between the late 4th and late 8th centuries CE in the more westerly parts of present-day South West England. It was centred in the area of modern Devon, ...
). Bro Waroc'h ("land of
Waroch", now
Bro Gwened
Gwened, Bro-Gwened (Standard br, Bro-Wened) or Vannetais (french: Pays Vannetais) is a historic realm and county of Brittany in France. It is considered part of Lower Brittany."AM""Gwened (Vannes/Vannetais)" in ''Celtic Culture: A Historical E ...
) derives from the name of one of the first known Breton rulers, who dominated the region of
Vannes (Gwened). The rulers of Domnonée, such as
Conomor, sought to expand their territory, claiming overlordship over all Bretons, though there was constant tension between local lords.
Breton participation in the Norman Conquest of England
Bretons were the most prominent of the non-Norman forces in the
Norman conquest of England. A number of Breton families were of the highest rank in the new society and were tied to the Normans by marriage.
The Scottish
Clan Stewart and the royal
House of Stuart
The House of Stuart, originally spelt Stewart, was a royal house of Scotland, England, Ireland and later Great Britain. The family name comes from the office of High Steward of Scotland, which had been held by the family progenitor Walter fi ...
have Breton origins.
Alan Rufus
Alan Rufus, alternatively Alanus Rufus (Latin), Alan ar Rouz ( Breton), Alain le Roux ( French) or Alan the Red (c. 1040 – 1093), 1st Lord of Richmond, was a Breton nobleman, kinsman and companion of William the Conqueror (Duke William II o ...
, also known as Alan the Red, was both a cousin and knight in the retinue of William the Conqueror. Following his service at Hastings, he was rewarded with large estates in
Yorkshire
Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other English counties, functions have ...
. At the time of his death, he was by far the richest noble in England. His manorial holding at
Richmond ensured a Breton presence in northern England. The
Earldom of Richmond later became an
appanage
An appanage, or apanage (; french: apanage ), is the grant of an estate, title, office or other thing of value to a younger child of a sovereign, who would otherwise have no inheritance under the system of primogeniture. It was common in much o ...
of the Dukes of Brittany.
Modern Breton identity
Many people throughout France claim Breton ethnicity, including a few French celebrities such as
Marion Cotillard
Marion Cotillard (; born 30 September 1975) is a French actress, film producer, singer, and environmentalist who is widely known for her roles in independent films and blockbusters in both European and Hollywood productions.
She has received ...
,
Suliane Brahim
Suliane Brahim (born 1 April 1978) is a French actress. With a background in theatre, she has also performed in film and on television, most recently in a lead role in the series '' Zone Blanche'' (''Black Spot'').
Biography
Brahim was born the ...
,
Malik Zidi,
Patrick Poivre d'Arvor
Patrick Poivre d'Arvor (PPDA; né Patrick Jean Marcel Poivre, ; born 20 September 1947) is a French TV journalist and writer. He is a household name in France, and nicknamed "PPDA". With over 30 years and in excess of 4,500 editions of televis ...
,
Yoann Gourcuff
Yoann Miguel Gourcuff (born 11 July 1986) is a French former professional footballer who played mainly as an attacking midfielder. He could also be utilized as a withdrawn striker, and was described as a "playmaker of real quality" who "is an a ...
,
Nolwenn Leroy and
Yann Tiersen.
After 15 years of disputes in the French courts, the European Court of Justice recognized Breton Nationality for the six children of Jean-Jacques and Mireille Manrot-Le Goarnig; they are "European Citizens of Breton Nationality". In 2015, Jonathan Le Bris started a legal battle against the French administration to claim this status.
Breton diaspora
The Breton community outside Brittany includes Bretons across the other regions of France including the Greater
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
,
Le Havre
Le Havre (, ; nrf, Lé Hâvre ) is a port city in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the right bank of the estuary of the river Seine on the Channel southwest of the Pays de Caux, very ...
, and
Toulon
Toulon (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Tolon , , ) is a city on the French Riviera and a large port on the Mediterranean coast, with a major naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, and the Provence province, Toulon is th ...
