Brittany

History

Historical countries

Brittany is divided in the beginning into nine countries, corresponding to the dioceses, countries which themselves are subdivided. Their creation was spread out Life with Xe century.

See also: traditional Country of Brittany

Antiquity

The territory of future Brittany, like all the Armorique, was conquered by the Romains at the time of the Guerre of Gaules. At the end of the 5th century, the Breton of the island of Brittany (current Great Britain), perhaps driven out by the Anglo-Saxon (cf the Breton emigration in Armorique), would have emigrated there in mass with their habits and their language, their presence having been organized before for the defense of the Roman Empire vis-a-vis the Germanic Migrations. They gave their name to this area, which was called a long time Petite Brittany, by opposition with their island of origin.

Early middle ages

With the Early middle ages, Brittany were divided into two, then three kingdoms - the Domnonée, the Cornwall and the Broërec (initially called Bro Waroch) - which were joined together under the authority of the dukes and kings de Bretagne at the 9th century.

This Brittany sets up at the 9th century under Nominoë in a unified kingdom. The Treated of Angers in September 851 into definite the limits. The treaty of Angers flies in glare under Solomon which sets out again in war against the French central capacity. Brittany reaches its maximum extension and includes/understands Avranchain, the Cotentin, the Channel Islands, part of the Maine and Anjou. The duchy is destabilized by the occupations and the incursions of the Viking S at the beginning of the 10th century.

Indeed, Brittany loses its last conquests on the Anjou, the Comté of Maine and the Normandy. In 909, following the death of Alain Large the, Foulque Ier of Anjou receives the Comté of Nantes. It is charged to fight against the Normands and the Bretons. The county of Nantes will be closely related on Anjou and the dynasty of the Plantagenêts until in 1203.

Reconstituted but weakened, by the duke Alain II of Brittany and its successors, Brittany is nothing any more but a Duché (sometimes called county simply) which takes again overall the limits of the Traité of Angers. The dukes continue however to exert the royal prerogatives their predecessors and will generally maintain alliances with the French central capacity by marriages with princesses of the French nobility.

Brittany then becomes an important issue between the Normandy and the Anjou, then between the England and the France. The relations between the duchy and its neighbors depended primarily on the personal reports/ratios which their chiefs maintained. The policy of the Ducs of Brittany then is sometimes followed in an independent way, sometimes dominated by the King d' Angleterre and sometimes by the King de France. The dukes of Brittany, benefitting from the difficulties of the royal capacity vis-a-vis the large feudal ones, maintain a certain political independence with respect to the king from 14th-15th with the advent the dynasty of the Montfort. This policy of emancipation reaches its culminating point under the reign of François II of Brittany with the expulsion of the royal administration, etc the many political errors and alliances against the king of France thus the opposition of the Breton nobility involve her defeat in 1488.

Modern time

Following the revolt the large feudal ones against the royal at the time of the insane War, François II, duke of Brittany, sudden capacity of important military defeats in 1488 (Battle of Saint-Aubin-of-Cormier the). The treated Sanded known as “ Traité Orchard ” is signed by Charles VIII, King de France, and François II, Duc of Brittany the August 19th 1488. It stipulates that the heiress of the duchy cannot marry without the agreement of king de France.

The war begins again for three more years, until in December 1491, Charles VIII marries Anne of Brittany. The king of France strengthens his authority on Brittany. This led to a personal union between sovereigns, in particular following the requirements of Anne of Brittany which refuses any marriage with another that the king of France, then in 1532 the perpetual union between the duchy and the kingdom is requested with Vannes by States of Brittany and is sanctioned by the royal edict signed in the tread with the Plessis-Macé. Brittany keeps however certain privileges (specific legislation and taxes) until the French revolution. Indeed, it is at the time of the famous night of the August 4th 1789 that the privileges are abolished, that they are those of the communes, the corporations, the nobility, the clergy and those of applying locally in certain provinces of the kingdom of which Brittany.

15th, 16th and 17th centuries are regarded as the period more ostentation of Brittany which is then placed in the middle of maritime trade route most active between the Spain, the England and the Holland. The fabrics of Hemp and flax noyales , create , Brittany or olonnes symbolizes the rise of this period which allowed the financing of an impressive architectural heritage. The Mint of Rennes is then the first of France. The Colbertisme, which transformed Brittany into military bottom of bag, and the conflicts with England will gradually plunge the Breton ones in the poverty, which will culminate at the end of the 19th century.

Brittany was divided into counties (Cornwall, Leon, Broërec, Tréguier, Penthièvre, Porhoët, Nantais, Rennais…) then into eight baillies which will evolve/move into four présidiaux, themselves divided into Sénéchaussée S. It was also divided into nine évêchés ( Broioù or Eskopti into Breton).

