Pêr-Jakez Helias, baptised Pierre-Jacques Hélias, ''

nom de plume A pen name, also called a ''nom de plume'' or a literary double, is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name. A pen na ...

'' Pierre-Jakez Hélias (1914–1995) was a

Breton Breton most often refers to: *anything associated with Brittany, and generally ** Breton people ** Breton language, a Southwestern Brittonic Celtic language of the Indo-European language family, spoken in Brittany ** Breton (horse), a breed **Ga ...

stage actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), lite ...

journalist A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalism ...

author An author is the writer of a book, article, play, mostly written work. A broader definition of the word "author" states: "''An author is "the person who originated or gave existence to anything" and whose authorship determines responsibility f ...

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral or writte ...

, and writer for

radio Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmit ...

who worked in the

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

and

languages. For many years he directed a weekly radio programme in the Breton language and co-founded a summer festival at

Quimper Quimper (, ; br, Kemper ; la, Civitas Aquilonia or ) is a commune and prefecture of the Finistère department of Brittany in northwestern France. Administration Quimper is the prefecture (capital) of the Finistère department. Geography The ...

which became the

Festival de Cornouaille The Festival de Cornouaille (or just Cornouaille Kemper) is an annual festival taking place in Quimper, a city in the south-west of Brittany, a western region of France. The festival begins on the third Sunday of July and lasts for one week. It has ...

Life and work

Helias was born in 1914 in Pouldreuzig, Penn-ar-Bed, Brittany. His father, Pierre-Alain Hélias, was a native of the nearby village of

Plozévet Plozévet () is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France. Plozévet is twinned with the village of Hartland, Devon, UK. Population Inhabitants of Plozévet are called in French ''Plozévetiens''. Geography P ...

. Helias' mother, Marie-Jeanne Le Goff, had grown up in Pouldreuzic, to which her husband moved after their wedding in 1913. Hélias' paternal grandfather, Yann Helias, was a

tenant farmer A tenant farmer is a person (farmer or farmworker) who resides on land owned by a landlord. Tenant farming is an agricultural production system in which landowners contribute their land and often a measure of operating capital and management, ...

sabot Sabot may refer to: * Sabot (firearms), disposable supportive device used in gunpowder ammunitions to fit/patch around a sub-caliber projectile * Sabot (shoe), a type of wooden shoe People * Dick Sabot (1944–2005), American economist and busi ...

-maker, and storyteller known in Plozévet as ''Yann ar Burzudou'' ("Yann the Wonder-Man"). Pierre-Alain Hélias had previously served at

Vannes Vannes (; br, Gwened) is a commune in the Morbihan department in Brittany in north-western France. It was founded over 2,000 years ago. History Celtic Era The name ''Vannes'' comes from the Veneti, a seafaring Celtic people who lived ...

in an artillery unit of the

French Army The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (french: Armée de Terre, ), is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces. It is responsible to the Government of France, along with the other components of the Armed For ...

and, upon 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 ...

in August 1914, he was recalled to

active service Active may refer to: Music * ''Active'' (album), a 1992 album by Casiopea * Active Records, a record label Ships * ''Active'' (ship), several commercial ships by that name * HMS ''Active'', the name of various ships of the British Royal ...

. Pierre-Jacques Hélias later recalled that, during his father's combat duty as a

Poilu Poilu (; ) is an informal term for a late 18th century–early 20th century French infantryman, meaning, literally, ''the hairy one''. It is still widely used as a term of endearment for the French infantry of World War I. The word carries the se ...

on the Western Front, he and his mother were given, "twenty sous a day... to keep ourselves alive". His father's sickle was wielded during harvest-time by his mother and was sharpened upon a stone moistened with her tears. Hélias further recalled, "When my father returned home from the battlefield, he let his wife keep the sickle. For he thought he was no longer it's master, that mother had truly earned it... In the end,it's blade wasn't much bigger than that of a pocket knife. I rather think that tears are more effective than stone for wearing down a sickle." One of Hélias' maternal uncles, who had been serving before the war as an officer in

French Indochina French Indochina (previously spelled as French Indo-China),; vi, Đông Dương thuộc Pháp, , lit. 'East Ocean under French Control; km, ឥណ្ឌូចិនបារាំង, ; th, อินโดจีนฝรั่งเศส, ...