, as well as in other countries including Canada and the United States. In Paris, Bretons used to settle in the neighborhood around the Montparnasse train station, which is also the terminus of the Paris-
Brest
Brest may refer to:
Places
*Brest, Belarus
**Brest Region
**Brest Airport
**Brest Fortress
* Brest, Kyustendil Province, Bulgaria
* Břest, Czech Republic
*Brest, France
** Arrondissement of Brest
**Brest Bretagne Airport
** Château de Brest
*Br ...
railway.
Bretons in the United States
Famous Breton Americans and Americans of Breton descent include
John James Audubon,
Jack Kerouac, and
Joseph-Yves Limantour.
Between 1885 and 1970, several thousands Bretons immigrated to the United States, many of them leaving the Black Mountains of Morbihan. In June 2020, a replica of the
Statue of Liberty was dedicated in
Gourin,
Morbihan to celebrate the legacy of these emigrants.
Culture
Religion
The Breton people are predominantly members of the
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
, with minorities in the
Reformed Church of France
The Reformed Church of France (french: Église réformée de France, ERF) was the main Protestant denomination in France with a Calvinist orientation that could be traced back directly to John Calvin. In 2013, the Church merged with the Evangel ...
and
non-religious people. Brittany was one of the most staunchly Catholic regions in all of France. Attendance at Sunday
mass
Mass is an intrinsic property of a body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the quantity of matter in a physical body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physics. It was found that different atoms and different eleme ...
dropped during the 1970s and the 1980s, but other religious practices such as
pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey, often into an unknown or foreign place, where a person goes in search of new or expanded meaning about their self, others, nature, or a higher good, through the experience. It can lead to a personal transformation, aft ...
s have experienced a revival. This includes the ''
Tro Breizh'', which takes place in the shrines of the seven founding saints of Breton Christianity. The Christian tradition is widely respected by both believers and nonbelievers, who see it as a symbol of Breton heritage and
culture
Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups ...
.
Breton religious tradition places great emphasis on the "
Seven Founder Saints":
*
Paul Aurelian, at
Saint-Pol-de-Léon (Breton: ''Kastell-Paol''),
*
Tudwal (''Sant Tudwal''), at
Tréguier (Breton: ''Landreger''),
*
Brioc, at
Saint-Brieuc (Breton: ''Sant-Brieg'', Gallo: ''Saent-Berioec''),
*
Malo
Mal, which in Spanish means ''bad or evil'', may also refer to:
Places
* Malo, Italy, a town
*Malo Island, formerly known as St. Bartholomew, Vanuatu
* Malo (Solomon Islands), an island
*Malo, Washington, Ferry County, Washington, United States
* ...
, at
Saint-Malo
Saint-Malo (, , ; Gallo: ; ) is a historic French port in Ille-et-Vilaine, Brittany, on the English Channel coast.
The walled city had a long history of piracy, earning much wealth from local extortion and overseas adventures. In 1944, the Alli ...
(Breton: ''Sant-Maloù'', Gallo: ''Saent-Malô''),
*
Samson of Dol
Samson of Dol (also Samsun; born late 5th century) was a Cornish saint, who is also counted among the seven founder saints of Brittany with Pol Aurelian, Tugdual or Tudwal, Brieuc, Malo, Patern (Paternus) and Corentin. Born in southern Wal ...
, at
Dol-de-Bretagne
Dol-de-Bretagne (, literally ''Dol of Brittany''; br, Dol; Gallo: ''Dóu''), cited in most historical records under its Breton name of Dol, is a commune in the Ille-et-Vilaine ''département'' in Brittany in northwestern France.
Geography
Dol-d ...
(Breton: ''Dol'', Gallo: ''Dóu''),
*
Padarn
Padarn ( la, Paternus, Padarnus; cy, Padarn; br, Padern; ? – 550 AD) was an early 6th century British Christian abbot-bishop who founded St Padarn's Church in Ceredigion, Wales. He appears to be one and the same with the first bishop of Bra ...
, at
Vannes (Breton: ''Gwened''),
*
Corentin (''Sant Kaourintin''), at
Quimper (Breton: ''Kemper'').
Pardons
A ''
pardon'' is the patron saint's
feast day of the
parish
A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one o ...
. It often begins with a procession followed by mass in honour of the saint. ''Pardons'' are often accompanied by small village fairs.