With the French revolution, the provinces are repealed the Nuit of August 4th 1789 and Brittany ceases existing as an administrative entity, being divided into 1790 into five departments:

Coast-of-North (become Coast-with Armor in 1990),
Finistere,
Ille-et-Vilaine,
Loire-Inférieure (become Loire-Atlantique in 1957),
Morbihan.

In 1848, the five Breton departments are joined together under the authority of the Nantes Michel Rocher, police chief general of Brittany, which chapeaute other police chiefs (= prefects) Breton.

The creation project of economic areas known as “regional economic groupings” or “areas Clémentel” envisaged in 1917 to group in IIIe area (or area of Rennes) the 4 departments of north and west of Brittany while the Loire-Inférieure would have joined the IVe area (or area of Angers) with the Mayenne, the the Sarthe, the Maine-et-Loire, the the Vendée and the Indre-et-Loire. The realization of the Clémentel areas intervened starting from April 1919. The area of Rennes then called VIe area included/understood the Ille-et-Vilaine, the Coast-of-North and the Finistere. Large the Ve area or area of Nantes was seen allotting the Mayenne, the the Sarthe, the Indre-et-Loire, the Maine-et-Loire, the the Vendée, the Loire-Inférieure and the Morbihan: one had grouped around a big city the departments of the economic basin of this one, and with this title, he had been extremely discussed of the membership in Nantes or Rennes of the Finistere, which it would have been necessary to divide into south and north. These economic areas will fail during the Twenties to live sparely only in the form of more or less loose unions of chambers of commerce.

In September 1919 the federations of tourist offices start to organize “tourist areas” on a a little different model. The nature of cutting being this tourist, geographical and ethnographic time, these tourist areas will not coincide with the economic areas: an area called Brittany extended on the Morbihan, the Finistere, the Coast-of-North and the Ille-et-Vilaine. An area called the Loire Valley joins together it Loire-Inférieure, the Maine-et-Loire, the Mayenne, the the Sarthe, the Indre-et-Loire, plus the Western halves of the Loir-et-Cher and the Loiret.

April 19th, 1941, the marshal Pétain sign in Vichy a law which groups the departments in areas without making reappear the name of Brittany. Its cabinet however decides to separate the Loire-Inférieure from the area of Rennes, to include it in an area of Angers. The current territorial limits of Brittany are defined by the decree of June 30th, 1941 written by the Pétain Marshal and published on July 1st 1941 in the Official journal of the French State during the Second world war, under the occupation Nazi. The General de Gaulle sign a comparable ordinance the January 10th 1944. These areas were dissolved after the departure of De Gaulle of Matignon in 1946.

The CELIB (Study committee and of connection of the Breton interests), created under the crook of the journalist Joseph Martray, is created in 1950 and influences the creation of a recognition of the areas within a European framework. Under the government of Edgar Faure in 1956, the creation of the “areas of program” then makes reappear the Brittany area. Based on considerations technical, economic and political, but of anything historical, this recutting created a administrative Area called Brittany with only four departments, the Loire-Atlantique being attached to the area of the Country of the Loire. The law of regionalization of 1972 ratifies this separation, in spite of the opposition of the General advice of Loire-Atlantique, then his various votes (unanimously) for its fastening in Brittany, in spite of the votes of the district council of Brittany in the same direction. Because the Council of State always made obstacle there.

At present, the fastening of the Loire-Atlantique continues to be the object of debates but poses many economic problems because, according to some, the agglomeration Nantes weighs a too important weight which would be likely to destabilize the area by weakening Rennes and the other towns of Brittany. If the public opinion seems to be favorable sometimes there: several surveys indicate that 55 to 65% questioned people would wish it. However its results must be largely balanced. According to a survey TMO-Area of June 2006, for example, for a sampling of 1000 people (most important until now), 68% of the people who decide are favorable there, which accounts for 55% of the questioned people, whereas 19% did not wish to express itself. However, it clearly appears in this same survey that 60% of probed remain favorable to the maintenance of the Loire--The Atlantic in the area of the Pays-de-la-Loire, and only 10% of the questioned people do not come to a conclusion about this maintenance. A finer analysis of the statistical data reveals than a strong proportion of the inhabitants of Loire-Atlantique thinks than this debate on fastening is not any more one topical question. It appears in fact that only 31% of the inhabitants of Loire-Atlantique are really favorable to fastening in Brittany, 37% are really against this fastening, and 32% do not have a real opinion. In Brittany area, 37% of the inhabitants are really favorable to fastening, 27% are against, and 36% do not have a real opinion.

