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My experience of an exchange programme with Brittany, together with some recent reading, have caused me to marvel once more at this fascinating country and its traditions. Personally, I find its historic towns and villages, rugged coastline and deep connection with a living past both inspiring and thought-provoking.
Some noteworthy destinations include Quimper, the ancient capital of Cornouaille. Its pedestrianized streets with their half-timbered houses and the atmospheric Cathedral of Saint-Corentin easily lead one’s thoughts to bygone times, while the annual festival keeps ancient
traditions alive for visitors and locals alike: Breton music, dance and parades of regional costumes are all important features. Also of particular charm and character is the medieval village of Locronan with its beautiful buildings of bluish – granite stone which have been magnificently preserved and which provide a stunning backdrop to the
local ‘pardons’. (This Breton ritual, which dates from the 15 the century, is best described as a communal expression of devotion to a particular saint; it features banners, relics, statues and crosses carried by a cortège of worshippers who begin their journey from the church or chapel and often end their reverence at a calvary or sacred fountain associated with the saint.)
If one is looking for a connection with a more prehistoric past and an awe inspiring sense of mystery, however, one would do well to take a look at the Carnac stones, a collection of megalithic sites near the south coast of Brittany. These consist of alignments (rows), dolmens (stone tombs), tumuli (burial mounds) and single menhirs (standing stones). Although the stones date from 4500 BCE, some folklore dates from later periods, namely the 1st century AD Roman and Christian occupations. For example, a Christian myth claimed that they were pagan soldiers in pursuit of Pope Cornelius when he turned them to stone, while a local legend connects their perfectly straight lines with a Roman legion turned to stone by Merlin. In brief, their purpose and origin remain unfathomable and one is left to wonder at these magnificent relics of ancient times.
As a Welsh-speaker, I am also intrigued by the similarities between the Breton and Welsh languages. During my visits, I observed some remarkable examples displayed on the signposts. The following are especially striking, but there are many more, of course!
Breton:
Mor
Ti
Traez
Welsh:
Môr
Tŷ
Traeth
English:
Sea
House
Beach
To conclude, I was particularly moved to discover that the song which is generally recognized as the Breton National Anthem has the same melody as the Welsh version. I believe the words are not dissimilar either. It is thought that the tune was adopted by the Bretons to celebrate the friendship between the two countries at a congress of the ‘Union Régionaliste Bretonne’ held at Lesneven in 1903.
The Breton version may be accessed as follows:
Youtube: ‘Bro Gozh ma Sadoù’ (Alan Stivell, Gilles Servat, Tri Yann…)
Mar. 10, 2017
© Wikimedia Commons.
My experience of an exchange programme with Brittany, together with some recent reading, have caused me to marvel once more at this fascinating country and its traditions. Personally, I find its historic towns and villages, rugged coastline and deep connection with a living past both inspiring and thought-provoking.
Some noteworthy destinations include Quimper, the ancient capital of Cornouaille. Its pedestrianized streets with their half-timbered houses and the atmospheric Cathedral of Saint-Corentin easily lead one’s thoughts to bygone times, while the annual festival keeps ancient
traditions alive for visitors and locals alike: Breton music, dance and parades of regional costumes are all important features. Also of particular charm and character is the medieval village of Locronan with its beautiful buildings of bluish – granite stone which have been magnificently preserved and which provide a stunning backdrop to the
local ‘pardons’. (This Breton ritual, which dates from the 15 the century, is best described as a communal expression of devotion to a particular saint; it features banners, relics, statues and crosses carried by a cortège of worshippers who begin their journey from the church or chapel and often end their reverence at a calvary or sacred fountain associated with the saint.)
If one is looking for a connection with a more prehistoric past and an awe inspiring sense of mystery, however, one would do well to take a look at the Carnac stones, a collection of megalithic sites near the south coast of Brittany. These consist of alignments (rows), dolmens (stone tombs), tumuli (burial mounds) and single menhirs (standing stones). Although the stones date from 4500 BCE, some folklore dates from later periods, namely the 1st century AD Roman and Christian occupations. For example, a Christian myth claimed that they were pagan soldiers in pursuit of Pope Cornelius when he turned them to stone, while a local legend connects their perfectly straight lines with a Roman legion turned to stone by Merlin. In brief, their purpose and origin remain unfathomable and one is left to wonder at these magnificent relics of ancient times.
As a Welsh-speaker, I am also intrigued by the similarities between the Breton and Welsh languages. During my visits, I observed some remarkable examples displayed on the signposts. The following are especially striking, but there are many more, of course!
Breton: Mor, Ti, Traez
Welsh: Môr, Tŷ, Traeth
English: Sea, House, Beach
To conclude, I was particularly moved to discover that the song which is generally recognized as the Breton National Anthem has the same melody as the Welsh version. I believe the words are not dissimilar either. It is thought that the tune was adopted by the Bretons to celebrate the friendship between the two countries at a congress of the ‘Union Régionaliste Bretonne’ held at Lesneven in 1903.
The Breton version may be accessed as follows:
Youtube: ‘Bro Gozh ma Sadoù’ (Alan Stivell, Gilles Servat, Tri Yann…)
Mar. 10, 2017