The three most famous ''pardons'' are:
*
Sainte-Anne d'
Auray/Santez-Anna-Wened
*
Tréguier/Landreger, in honour of St Yves
*
Locronan/Lokorn, in honour of St
Ronan, with a ''troménie'' (a procession, 12 km long) and numerous people in traditional costumes
Tro Breizh
There is an ancient
pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey, often into an unknown or foreign place, where a person goes in search of new or expanded meaning about their self, others, nature, or a higher good, through the experience. It can lead to a personal transformation, aft ...
called the ''
Tro Breizh'' (tour of Brittany) which involves pilgrims walking around Brittany from the grave of one of the Seven Founder Saints to another. Nowadays pilgrims complete the circuit over the course of several years. In 2002, the Tro Breizh included a special pilgrimage to Wales, symbolically making the reverse journey of the Welshmen Paul Aurelian, Brioc, and Samson. According to Breton religious tradition, whoever does not make the pilgrimage at least once in his lifetime will be condemned to make it after his death, advancing only by the length of his coffin every seven years.
Folklore and traditional belief
Some pagan customs from the old pre-Christian tradition remain the
folklore
Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging ...
of Brittany. The most powerful folk figure is the
Ankou or the "Reaper of Death".
Language
The Breton language is a very important part of Breton identity. Breton itself is one of the
Brittonic languages and is closely related to
Cornish and more distantly to
Welsh. Breton is thus an
Insular Celtic language
Insular Celtic languages are the group of Celtic languages of Brittany, Great Britain, Ireland, and the Isle of Man. All surviving Celtic languages are in the Insular group, including Breton, which is spoken on continental Europe in Brittany, ...
and is more distantly related to the long-extinct
Continental Celtic languages such as
Gaulish
Gaulish was an ancient Celtic language spoken in parts of Continental Europe before and during the period of the Roman Empire. In the narrow sense, Gaulish was the language of the Celts of Gaul (now France, Luxembourg, Belgium, most of Switze ...
that were formerly spoken on the European mainland, including the areas colonised by the ancestors of the Bretons.
In eastern Brittany, a regional ''
langue d'oïl'',
Gallo, developed; it shares certain
areal feature
In geolinguistics, areal features are elements shared by languages or dialects in a geographic area, particularly when such features are not descended from a proto-language, or, common ancestor language. That is, an areal feature is contrasted to ...
s such as points of vocabulary, idiom, and pronunciation with Breton but is a
Romance language
The Romance languages, sometimes referred to as Latin languages or Neo-Latin languages, are the various modern languages that evolved from Vulgar Latin. They are the only extant subgroup of the Italic languages in the Indo-European language f ...
. Neither language has official status under French law; however, some still use Breton as an everyday language (particularly the older generation) and bilingual road signs are common in the west of Brittany.
From 1880 to the mid-20th century, Breton was banned from the French school system and children were punished for speaking it in a similar way to which English, not Welsh, was used in Welsh schools during the 18th and early 19th centuries. The situation changed in 1951 with the
Deixonne Law allowing Breton language and culture to be taught 1–3 hours a week in the public school system on the proviso that a teacher was both able and prepared to do so. In modern times, a number of schools and colleges have emerged with the aim of providing Breton-medium education or bilingual Breton/French education.
There are four main Breton dialects: Gwenedeg (
Vannes), Kerneveg (
Cornouaille
Cornouaille (; br, Kernev, Kerne) is a historical region on the west coast of Brittany in West France. The name is cognate with Cornwall in neighbouring Great Britain. This can be explained by the settlement of Cornouaille by migrant princ ...
), Leoneg (
Leon) and Tregerieg (
Trégor
Trégor (; br, Treger, ), officially the Land of Trégor (french: pays du Trégor, link=no; br, Bro-Dreger, link=no, ) is one of the nine traditional provinces of Brittany, in its northwestern area. It comprises the western part of the Côte ...
), which have varying degrees of mutual intelligibility. In 1908, a standard orthography was devised. The fourth dialect, Gwenedeg, was not included in this reform, but was included in the later orthographic reform of 1941.
Breton-language media
Newspapers, magazines and online journals available in Breton include ''
Al Lanv'', based in Quimper, ''
Al Liamm'',
Louarnig-
Rouzig, and ''
Bremañ''.
There are a number of radio stations with broadcasts in the Breton language, namely
Arvorig FM,
France Bleu Armorique,
France Bleu Breizh-Izel,
Radio Bro Gwened,
Radio Kerne, and
Radio Kreiz Breizh.