The demonstrations organized for that in Nantes are organized on a 5 department scale. The Government Raffarin having legalized the local referendums, this reunification became technically possible. The methods of this union would imply to fill a certain number of administrative and legislative conditions (like the possible organization of a consultation near the populations concerned leading according to the choices carried out to the regional recutting of all the zone, inter alia things). This reorganization depends on the decisions of the presidents of the two district councils and the president of the general advice of Loire-Atlantique.

Policy

Brittany is an area managed on the left today. It is divided between North-Finistere (Leon) of right-hand side, southern finistère of left (Cornwall), Morbihan traditionally of right-hand side, Coast-in Armor of left (Trégor and Pays Briochin) and Ille-et-Vilaine of center-droite but is invested at legislative the 2007 by the Modem of Francois Bayrou. One is reminded that also with this department placed at the time of Presidential the 2007, Ségolène Royal at the head with the two turns of the elections (28,13% of the votes cast with the first turn and 52,39% with the second).

Formerly, traditionally preserving ground, Brittany largely rocked on the left at the time of the regional elections 2004. The list of left led by Jean-Yves Le Drian carries it with more than 58% of the votes vis-a-vis the list of the president of area leaving, Josselin de Rohan, Breton line emblematic figure.

Moreover, Brittany is one of the rare areas to be itself marked in favor of the " Oui" with the bearing referendum on the European Constitution, showing a feeling considerable pro-European. Nevertheless it should not be forgotten that only 50,90% of the vote out of the 4 departments decided in favor of the adoption of the Treaty.

The question of the capital

A long time Brittany did not have a definite Capitale. The first dukes and their court changed residence, energy perpetually to drive out from one forest to another, and lived finally rather little in urban environment, except for some strategic or political reason. In this case, it was almost always in a city of the east or south of the duchy.

The States of Brittany met downtown various. At the time ducal with Dinan, Nantes (17 times), Ploërmel, Redon, Rennes, Glazed, Valves (19 times), Guérande. The modern concept of capital will be born with creation from a true administration, process slow which starts at the 13th century. The number of its employees and the mass of its files made it less mobile than the old court. The Council, the Chancellery and the Room of the accounts generally remained downtown. Under Montfort, the Council (=le ducal government) followed sometimes the duke of one city to the other, with Nantes, Vannes, Redon, Rennes, Fougères, Dol, Dinan, Guérande,…

Time when it was seat archiépiscopal (until in 1199), Dol was “the metropolis of Brittany”. It kept of this fact a primacy envied by the other Breton prelates and the bishop of Fraud chaired the States in the absence of the duke and later of the governor or the commander. Fraud having been attached to its diocese in 1790, the bishop of Rennes obtained under Napoleon III to raise his old dignity archiépiscopale.

Rennes was the city of crowning and its inhabitants called it “capital city” for that. Conan the Wrong reigns there, fault of controlling Nantes and Alain III constitutes an embryo of chancellery there. There remains 14 written ducal acts with Rennes of the end of the 11th century with 1166 to testify to the active presence of the dukes in the city, against 16 acts remaining on those which were done with Nantes for the same period. The child Geoffroy II is received with the cathedral of Rennes in 1169, but it is with Nantes that it receives the homage of his vassal. It will hold famous the Assise of the count Geoffroy with Rennes in 1185. In 1196, the duchess Constance joins together the nobility in assembly with Rennes to make recognize his/her son Arthur I {{er}}. Dreux and Montfort seldom resided at it and their castle had been ruined so much so that one had to demolish it beginning 15th century.

Saint-Brieuc carried out already the dispute in 1235 by the “general Complaints of Breton” that the vassal ones of Mauclerc assembled spontaneously addressed to him without care. Saint-Brieuc, capital of Brittany “of in bottom”?

However the failures of the counts de Penthièvre with the accession with the throne in 1212, 1364 and 1420 undoubtedly cost Guingamp and Lamballe the row of administrative capital which they could have hoped for to divide with Nantes, which would have modified the point of political balance of Brittany to the profit of north.

With the abbey of Prayers created the Room of the accounts under the duke Jean the Russet-red, his files being deposited with Muzillac while the duke resides at the castle of Suscinio or with that of Isle. The capital is then burst of the peninsula of Rhuys to low Unpleasant.

Ploërmel, more power station that Rennes or giboyeuses Nantes, and its forests, is often preferred by Jean II and Jean III, which have their burial there.

Crossroads of the ways leading to the most attended cities dukes, Redon saw meeting the States in its walls and accepted the tombs of Prostlon (girl of the king Solomon), of Alain Fergant, François Ier and according to certain traditions, of Nominoë.

