"An Alarc'h" ("The Swan") is 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 **Gale ...

traditional song. It is found in the 1839 collection

Barzaz Breiz ''Barzaz Breiz'' (in modern spelling ''Barzhaz Breizh'', meaning "Ballads of Brittany": ''barzh'' is the equivalent of "bard" and ''Breizh'' means "Brittany") is a collection of Breton popular songs collected by Théodore Hersart de la Villemar ...

. 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 (; 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' War. From 1370 to his ...

in 1379. It has been recorded by, amongst others,

Alan Stivell Alan Stivell (; born Alan Cochevelou on 6 January 1944) is a Breton people, Breton and Celtic musician and singer, songwriter, recording artist, and master of the Celtic harp. From the early 1970s, he revived global interest in the Celtic (specif ...

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 songbook ''Melismata'' compiled by Thomas Ravenscroft and published in 1611, but the song is possibly older than that. Newer versions (with different music) were recorded up throu ...

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

Lyrics

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

Recordings

* ''À l'Olympia'',

(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 Tri Yann () is a French band from Nantes who play medieval folk rock music drawing on traditional Breton folk ballads. The band was founded in 1969 by Jean Chocun, Jean-Paul Corbineau and Jean-Louis Jossic – all of whom remained members – ...

(1972, Kelenn, 6332 626) * ''Hanternoz'', (August 2013) * ''Molène'',

Didier Squiban Didier Squiban (born 23 September 1959 in ''Ploudalmézeau'' (Finistère)) is a French pianist and composer. His musical work is a combination of traditional Breton music, jazz improvisation and classical romanticism and has added the piano to t ...

(1997, L'Oz Production – L'OZ 17)

References

{{authority control Breton folk songs Year of song unknown Songs with unknown songwriters