Television programmes in Breton are also available on
France 3 Breizh,
France 3 Iroise,
TV Breizh and
TV Rennes. There are also a number of Breton language weekly and monthly magazines.
Music
Fest-noz
A ''
fest-noz'' is a traditional festival (essentially a dance) in
Brittany
Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica during the period ...
. Many ''festoù-noz'' are held outside Brittany, taking regional Breton culture outside Brittany. Although the traditional dances of the ''fest-noz'' are old, some dating back to the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
, the ''fest-noz'' tradition is itself more recent, dating back to the 1950s.
Fest-Noz was officially registered on Wednesday, December 5, 2012, by
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
on the "Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity."
Traditional dance
There are many traditional Breton dances, the most well-known being ''
gavotte
The gavotte (also gavot, gavote, or gavotta) is a French dance, taking its name from a folk dance of the Gavot, the people of the Pays de Gap region of Dauphiné in the southeast of France, where the dance originated, according to one source. A ...
s'', ''
an dro
An dro or ''en dro'' ( Breton: "The Turn") is a Breton folk dance in . It is a form of a circle dance.
Technique
The dancers link little fingers in a long line, swinging their arms, and moving to their left by taking longer steps in that direc ...
'', the ''
hanter dro'', and the ''
plinn''. During the ''fest-noz'', most dances are practised in a chain or in a circle (holding a finger); however, there are also dances in pairs and choreographed dances with sequences and figures.
Traditional Breton music
Two main types of Breton music are a choral
a cappella tradition called ''
kan ha diskan'', and music involving instruments, including purely instrumental music. Traditional instruments include the
bombard __NOTOC__
Bombard may refer to the act of carrying out a bombardment. It may also refer to:
Individuals
*Alain Bombard (1924–2005), French biologist, physician and politician; known for crossing the Atlantic on a small boat with no water or food
...
(similar to an oboe) and two types of
bagpipes (''
veuze
The ''veuze'' is a Breton bagpipe found traditionally in southeastern Brittany and in the northern part of the Vendée, particularly around Nantes, the Guérande peninsula, and Basse-Vilaine. The veuze has been mentioned in writing dating to th ...
'' and ''
binioù kozh''). Other instruments often found are the diatonic
accordion, the
clarinet, and occasionally
violin
The violin, sometimes known as a '' fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone ( string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument ( soprano) in the family in regu ...
as well as the
hurdy-gurdy
The hurdy-gurdy is a string instrument that produces sound by a hand-crank-turned, rosined wheel rubbing against the strings. The wheel functions much like a violin bow, and single notes played on the instrument sound similar to those of a vi ...
. After
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, the
Great Highland bagpipe (and ''
binioù bras'') became commonplace in Brittany through the ''
bagad
A bagad (, ) is a Breton band, composed of bagpipes ( br, binioù, french: cornemuse), bombards and drums (including snare, tenor and bass drums). The pipe band tradition in Brittany was inspired by the Scottish example and has developed si ...
où'' (Breton pipe bands) and thus often replaced the ''
binioù-kozh''. The basic
clarinet (''treujenn-gaol'') had all but disappeared but has regained popularity over the past few years.
Modern Breton music
Nowadays groups with many different styles of music may be found, ranging from
rock to
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...
such as
Red Cardell
Red Cardell is a Breton rock band that mixes Breton music with rock, folk, blues, world music and chanson réaliste.
The group was formed in 1992 by Jean-Pierre Riou (vocals, guitars), Jean-Michel Moal (accordion) and Ian Proërer (drums). Wit ...
, ethno-rock,
Diwall and
Skeduz as well as
punk
Punk or punks may refer to:
Genres, subculture, and related aspects
* Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres
* Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...
. Some modern ''fest-noz'' groups also use electronic keyboards and synthesisers, for example
Strobinell,
Sonerien Du,
Les Baragouineurs, and
Plantec.
Breton cuisine
Breton cuisine contains many elements from the wider French culinary tradition. Local specialities include:
* ''
Crêpe
A crêpe or crepe ( or , , Quebec French: ) is a very thin type of pancake. Crêpes are usually one of two varieties: ''sweet crêpes'' () or ''savoury galettes'' (). They are often served with a wide variety of fillings such as cheese, ...