In 1203, the Breton barons and prelates are assembled with Vannes to confer the power on the duchess Alix and with her father Guy de Thouars. Whereas Charles of Blois sails of Nantes to Guingamp, Jean de Montfort holds Vannes during the essence of the war of succession, and the fidelity of this city to the cause of Jean IV will be worth to him to be made capital administrative by this duke. It will remain it by preserving the Council until in 1460 and the Room of the accounts until the end of the duchy. The Parliament is created there at the 14th century. It becomes sedentary and sovereign in 1485. It will sit until in 1553 there and of 1675 with 1689. Jean V, like Pierre II, resides especially at Vannes and the surroundings (Pleasure, Garenne, Suscinio…) but also with Nantes, Dinan, Auray, Hédé, Redon or Rennes. Arthur II and the duchesses Jeanne de France and Ysabeau of Scotland will choose to be made there bury. The strategic position, then the prosperity of Nantes had made it choose by many dukes as of Alain Barbetorte which released the city into 937 and decided to make its capital of it. The castle of the Bouffay became the ducal residence under the dynasty cornouaillaise and Alain Fergent joins together there his vassal in 1008. Guy de Thouars dealt with the new castle to reside at it more at ease. It is in Nantes that Jean de Montfort sank to be made acclaim duke in 1341. The last princes, Arthur III, François II and Anne will as reign there, rather as with Vannes. The Room of the accounts was transferred there in 1492 - 1499 to remain there until the Revolution. The University was created there in the years 1460. Alain Barbetorte, Jean IV, Pierre II, Arthur III and François II were made there bury and Anne ordered that her heart was placed in a reliquary and was placed in the tomb of his/her father François II, to the Carmelite friars. The duchesses Breton Constancy, Alix and other princes were buried in the close relations surroundings (abbeys of Villeneuve, of Scouëtz).

In 1532 the Parlement of Brittany was to meet alternatively in the two cities but the preventions of the court of France (to be started with Catherine de Médicis) in front of the attachment of Nantes with the old privileges of their city and of Brittany made him prefer Rennes to which will be allotted the seat of the Parliament (of 1560 with 1675 and of 1689 with 1790), the Faculty of Law, the residence of the Commander-in-chief then that of the Intendant. In echo with this secular policy, the Regional headquarters will be assigned to him by the Republic; Nantes obtaining a consolation prize with the regional headquarters of the Country of the Loire, made up around this city by the close departments.

Meanwhile in 1790 Pontivy had been selected to join together two “Fédération S”, preferably with Morlaix and St-Brieuc, because of the political orientations of its delegates and the central geographical position of this city. Was this for the same reasons as Napoleon I {{er}} planned to make of Pontivy renamed Napoléonville an administrative capital centralized under all aspects?

In conclusion, the Breton tradition throughout its history was to distribute the bodies of the capacity between various cities instead of concentrating them in only one. The executive and the legal one were exerted since the Valve-Nantes-Rennes triangle, with the own way of controlling. The legislature was joined together in almost all the Breton cities, in spite of the constraints, because the duke was to obtain the approval of his vassal on the aspects of his policy, in particular financial.

Geography

Brittany is the French area which profits the biggest length of coasts. Of Cancale to Pornic, the littoral is held on 1.100 km, but it doubles its length if the many islands are included. One distinguishes traditionally the coastal regions (Arvor, i.e. " the mer" in Breton language) of the areas central (Argoat, " the forêt" into Breton).

Although not very high, the relief everywhere is very marked in the rock zones, softer in the muddy zones of the east and the south.

Climate

The climate is extremely moderate, especially along the coasts, with weak differences in temperatures between the summer and the winter. The wind of the North-West (noroît in French, gwalarn into Breton) dominates in north. The rains are very frequent. In the same day, it is current which alternate cleared up and overcast sky.

Landscape

The vegetation is abundant. Formerly Brittany was a scrap-metal country; the reorganization of the pieces in the years 1960 (the Regrouping) eliminated most of the hedges bordering the fields, making it possible to modernize agriculture but involving a scrubbing of the surface layer of the fields. This regrouping was done on lower scale than in many cereal plains of the France (Beauce, Champagne…).

Demography

Environment

Avifauna

Transport

As long as the sea links prevailed on the terrestrial connections, the position of Brittany, passage and stopover obliged in the middle of the Atlantic facade of Europe was worth a certain prosperity to him. But she suffered from her geographical insulation mainly at the time of the 20th century. Indeed, the fact of being positioned on a node of transport is a crucial factor of the development of the infrastructures.

