Camille Le Mercier d'Erm (1888 in

Rennes Rennes (; br, Roazhon ; Gallo: ''Resnn''; ) is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France at the confluence of the Ille and the Vilaine. Rennes is the prefecture of the region of Brittany, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine department ...

- 1978 in

Dinard Dinard (; br, Dinarzh, ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Dinard'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Ille-et-Vilaine Departments of France, department, Brittany (administrative region), Brittany, northwestern France. Dinard is on the Côte d'� ...

) was a French poet, historian and

Breton nationalist Breton nationalism (Breton: ''roadelouriezh Brezhoneg'', French: ''nationalisme Breton'') is a form of regional nationalism associated with the region of Brittany in France. The political aspirations of Breton nationalists include the desire ...

. He later adopted the neo-Bardic name Kammermor. He is also known as Kamil Ar Merser 'Erm, the

Breton language Breton (, ; or in Morbihan) is a Southwestern Brittonic language of the Celtic language family spoken in Brittany, part of modern-day France. It is the only Celtic language still widely in use on the European mainland, albeit as a member of t ...

form of his name. His work as a poet and historian is marked by nationalist claims and calls to rebellion against the French state on the model of

Irish nationalism Irish nationalism is a nationalist political movement which, in its broadest sense, asserts that the people of Ireland should govern Ireland as a sovereign state. Since the mid-19th century, Irish nationalism has largely taken the form of cu ...

. He was the grandson of a

Chouan Chouan ("the silent one", or "owl") is a French nickname. It was used as a nom de guerre by the Chouan brothers, most notably Jean Cottereau, better known as Jean Chouan, who led a major revolt in Bas-Maine against the French Revolution. Part ...

officer. He was based in Paris when in 1909 he published his first collections of poetry. The same year, in the ''Revue de l’Ouest'', he wrote "Traditionalism and separatism", an article advocating separatist politics in defence of cultural tradition. His proposals caused a sensation.Ronald Delaney, ''Camille Le Mercier d'Erm, Poète, Écrivain Breton'' Editions Jouve (1938). He was the principal founder of the

Breton Nationalist Party The Breton Nationalist Party (''Parti nationaliste breton'', or PNB) was a French political party that advocated independence for Brittany. It existed from 1911 to 1914. Origins It was founded in October 1911 under the patronage of a committee of ...

in 1911, and was arrested when the party launched a protest in the same year at the official opening of a monument to the unity of Brittany and France. Le Mercier d'Erm also founded the activist journal ''

Breiz Dishual Breiz may refer to Places *Brittany, the English name for the French region called in the Breton language ''Breiz'' Publications *'' Breiz Atao'' (Brittany for Ever), a Breton nationalist journal of the mid-twentieth century *'' Breiz da Zont'' ( ...

'' (Free Brittany). The party and journal folded in 1914 on the outbreak of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. Immediately after the war, Le Mercier d'Erm helped to found a replacement journal,

Breiz Atao ''Breiz Atao'' (also ''Breizh Atao'') (in Breton ''Brittany For Ever'' cf. Breizh atav), was a Breton nationalist journal in the mid-twentieth century. It was written in French, and has always been considered as a French nationalist journal by t ...

(Brittany Forever), which was created in 1919. He also continued to play a leading role among young Breton nationalist activists between the wars. He launched the newspaper ''La Bretagne libertaire'' in 1921, with the article "La Nation bretonne et l’Internationale" (The Breton nation and the

Internationale "The Internationale" (french: "L'Internationale", italic=no, ) is an international anthem used by various communist and socialist groups; currently, it serves as the official anthem of the Communist Party of China. It has been a standard of th ...

). In 1941 on the occasion of the thirtieth anniversary of the Breton Nationalist Party, the newly formed

Breton National Party The Breton National Party (French ''Parti National Breton'', Breton ''Strollad Broadel Breizh'') was a nationalist party in Brittany that existed from 1931 to 1944. The party was disbanded after the liberation of France in World War II, because of ...

(a different organisation) organised a heartfelt tribute to Le Mercier d'Erm, as a pioneer of Breton nationalism.

Publications

* ''Le poème de Paris nocturne'' - Ed. Les Gémeaux. 1909. * ''La Muse aux violettes'' - Ed. Sansot. 1909. * ''Les exils'' - Ed. Sansot. 1909. * ''Les poètes de Paris'' - Ed. Louis Michaud. 1911. * ''Les ballades d'amour'' - Ed. Louis Michaud. 1912. * ''Les rondeaux d'amour'' - Ed. Louis Michaud. 1912. * ''Défense et illustration de la langue bretonne. Les éléments d'une littérature nationale''. Edition du Parti Nationaliste Breton - s.l., Imprimerie Breiz Dishual. 1913. * ''Le barde Mathaliz (Georges Le Rumeur): membre du gorsedd de Bretagne-armorique ..' Edition du Parti Nationaliste Breton, 1913. * ''La question bretonne, le nationalisme et l'action française '' Edition du Parti Nationaliste Breton, 1913. Rennes, Imprimerie du Journal de Rennes * ''Bretagne et Germanie'' - Ed. de l'Hermine. 1914. * ''Les origines du nationalisme breton''. Edition du Parti Nationaliste Breton, 1914. * ''Jean-Michel Renaitour'' - Aviateur lyrique - Ed. Les Argonautes. 1917. * ''Irlande à jamais, odes aux martyrs de 1916''. Edition du Parti Nationaliste Breton - s.l., Imprimerie Artistique de l'Ouest,

Niort Niort (; Poitevin: ''Niàu''; oc, Niòrt; la, Novioritum) is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department, western France. It is the prefecture of Deux-Sèvres. The population of Niort is 58,707 (2017) and more than 177,000 people live in the u ...

. 1919 * ''La Guerre ?'' - Ed. Les Argonautes. 1919. * ''Les bardes et poètes nationaux de la Bretagne armoricaine''. Kelenn. 1919. * ''Les hymnes nationaux des peuples celtiques'' - Ed. A l'Enseigne de l'Hermine. 1920. * ''La Bretagne vue par les écrivains et les artistes'' - Ed. Vald. Rasmussen. 1925. * ''La chanson des siècles bretons''. Bilingue Breton-Français. Poems and popular songs inspired by the historical traditions of the Breton people presented with bibliographical notices and critiques, music and French translations.

, à l'Enseigne de l'hermine, 1926 * ''Buez ar pevar mab emon. Duc d'Ordon. Laket e form eun dragedi. Seizvet moulladur embannet gant''. Dinard, A l'enseigne de l'Hermine, 1928. * ''La France pittoresque et artistique la Bretagne suivie d'un guide''. Rasmussen, 1929. * ''Les Saints Bretons de la côte d'Emeraude'' - Ed. de l'Hermine. 1934. *
L'Etrange Aventure de l'Armée de Bretagne
le Drame du Camp de Conlie et du Mans''. 1939. * ''Sang d'occident'' - Ed. de l'Hermine. 1965. * ''Patrie perdue'' - Ed. de l'Hermine. 1973. * ''Une Armée de Chouans'' - Ed. Perrin. 1975. * ''Marcelle au Luxembourg'' - Ed. de L'Hermine. 1976. * ''Eternités'' - Ed. de l'Hermine. 1978.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Le Mercier d'Erm, Camille 1888 births 1978 deaths Breton nationalists Writers from Rennes Breton-language writers