'' – froment (sweet)
* ''
Galette
Galette (from the Norman word ''gale'', meaning "flat cake") is a term used in French cuisine to designate various types of flat round or freeform crusty cakes, or, in the case of a Breton galette (french: Galette bretonne ; br, Krampouezhenn g ...
'' – buckwheat (savory)
* ''
Chouchenn'' – a type of Breton
mead
* ''Fars forn'' (''
far breton
Far Breton (also Breton far; br, Farz forn) is a traditional cake or dessert from the Brittany region in France. Its base is similar in composition to a clafoutis batter: a flan-style eggs-and-milk custard with flour added. Prunes or raisins
...
'') – a kind of sweet
suet pudding with prunes
* ''
Kouign-amann
Kouign-amann (; ''kouignoù-amann'') is a sweet Breton cake, made with laminated dough. It is a round multi-layered cake, originally made with bread dough (nowadays sometimes viennoiserie dough), containing layers of butter and incorporated s ...
'' – butter pastry
* ''Krampouezh'' (
crêpes or
galette
Galette (from the Norman word ''gale'', meaning "flat cake") is a term used in French cuisine to designate various types of flat round or freeform crusty cakes, or, in the case of a Breton galette (french: Galette bretonne ; br, Krampouezhenn g ...
s) – thin pancakes made either from
wheat
Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeologi ...
or
buckwheat
Buckwheat (''Fagopyrum esculentum''), or common buckwheat, is a flowering plant in the knotweed family Polygonaceae cultivated for its grain-like seeds and as a cover crop. The name "buckwheat" is used for several other species, such as ''Fagopy ...
flour; usually eaten as a main course
* ''
Lambig'' – apple ''
eau de vie
An ''eau de vie'' (French for spirit, §16, §17 literally " water of life") is a clear, colourless fruit brandy that is produced by means of fermentation and double distillation. The fruit flavor is typically very light.
In English-speakin ...
''
* ''Sistr'' –
cider
* ''
Caramel au beurre salé'' - salted butter caramel
Symbols of Brittany
Traditional Breton symbols and symbols of Brittany include the national anthem ''
Bro Gozh ma Zadoù'' based on the Welsh ''
Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau
"" () is the official national anthem of Wales. The title, taken from the first words of the song, means "Old Land of My Fathers" in Welsh, usually rendered in English as simply "Land of My Fathers". The words were written by Evan James and ...
''. The traditional motto of the former Dukes of Brittany is ''Kentoc'h mervel eget bezañ saotret'' in Breton, or ''Potius mori quam fœdari'' in
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
. The "national day" is observed on 1 August,
[Pierre Le Baud, Cronicques & Ystoires des Bretons.] the
Feast
A banquet (; ) is a formal large meal where a number of people consume food together. Banquets are traditionally held to enhance the prestige of a host, or reinforce social bonds among joint contributors. Modern examples of these purposes i ...
of
Saint Erwann (Saint Yves). The ermine is an important symbol of Brittany reflected in the ancient blazons of the Duchy of Brittany and also in the
chivalric order, ''
L’Ordre de l’Hermine'' (The Order of the Ermine).
See also
*
Celtic Britons
*
Armorica
Armorica or Aremorica (Gaulish: ; br, Arvorig, ) is the name given in ancient times to the part of Gaul between the Seine and the Loire that includes the Brittany Peninsula, extending inland to an indeterminate point and down the Atlantic Coast ...
*
Breton nationalism
Breton nationalism (Breton language, Breton: ''roadelouriezh Brezhoneg'', French language, French: ''nationalisme Breton'') is a form of Territorial nationalism, regional nationalism associated with the region of Brittany in France. The politic ...
*
Brittany
Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica during the period ...
*
British migration to France
*
Brythons
*
Celtic nations
The Celtic nations are a cultural area and collection of geographical regions in Northwestern Europe where the Celtic languages and cultural traits have survived. The term ''nation'' is used in its original sense to mean a people who shar ...
*
Cornish language
*
Cornwall
Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...
*
History of Brittany
The history of Brittany may refer to the entire history of the Armorican peninsula or only to the creation and development of a specifically Brythonic culture and state in the Early Middle Ages and the subsequent history of that state.