The Breton rail network is organized around the connections around star of Rennes (connected to Paris by the LGV Atlantique and soon LGV BPL, or by the traditional way Paris - Chartres - Mans - Laval - Rennes):

Rennes - St Malo via Fraud
Rennes - Brest via St Brieuc
Rennes - Redon - Quimper
Rennes - Redon - Nantes
Rennes - Chateaubriant

The other secondary lines are:

Fraud - Lamballe
Fraud - Folligny - St Lo - Lison - Caen
St Brieuc - Loudeac (in restoration)
Guingamp - Paimpol
Guingamp - Carhaix
Plouaret - Lannion
Morlaix - Roscoff
Brest - Landernau - Quimper
Auray - Quiberon
Auray - Pontivy (freight alone in 2007)

detailed Article: FOR THE THIRD TIME Brittany

Economic productions

The fishing and the related industries, civil and military naval construction (Brest, Lorient), the aeronautical engineering (St-Nazaire & Nantes), tourism (especially estival and coastal) formed already the principal sectors of the Breton economy of the first part of the 20th century. The economy of contemporary Brittany turned in the Sixties to an agriculture (early products…) and a breeding (porcine, avicolous, bovine) intensive, towards agribusiness industry, automotive engineering (Citroen), estival tourism on the coastal edge, large distribution (Intermarket E.Leclerc, ) and some advanced technological poles with Brest, Rennes and Lannion.

Brittany is leader for the French production of Porc S and Volaille (around 50%), of cauliflowers (around 60%), of Artichaut S (around 85%), of Paquebot S (100%).

It is first for the production Lait ière

Culture

Religion

Well before the Celtic , the Neolithic populations set up the Menhir S, the Cairn S and tumuli, of which there remain to us the shady Dolmen S and walks. The latter had a funerary and pertaining to worship use proven. The function of the menhirs remains still hypothetical but one allots to them from now on a use of territorial marker associated with religious functions. The druidic religion was spread with the arrival of the Celts, in particular in Gaulle and in the British Isles. The domination of the peninsula by the Romans brought like everywhere as a Gaulle, but with less emphase, the construction of new places of worship of which some remained observable of rise (Temple of Mars with Corseul) and in statues of the Roman Pantheon (Douarnenez, Corseul), though the invention of several statues of the Celtic type indicates the permanence of the preceding worships. At the end of the Gallo-Roman time, the Breton tribes, come from the island of Brittany (current Great Britain) accentuated the establishment of a new religion: the Christianity, which supplanted the old beliefs gradually. However, paganism côtoyé during centuries the dominant religion, more or less peacefully. Today still, many legends and of local traditions evoke druidic practices.

In spite of the weak establishment Protesting E in Brittany (Blain, Glazed…) but after the great disorders of the League, the fathers Nobletz, Maunoir and Huby became the emblematic figures of the Counter-Reformation in Brittany. They were also at the origin of the use of images painted of large size - the taolennoù or “tables of mission” - to illustrate their sermons during innumerable missions which continued until in 1957 Breton-speaking ground, the Leon forming the pivot of their success.

The Christian of Brittany are very mainly Catholique S. the holy owner of Brittany east Sainte Anne, that texts apocryphal books and the Golden Legend of Jacques de Voragine present like the mother of the Virgin Mary and thus the grandmother of Jesus. The saint more venerated is Saint Yves (1253 - 1303), priest and lawyer who devoted his life to defend and look after the poor. (See Holy Breton). The majority of the Breton saints do not appear on the pontifical lists because they were made holy by popular oiling before with the reservation with the only pope of the right of canonization in 1234, and far from Rome.

In the majority of the parishes, once per annum the believers go to “forgiveness”, the festival of the saint of the parish. Forgiveness often starts with a procession, followed or preceded by a mass. This festival always has a pagan side, with gravers proposing food or memories. Most famous forgiveness is that dedicated to Saint Ronan, in Locronan, with its procession of 12 km, the “Troménie” (of Br. tro minic' hi , the turn of the crowned asylum of the monastery), with many people in traditional costume. Largest is that dedicated to holy Anne, with Holy-Anne-with Auray in Morbihan.

It is necessary to quote a Pèlerinage attested since the Middle Ages, the Tro Breizh (the turn of Brittany), where the pilgrims go successively on the tomb of each of the seven saints founders of Brittany:

pol. Aurélien ( Sant Paol ), with Saint-Pol.-of-Leon ( Leon ),
Tugdual or Thual ( Sant Tudwal ), with Tréguier ( Treger ),
Brieuc ( Sant Brieg ), with Saint-Brieuc,
Malo ( Sant Maloù ), with Saint-Malo,
Samson ( Sant Samzun ), with Fraud,
Benevolent ( Sant Padern ), with Valves ( Gwened ),
Corentin ( Sant Kaourintin ), with Quimper ( Kemper ).