, was less fortunate, and returned to France only to be killed in action during the First World War. Hélias had a modest upbringing, but this included a good education. During the interwar period, the village was divided between "Reds", who discretely supported the

anti-clericalism Anti-clericalism is opposition to religious authority, typically in social or political matters. Historical anti-clericalism has mainly been opposed to the influence of Roman Catholicism. Anti-clericalism is related to secularism, which seeks to ...

of the

Third French Republic The French Third Republic (french: Troisième République, sometimes written as ) was the system of government adopted in France from 4 September 1870, when the Second French Empire collapsed during the Franco-Prussian War, until 10 July 1940 ...

, and "Whites", who supported the

Catholic Church in France , native_name_lang = fr , image = 060806-France-Paris-Notre Dame.jpg , imagewidth = 200px , alt = , caption = Cathedral Notre-Dame de Paris , abbreviation = , type ...

. Despite the religious devotion of his mother, Pierre-Alain and Marie-Jeanne Hélias were "Reds" and, against the opposition of their parish priest, they chose to enroll their son in a secular and state-run school, in the hopes that he would learn

and move up in the world. After a career in the

French Resistance The French Resistance (french: La Résistance) was a collection of organisations that fought the German occupation of France during World War II, Nazi occupation of France and the Collaborationism, collaborationist Vichy France, Vichy régim ...

during the

Second World War 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 opposin ...

, in 1946 Helias was appointed as director of a weekly programme in Breton on Radio Kimerc'h. Working with Pierre Trépos, he created hundreds of dialogues, many of them between two stock characters, Gwilhou Vihan and Jakez Kroc'hen. In 1948 he was the co-founder, with François Bégot and Jo Halleguen, of Les grandes Fêtes de Cornouaille, an

Eisteddfod In Welsh culture, an ''eisteddfod'' is an institution and festival with several ranked competitions, including in poetry and music. The term ''eisteddfod'', which is formed from the Welsh morphemes: , meaning 'sit', and , meaning 'be', means, a ...

-inspired summer festival celebrating

Breton culture The culture of Brittany is made up of Breton culture, and Celtic culture. Brittany's strongest international connections tend to be in the United Kingdom, particularly in the Celtic groups of Cornwall and Wales, and in Canada. Brittany is the Eng ...

.Peter Neary, 'Brittany: Theatre', in ''White Tie and Decorations: Sir John and Lady Hope Simpson in Newfoundland''
pp. 175-177
online The theatre was Helias's favourite ''genre'', as he was convinced that

was primarily a spoken one, so that it could best be captured by

drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...

, and much of his early work was in the form of plays and scripts for radio. His ''An Isild a-heul'', or ''Yseulte seconde'' (1963), was a three-act tragedy based on the story of

Tristan and Isolde Tristan and Iseult, also known as Tristan and Isolde and other names, is a medieval chivalric romance told in numerous variations since the 12th century. Based on a Celtic legend and possibly other sources, the tale is a tragedy about the illic ...

, but with a focus on Tristan's wife rather than his lover. Written first in Breton, it was published in a dual text, with a French translation on the facing page, and was broadcast on the ''

France Culture France Culture is a French public radio channel and part of Radio France. Its programming encompasses a wide variety of features on historical, philosophical, sociopolitical, and scientific themes (including debates, discussions, and documentari ...

'' radio station in 1965. Helias's best-known and most often performed play is ''Mevel ar Gosker'', or 'The Yardman of Kosker'. A ''mevel bras'' (

majordomo A majordomo is a person who speaks, makes arrangements, or takes charge for another. Typically, this is the highest (''major'') person of a household (''domūs'' or ''domicile'') staff, a head servant who acts on behalf of the owner of a large ...

) was the most important farm worker, a man who might enjoy many privileges, but who was not of the landowning class and it was inconceivable in traditional

that he could aspire to marry into it. However, the ''mevel'' of the play, Jakez Mano, contrives by a complicated means to wed his boss's daughter, God Konan. The fact that he can actually achieve this is seen as proof that the old Brittany, in which marriages were always within the same social class, is changing. Helias's poetry includes two collections in Breton, ''Ar men du'' (1974, ''The Black Stone'') and ''An tremen-buhez'' (1979, ''The Pastime''). An important theme in his work was his devotion to the Breton language and its power. One of his lines translates as "Breton speaker that I am, my heritage lies on my tongue, it shall never be yours". His best-selling work is his memoir ''Le cheval d'orgueil'', or ''

The Horse of Pride ''The Horse of Pride'' is a 1980 rural drama film directed by Claude Chabrol. Its title in French is '' Le cheval d'orgueil''. It is based on '' Le cheval d'orgueil'', an autobiography by Pêr-Jakez Helias. The film takes place in the Bigouden a ...