Pre ...
*
List of Breton authors
*
List of Breton poets
*
List of Breton saints
Breton saints refers to one of two groups, the innumerable people who lived, died, worked in, or came to be particularly venerated in the nine traditional dioceses of Brittany (Cornouaille, Dol, Léon, Nantes, Rennes, Saint-Brieuc, Saint-Malo, ...
*
Wikipedia in Breton
Images of Brittany
Image:William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825-1905) - Breton Brother and Sister (1871).jpg, William-Adolphe Bouguereau
William-Adolphe Bouguereau (; 30 November 1825 – 19 August 1905) was a French academic painter. In his realistic genre paintings, he used mythological themes, making modern interpretations of classical subjects, with an emphasis on the female ...
, ''Breton Brother and Sister''
File:Gauguin - Bretonne.jpg, Paul Gauguin, ''Breton Girl''
File:Émile Bernard Breton Women at a Wall.jpg, Émile Bernard
Émile Henri Bernard (28 April 1868 – 16 April 1941) was a French Post-Impressionist painter and writer, who had artistic friendships with Vincent van Gogh, Paul Gauguin and Eugène Boch, and at a later time, Paul Cézanne. Most of his nota ...
, '' Breton Women at a Wall''
Image:Cathédrale Saint-Pierre de Vannes-2253.jpg, Vannes Cathedral
Vannes Cathedral (french: Cathédrale Saint-Pierre de Vannes) is a Roman Catholic church dedicated to Saint Peter in Vannes, Brittany, France. The cathedral is the seat of the Bishop of Vannes.
The present Gothic church was erected on the site of ...
Image:Place de la Mairie, Rennes, France.jpg, City hall of Rennes
Image:ChateauNantesEntrance1900.jpg, Castle of the Dukes of Brittany in Nantes
Image:Huelgoat Chaos mill.jpg, Huelgoat is the ancestral home of the Kerouac
Jean-Louis Lebris de Kérouac (; March 12, 1922 – October 21, 1969), known as Jack Kerouac, was an American novelist and poet who, alongside William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg, was a pioneer of the Beat Generation.
Of French-Canadian an ...
family
Image:Bretagne Finistere Quimper 20072.jpg, City of Quimper
Image:Saintmalo.jpg, City of Saint-Malo
Saint-Malo (, , ; Gallo: ; ) is a historic French port in Ille-et-Vilaine, Brittany, on the English Channel coast.
The walled city had a long history of piracy, earning much wealth from local extortion and overseas adventures. In 1944, the Alli ...
Image:Bagad.JPG, The ''bagad
A bagad (, ) is a Breton band, composed of bagpipes ( br, binioù, french: cornemuse), bombards and drums (including snare, tenor and bass drums). The pipe band tradition in Brittany was inspired by the Scottish example and has developed si ...
'' of Lann-Bihoué of the French Navy
The French Navy (french: Marine nationale, lit=National Navy), informally , is the maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the five military service branches of France. It is among the largest and most powerful naval forces in t ...
File:Breton pipe player.jpg, Breton pipe player
Notes
References
Bibliography
* Léon Fleuriot, ''Les origines de la Bretagne,'' Bibliothèque historique Payot, 1980, Paris, ()
* Christian Y. M. Kerboul, ''Les royaumes brittoniques au Très Haut Moyen Âge,'' Éditions du Pontig/Coop Breizh, Sautron – Spézet, 1997, ()
* Morvan Lebesque, ''Comment peut-on être Breton ? Essai sur la démocratie française,'' Éditions du Seuil, coll. « Points », Paris, 1983, ()
* Myles Dillon, Nora Kershaw Chadwick, Christian-J. Guyonvarc'h and Françoise Le Roux, ''Les Royaumes celtiques,'' Éditions Armeline, Crozon, 2001, ().
External links
Breizh.net – a non-profit association dedicated to the promotion of Brittany and the Breton language on the Interne
Breizh.netGwalarn.orgKervarker.orgSkolober.comPerson.wanadoo.frPreder.netDicts.info* Online Breton radio
*
*
Ramsisle.com''Bremañ'' – Breton language magazineOfis ar Brezhoneg (l'Office de la langue bretonne)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Breton People
Brythonic Celts
Celtic ethnic groups
Indigenous peoples of Europe