These places became thereafter, the seats of évêchés Breton, for which it is necessary to associate the dioceses of Nantes ( Naoned ) and of Rennes ( Roazhon ), to constitute the 9 historical dioceses of Brittany (which for the majority were removed in 1790)

Historically, the Tro Breizh was done in once (approx. 600 km!). Today it is done in several years. In 2002, Tro Breizh was held with the Wales, symbolically making with back the voyage of the holy Welshman Paol, holy Brieuc and holy Samson. It is one of the rare circular pilgrimages in the world.

As elsewhere but to a lesser extent, the religious practice strongly declined these thirty last years, the vocations became rare and the churches were emptied, except Sundays and feastdays. Brittany remains an area strongly attached to the religion through many pilgrimages and Breton traditions that the local church contributes to perpetuate.

Languages

Brittany is historically made up of two linguistic surfaces: the Low-Brittany or Breizh Izel in the west (including/understanding the Finistere, the Morbihan, west of the Coast-with Armor, and the South, Peninsula of Guérande, with particularly the enclave of the Borough-with-Batz in Loire-Atlantique) where one speaks a source language Brittonique (related with the Welsh and the Cornique) known under the term about Breton or brezhoneg , and the High-Brittany or Breizh Uhel in the east (Ille-et-Vilaine, Coast-with Armor is, Loire-Atlantique) where Gallo is spoken which is a Romance language. The French is also spoken in Brittany by the elites since the end about the Moyen-âge, then gradually in High Brittany, where it profits from its relationship with the Gallo.

As much of minority languages, they lost a great number of speakers, continuation with the massive training of French and déniement of their interest (via State education, the Church and all representatives of the French State), especially starting from the end of the 19th century. But the Breton one awoke after the Second world war with an important breath in the Années 1970, and the defenders of the gallo start to be made hear in the Années 1990.

Although the number of speakers having the Breton one for native tongue falls, this last is the third Celtic language spoken in the world, after Welsh and Irish. Balanced manpower that provides the investigation Étude of the family history carried out by INSEE in 1999 are of 257 000 Breton-speaking (or “brittophones”) of more than 18 years out of the 5 Breton departments (and 295 000 on the whole of the hexagon ). In particular manpower of the bilingual schools are added to it which are assembled to 11 750 pupils with the re-entry 2007, or the pupils following of the courses of Breton in the public corporations of the primary education (more 7 600 in 2002/2003) or of the secondary (more 8 000 in 2002/2003). Fanch Broudic, starting from a survey TMO of 1997, note: “It is observed first of all that the percentage of the 15-19 years is negligible (0,5 %). The category of the 20-39 years counts only for 5 %. On the whole, below 40 years, there is nothing any more but 13 000 people who can speak the Breton one.”

Recently, the Breton one appears even in the public life under the features of the bilingual control panels which strew the roads with the country. The Office of the Breton language ( rear Ofis Brezhoneg ) allowed the edition of a road map of Brittany in 2003, with the place names into Breton.

Literature and oral tradition

Of its Celtic past, Brittany kept a strong tradition of oral transmission. Thus of many tales and legends the centuries crossed. The various collectors bequeathed a sum of songs, of Gwerz ioù, original legends. Death is often present, with a character suitable for imaginary Breton, the Ankou, whose role is to carry in its squeaking cart the heart of the people recently deceased. The tales are also populated small malicious being, sometimes malfaisants, always endowed with magic capacities, which one names korriganed (Korrigan S) or poulpiquet the most famous S. of the collectors is Theodore Hersart of Villemarqué which at the 19th century published the famous Barzaz Breiz which is a source of frequent inspiration of the current Breton artists, with the popularity of songs like An Alarc' H (the swan), Silvestrig , Maro Pontkalleg (the death of Pontcallec), etc Among the collectors, it is also necessary to quote François-Marie Luzel, the first to apply a scientific method to the collection of the songs and tales, like its disciple, the writer and professor of letters Anatole Braz, author of the book “the legend of Dead” which reports the beliefs of Breton of its time.

Music

The music is today the most visible aspect of the Breton culture, thanks to the work and with the creativity of musicians claiming Breton culture, with the diversity of the Festival S and with the number of festoù noz . The Breton traditional dance also is very anchored in the Breton cultural landscape and today, beyond the popular practice in fest-noz, one sees evolving/moving with an high level maintaining the circles Celtic which propose increasingly professional spectacles, very appreciated of the public.

The tradition of music to be danced sung ( Kan ha diskan , song-contrechant) or played couples some (duet Biniou (Breton Cornemuse)/bombards) is still very present in High and Low Brittany; the dancers find themselves during a Fest-noz (festival of night) or of a Fest-deiz (festival of day).