'', rooted in the Bigoudenn area south of

. This was eventually published in Breton as , after its success had turned Helias into an international celebrity.Diarmuid Johnson, 'Helias, Pêr-Jakez (1914–95)', in John T. Koch (ed.), ''Celtic culture: a historical encyclopedia'', Volumes 1-5 (2006)
pp. 900-901
/ref> Helias also collected Breton folk tales and published work on the Breton language and culture. He became a major figure in

Breton literature Breton literature may refer to literature in the Breton language (''Brezhoneg'') or the broader literary tradition of Brittany in the three other main languages of the area, namely, Latin, Gallo and French – all of which have had strong mutual ...

during the last third of the 20th century. For example, the ''

Encyclopædia Britannica The (Latin for "British Encyclopædia") is a general knowledge English-language encyclopaedia. It is published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.; the company has existed since the 18th century, although it has changed ownership various time ...

'' of 1997 says of him, "Per-Jakez Helias as poet,

playwright A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays. Etymology The word "play" is from Middle English pleye, from Old English plæġ, pleġa, plæġa ("play, exercise; sport, game; drama, applause"). The word "wright" is an archaic English ...

, and radio script writer has been both prolific and popular." Despite his importance to

, Helias came under fire from far left radicals promoting

language revival Language revitalization, also referred to as language revival or reversing language shift, is an attempt to halt or reverse the decline of a language or to revive an extinct one. Those involved can include linguists, cultural or community groups, o ...

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 ...

, and

Anti-French sentiment Anti-French sentiment (Francophobia or Gallophobia) is fear or antagonism of France, the French people, French culture, the French government or the Francophonie (set of political entities that use French as an official language or whose French- ...

. This was only partly due to Helias' willingness to write in French and his refusal to denounce that language. In ''Le cheval d'orgueil'', Helias was attacked for admitting that his parents chose to enroll him in the village school out of a desire for him to succeed and that, as a child, he enjoyed attending a school which tolerated only French. Furthermore, Hélias did not solely blame the French Government or the coercive

Francization Francization (in American English, Canadian English, and Oxford English) or Francisation (in other British English), Frenchification, or Gallicization is the expansion of French language use—either through willful adoption or coercion—by more ...

of the state schools for the recent collapse of the Breton language and culture. He also had very harsh words for the actions of Breton bishops and clergy during the aftermath of the

Second Vatican Council The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the , or , was the 21st Catholic ecumenical councils, ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church. The council met in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome for four periods (or sessions) ...

. The removal of often centuries old works of

Christian art Christian art is sacred art which uses subjects, themes, and imagery from Christianity. Most Christian groups use or have used art to some extent, including early Christian art and architecture and Christian media. Images of Jesus and narrative ...

and the replacement of the

Tridentine Mass The Tridentine Mass, also known as the Traditional Latin Mass or Traditional Rite, is the liturgy of Mass in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church that appears in typical editions of the Roman Missal published from 1570 to 1962. Celebrated almo ...

Ecclesiastical Latin Latin, also called Church Latin or Liturgical Latin, is a form of Latin developed to discuss Christian thought in Late Antiquity and used in Christian liturgy, theology, and church administration down to the present day, especially in the Cathol ...

with the

Mass of Paul VI The Mass of Paul VI, also known as the Ordinary Form or Novus Ordo, is the most commonly used liturgy in the Catholic Church. It is a form of the Latin Church's Roman Rite and was promulgated by Pope Paul VI in 1969, published by him in the 1970 ...

in French was, in Hélias' opinion, far more to blame for the recent

secularization In sociology, secularization (or secularisation) is the transformation of a society from close identification with religious values and institutions toward non-religious values and secular institutions. The ''secularization thesis'' expresses the ...

of the region. He wrote, "There were Reds in the Church, people said. Soon everyone was to go to Mass as they went to school. In other words, some were to be good pupils and others bad pupils. Not so very long ago, everyone understood everything in the same way; each one of them truly partook of the sacraments; and they all knew several

hymn A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn'' ...

s by heart, hymns that rang out through the church. Now, the singing rings hollow; indeed, the elderly don't even dare participate. Mass is no longer a joy; it's not even restful. Lukewarm soup without any flavor." Even though Hélias ended his memoir by expressing hope for a Breton,

Basque Basque may refer to: * Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France * Basque language, their language Places * Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque people with parts in both Spain and France * Basque Country (autonomous co ...

, and Provençal

, radical nationalists, like

Xavier Grall Xavier Grall (1930–1981) was a journalist and poet from Brittany, France, who was a strong advocate of Breton nationalism during the Emsav, Third Emsav. His work glorifies a mystical Brittany. Early career Xavier Grall was born in Landivisiau ...

, condemned his memoir as

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 ...