The Breton music diversified and enriched considerably during second half of the 20th century, by bringing up to date traditional topics with sonorities of today. Its radical modernization started in the middle of the Années 1960, initially with Alan Stivell, which it popularized in the whole world, followed by other artists.

Costumes

Brittany preserved the memory of a large variety of traditional costumes, identification marks to “countries” or soils. “ Kant bro, kant giz ”, Hundred country, hundred modes, known as a famous proverb. These costumes are carried more only at the time of the public festivals (forgiveness, contest of dances and songs, representations). One of the most remarkable characteristics is the variety and the majesty of the female caps, kinds of trimmed gracious bonnets of lace intended to retain and hide the hair.

Gastronomy

Among the regional specialities one can quote the Kouign mercy (cake with butter), the Crêpe S, the Galette S, the Kouign S, the harstum (containing jam), the Breton Far (cake), the metal disc (cookie), Kig-ha-farz (litt. “meat and far”) and the Cotriade. The proximity of the coasts and the softness of the climate make of Brittany an area rich in seafood (crabs, shellfish, shells) and in fish. Also let us quote the white Beurre.

Drinks

See: : Category: Breton drink

Brittany is a cider-producing area important. The Breton ones affectionnent a kind of Kir simply called Breton kir , mixture of cider and blackcurrant cream. It is also a wine area old, primarily concentrated today on the Nantes area (the most known vineyard is the Vignoble of the Muscadet wine). It also produces a hydromel called Chouchen or chouchenn (to pronounce “chouchene”). Lastly, for a few years the production of local beer has been in full rise, with a score of producers who propose traditional or original beers: barley beers, beers with buckwheat, whiskey malt, sea water (with the unperceivable taste!). A company malicieusement called " Ouest" headlight; , makes a " Breizh" cola; who is already diffused out of Brittany.

Emblems of Brittany

the Flag of Brittany , is called Gwenn ha Of the French (: “White and Black”). The left higher quarter takes again the armorial bearings of Brittany: one sown of hermine . In the blazon, one says “quarter of hermine lime pit”, i.e. without precise number. Usually, the flag counts eleven of them. The white and black bands, according to the most popular explanation, represent the évêchés countries or 9 of Brittany: 4 for the countries of Breton Language and 5 for the countries of language gallo. These bands are in fact due to the will to create a modern emblem to break with the old flag of hermine, too marked by the aristocratic regionalistic movement, and that some confused with flowers of lily; this creation took as a starting point the way of building the houses of navy to the the United Kingdom, the the United States and in Greece. The Gwenn ha of the was created by Morvan Marchal, architect, militant anticlerical and nationalist Breton, and exposed for the first time in 1925 to the house of Brittany to the exposure of the arts déco to Paris. Today, this flag floats with the pediment of many town halls and certain public buildings of Brittany. Some communes always use the old flag of hermine, that the success of Gwenn ha of marginalized just as old the Gwenn ha of the , the black flag with cross on white zone or of hermine.

the ecu of hermine form armorial bearings of Brittany since its adoption by the duke Jean III in 1316. It replaced the chequered one with the quarter of hermine introduced in Brittany in 1213. This choice was it due to the fact that it was the fur of the Juge S and the King S, that its reason connected it with sown flowers of lily of France, that the preceding ecu was not any more developing or that this one was precisely carried by the hated mantle of Jean III? In any case this ecu represented the duchy then the province of Brittany. In spite of the disappearance of Brittany like political entity in 1790, it remained of use until today. Sometimes the district council of the administrative area of Brittany uses it, on the trains for example, but he preferred a logo with blue and green bands to him. This ecu of hermine is the source of all the emblematic Breton one: the herminée banner gave the traditional flag, then the Franc-quartier of the Gwenn ha of the ; Jean IV drew there its personal currency, its Order of knighthood, its Livrée and the name of the castle of its capital (Vannes /Gwened); its colors were taken again at the 15th century by the black cross; the moucheture of hermine is declined on all kinds of support…

the heraldic hermine, whose repeated reason is called " tail of hermine" , or (héraldiquement) moucheture of hermine is resulting from the Armes of Brittany. As of the 16th century, it colonized the medals, the stamped papers, the official documents and deprived, the Ex-libris, the frontages and the Cursive S of many buildings, the curios and more recently the stickers… Contrary to the armorial bearings which represent Brittany itself, the Hermine is the mark of what is Breton. It is what made it so popular, so much so that the president of the District council of the Brittany area chose it like logo in September 2005. Also let us quote the Ordre of Hermine.

the natural hermine , it is the animal itself, covered to mark Brittany, of the white fur which it raises the winter in the cold countries. The duke Jean IV on his return of England, end 14th century, was the first to make its currency of it (or badge ). Since, it appeared on the seals of the dukes then States of Brittany, with the Cathédrale Saint-Corentin of Quimper, on the sand pits of so much of churches, on the castles of Montfort and a little everywhere in support of Armoiries. Reactualized in a small beast sympathetic nerve, it makes a return in strength these last years, inter alia on shirts of football or urban panels.

the Armes Prydein speaks about the " armies noires" the Breton ones of Armorique and the poem of Ermold the Black evokes their round shields painted in black. The black will become a constant in the emblematic Breton one, and it is a rare color. Can one conclude from it that the entourage of Jean IV of Montfort knew these old texts or knew this tradition by other sources at the time of their choice of the black for their troops? In any case nowadays the association of colors white black/always evokes Brittany on shirts of sportsmen or the casaques ones.

One can also quote the triskel (or Triskell), symbol with three branches old and polysemantic (probably symbolizing divine triads, a solar wheel or the primary education elements: water, air and the ground) which one finds in the cultures Celte S as in many other cultures through the five continents. Accepted gradually like emblem panceltic, even like Breton, it became very popular since the years 1970.

the national anthem of Brittany is the Bro gozh my zadoù (Old country of my fathers), although it was not officialized. It is about one anthem in Brittany with words into Breton composed by François Taldir-Jaffrenou at the end of the 19th century; he is sung on the music of the National anthem Welsh. The same music is used for the anthem of the British Cornouailles. This re-use of the music in the national anthems symbolizes the proximity of heart between the three Celtic/brittonic nations.

Brittany has for currency : Kentoc' H mervel eget bezañ saotret into Breton or potius mori quam fœdari in Latin, sentence translated into French by the expression “ rather death that the stain ”. It is attached to the legend of king Konan Meriadeg driving out a hermine (" white the hermine ") who preferred to let himself take rather than to soil his peeling while crossing a muddy river.

a certain number of other symbols, less important but quite widespread, identify Brittany and the Breton ones. One can quote the Breton Chapeau , the chart of Brittany at the 5 departments, the letters BZH , the Menhir or the Dolmen, the martyrdom, the fisherman in waxed, the Bigoudène or the Fouesnantaise out of traditional clothes and caps; they hold place in the popular imagery of mark of bretonnitude, if not bretonnery.

The cap and the Breton hat are the quasi-obligatory mark of recognition of the caricaturists of the Parisian press (of the World with Charlie-Hebdo) when they want to represent the Breton ones.

--> On the other hand, the caricatural character of Snipe , created at one not very respectful colonial time of the minorities, was perceived like degrading and insulting for the Breton ones, with equal for example of the rifleman " Y' has Banania " good; for the African . One cannot hold it for emblematic of Brittany, in spite of the commercial beating of which it is the object at the time of the centenary of its creation.

Sports and plays

The Football, the Cycling and the veil are the three most popular sports of Brittany. In football, the most known clubs of Brittany are today FC Nantes (8 championships of France and 3 cuts of France), the Stade of Rennes (2 cuts of France), FC Lorient (1 cut of France), the club In front of Guingamp, the Brest-native Stade and the Vannes OC.

The Breton cyclist most famous of the history remains Bernard Hinault, world champion 1980 and 5 times winner of the Tour de France cyclist (1978, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1985), without forgetting his predecessors: Cyrille Guimard, Louison Bobet, Jean Robic and Small-Breton Lucien. In 2007, péaulais it (born in Vannes) Benoit Vaugrenard became the first Breton champion of France of the individual CLM.

The traditional sport most known is the Gouren, name Breton of the Breton fight.

Among the traditional plays, one can quote the Breton Boule (balls out of wood or terra cotta) and the Jeu of metal discs, especially present at the east of Brittany.

With its many marinas, Brittany also contributed to the development of the water sport. One can quote for example the Trinité-sur-Mer in Morbihan, known like Mecque of the veil, or even Concarneau and the islands of Glénan, archipelago with 20 kilometers with broad of Concarneau, which shelter the historical nautical base of the famous school of veil Glénans which forms in cruising and light veil since the post-war period.

See too

List of historians of Brittany
Breton Nationalism
Bibliography of Brittany before the year millet
Symbol of Brittany
Area Brittany

External bonds

official site of the District council of Brittany
Site of the cultural council of Brittany
electronic Files of the general Inventory. Architectural heritage and furniture in Brittany
Agence Brittany Press
Histoire of Brittany
Étymologie and history of the Breton communes
Douaroniezh Breizh/Géographie of Brittany

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