. Furthermore,

John Ardagh John Ardagh (28 May 1928, Nyasaland – 26 January 2008, London) was a British journalist, writer and broadcaster. He was educated at Sherborne School, Dorset, and Worcester College, Oxford, where he took a degree in classics and philosophy. 1953 ...

commented in 1982, "Brittany's two writers most famous in France as a whole, Per-Jakez Helias and

Jean-Edern Hallier Jean-Edern Hallier (1 March 193612 January 1997) was a French writer, critic and editor. After his exclusion from the literary review ''Tel Quel'', which he co-founded with Philippe Sollers, Hallier went on to publish novels and satirical pamp ...

, are regarded with some scorn by the Breton zealots." Helias died on 13 August 1995 in

Brittany Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, Historical region, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known ...

In popular culture

* Hélias's memoir was adapted into a film of the same name by director

Claude Chabrol Claude Henri Jean Chabrol (; 24 June 1930 – 12 September 2010) was a French film director and a member of the French New Wave (''nouvelle vague'') group of filmmakers who first came to prominence at the end of the 1950s. Like his colleagues an ...

in 1980.

Selected publications

*''Biskoaz kemend-all'' (1947) *''Eun ano bras, darvoud en eun arvest'' (1953) *''War eun dachenn foball'' (1955) *''Danses de Bretagne'' (1955) *''Mojennou Breiz I'' (1957) *''Tan ha ludu'' (1957) *''Eun den maro ha ne goll ket e benn'' (1958) *''Mojennou Breiz II'' (1959) *''Mevel ar Gosker'' (play, 1959) *''Kanadenn Penn ar Bed (1959) *''Marvaillou ar votez-tan. Contes du sabot à feu'' (1961) *''Comme on connaît ses saints'' (1961) *''An Izild a-heul; Yseult seconde'' (play, 1963) *''Maner Kuz. Manoir secret'' (1964) *''Divizou eun amzer gollet. Devis d'un temps perdu'' (1966) *''Contes du pays bigouden'' (1967) *''Bretagne aux légendes : la mer'' (1967) *''Costumes de Bretagne'' (1969) *''Contes de la Chantepleure'' (1971) *''Tradition bretonne : le savoir-vivre'' (1973) *''Légendes du Raz de Sein'' (1972) *''Ar men du; la pierre noire'' (poetry, 1974) *''Le cheval d'orgueuil, Mémoires d'un Breton du pays bigouden'' (autobiography, 1975) *''Tradition bretonne : logis et ménages'' (1975) *''Comment un Breton devint roi d'Angleterre'' (1976) *''Les autres et les miens: le trésor du Cheval d'orgueil'' (1977) *''Peziou-c'hoari Jakez Krohen'' (1977) *''Penaoz e teuas eur Breizad da veza roue Bro-Zaoz'' (1977) *''Le Grand valet, La Femme de paille, Le Tracteur - Théâtre I'' (1977) *''Lettres de Bretagne: langues, culture et civilisations bretonnes'' (1978) *''An tremen-buhez; le passe-vie'' (poetry, 1979) *''La sagesse de la terre'' (1980) *''Quimper en Cornouaille'' (1980) *''Au pays du Cheval d'orgueil'' (1980) *''Piou e-neus lazet an hini koz?'' (1981) *''L'esprit du rivage'' (1981) *''L'herbe d'or'' (novel, 1982) *''Images de Bretagne'' (1983) *''La colline des solitudes'' (novel, 1984) *''Les contes du vrai et du semblant'' (1984) * (Breton autobiography, 1986) *''Dictionnaire . Breton-français, français-'' (1986) *''Bugale Berlobi I - Brud an Dreued'' (1987) *''Lisbonne'' (1987) *''Bugale Berlobi II - Marvaillou da veva en ho sav'' (1988) *''Vent de soleil'' (1988) *''Midi à ma porte'' (1988) *''Amsked. Pobl an noz; Clair-obscur. Le peuple de la nuit'' (1990) *''Le quêteur de mémoire: quarante ans de recherche sur les mythes et la civilisation bretonne'' (1990) *''La nuit singulière'' (1990) *''D'un autre monde; A-berz eur bed all (poetry, 1991) *''Katrina Lenn-zu'' (1993) *''Le diable à quatre'' (novel, 1993) *''Le piéton de Quimper'' (1993) *''Ruz-Kov ar foeterez-vro: gand seiteg tresadenn war pri-poaz gand Dodik'' (1996) *''Ventre-à-Terre, l'aventurier'' *''Un pays à deux langues'' (2000)

Life and work

In popular culture

Selected publications

Notes

Further reading