Brittany

Brittany (French: Bretagne) is a former independent kingdom and duchy, then province of France. It is also, more generally, the name of the cultural area whose limits correspond to the old province and independent duchy.

The historical province of Brittany was split between two modern-day régions of France. 80% of Brittany has become the région of Bretagne, while the remaining 20% of Brittany (Loire-Atlantique département with its préfecture Nantes, one of the former capitals of the duchy of Brittany) has been grouped with other historical provinces (Anjou, Maine, and so on) to create the région of Pays-de-la-Loire (that is "lands of the Loire"). For the reasons behind the splitting-up of Brittany, and the current debate around a reunification, see the Bretagne article.

Brittany occupies a large peninsula in the northwest of France, lying between the English Channel to the north and the Bay of Biscay to the south. Its land area is 34,034 km² (13,137 sq. mi).

In 2004 the population of Brittany is estimated at 4,198,500 inhabitants. 72% of these live in the Bretagne région, while 28% of these live in the Pays-de-la-Loire région. At the 1999 census, the largest metropolitan areas were Nantes (711,120 inhabitants), Rennes (521,188 inhabitants), and Brest (303,484 inhabitants).

History

Human habitation in the area now called Brittany goes back to the late Paleolithic, or Epi-Palaeolithic, period. Megaliths erected in the 5th millennium BC in Carnac are the best known Neolithic remains. Roman sources record the Armoricani tribes of the Veneti, Osismii, Namneti, Coriosoliti and Riedoni as inhabiting the area in the iron age.

In 56 BC the area was conquered by the Romans under Julius Caesar. The Romans called the district Armorica (a Latinisation of a Celtic word meaning "coastal region"), within the larger province of Gallia Lugdunensis. The modern département of Côtes-d'Armor has taken up the ancient name. The uprising of the Bagaudae in the 3rd century led to the destruction of villages and to depopulation.

By the 4th century Romano-British tribes from across the English Channel started to settle. This flow of Britons increased when Roman troops and authority were withdrawn from Britain, and raiding and settling by Anglo-Saxons and Scotti into Britain increased. The immigrant Britons gave the region its current name and contributed to the Breton language, Brezhoneg, a sister language to Welsh and Cornish. The French speaking peoples surrounding the region gave the name "Bretagne" (Brittany in English) to the area where Britons settled fleeing the Anglo-Saxon invasion of Britannia, hence they named "Grande Bretagne" (Great Britain) to the island where these Britons came from.

In the early Middle Ages, Brittany was divided into three kingdoms - Domnonée/Dumnonea, Cornouaille/Kernev, and Broërec/Broereg (also called Bro Waroch) - which eventually were incorporated into the kingdom of Brittany.

The first unified Kingdom of Brittany was founded by Nominoe in 845 when the Breton army defeated Charles the Bald, King of France, at the battle of Ballon, near Redon in the east of Brittany near the French border.

After the French army was defeated once again in 851 at the battle of Jengland by the army of King Erispoe, Charles the Bald recognised the independence of Brittany and the title of king for its leader, with the possession of the counties of Rennes/Roazhon and Nantes/Naoned. King Salomon later conquered the counties of Coutances and Avranches, expanding his kingdom to the maximum. The Norman invaders crushed this first unified state of Brittany in 913. But, with the help of King Athelstan of Wessex, the grandson of the last king of the Bretons, Alan II of Brittany, came back from its exile and defeated the various Norman troops in 937. Too weak nevertheless to be recognized the title of king, he ruled Brittany as a "Duke", the title that would be held by his successors.

The Kingdom of France defeated the Breton army in 1488 and the last Duke of independent Brittany, Francis II, was forced to submit to a treaty giving the King of France the right to determine the marriage of the Duke's daughter, the heir to the Duchy. The Duchess Anne was the last independent ruler of the duchy and tried to resist to the French threat marrying the archiduke Maximilian (king of the Romans and later emperor) in 1490. The answer of the king Charles VIII of France was to invade Brittany, besiege the duchess-queen (of the Romans) and force her to marry him, despite the fact that she was his mother-in-law. After his death, Annw married the former minister and ally of her father, the Duke of Orléans who had been crowned king of France Louis XII. The duchy passed on her death to her daughter Claude, but Claude's widower, king François I incorporated the duchy into the Kingdom of France in 1532. The duchy kept specific laws and taxes until 1790, when the French revolutionaries withdrew all the "privilèges" (specific rules for certain communities or regions). However, since the 1970's toll is not collected in the roads of Brittany due to the revival of these old laws.

Sights

Brittany is famous for its megalithic monuments, which are scattered over the peninsula, the largest alignments are near Carnac. The purpose of these monuments is still unknown, and many local people are reluctant to entertain speculation on the subject. The words dolmen (from "daol" table and "maen" stone) and menhir (from "maen" stone and "hir" high) come from the Breton language, even though they are hardly used in Breton.

Brittany is also known for its calvaries, elaborately carved sculptures of crucifixion scenes, to be found in churchyards of villages and small towns, especially in Western Brittany.

Significant urban centres include:

• Nantes / Naoned
• Rennes / Roazhon
• Brest / Brest
• Lorient / an Oriant
• Quimper / Kemper
• Vannes / Gwened
• Redon / Redon
• Saint-Brieuc / Sant-Brieg
• Saint-Nazaire / Sant-Nazer

The walled city of Saint-Malo (Sant-Maloù), a popular tourist attraction, is also an important port linking Brittany with the United Kingdom and the Channel Islands. It also was the birthplace of the acclaimed author Chateaubriand and explorer Jacques Cartier. The town of Roscoff (Rosko) is served by ferry links with the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.

The island of Ushant (French Ouessant, Breton Enez Eusa) is the north-westernmost point of France, and marks the entrance of the English Channel. Other islands off the coast of Brittany include:

• Bréhat / enez Vriad
• Batz / enez Vaz
• Molène / Molenez
• Sein / enez Sun
• Glénan islands / inizi Glenan
• Groix / enez Groe
• Belle Île / ar Gerveur
• Houat / Houad
• Hoëdic / Edig
• Île-aux-Moines / Enizenac'h
• Île d'Arz / an Arzh

Language

French, the only official language of the French Republic, is today spoken throughout Brittany. The two regional languages have no official status as regards the state, although they are supported by the regional authorities within the strict constitutional limits: Breton, strongest in the west but to be seen all over Brittany, is a Celtic language related to Welsh, and Gallo, which is spoken in the east, is one of the Oïl languages.

From the very beginning of its history and despite the end of the independence of Brittany, Breton remained the language of the entire population of western Brittany, if not bishops and French administrators or officers. French laws and economic pressure lead people to abandon their language to the one of the ruler, but until the 1960s, Breton was spoken and understood by the majority of the western inhabitants.

Breton was traditionally spoken in the west (the "Breizh-Izel" or "Basse-Bretagne"), and Gallo in the east (the "pays Gallo" or "Haute-Bretagne"). The dividing line stretched from Plouha on the north coast to a point to the south-west of Vannes. French had, however, long been the main language of the towns. The Breton-speaking area formerly covered territory much further east than its current distribution.

In the Middle Ages, Gallo expanded into formerly Breton-speaking areas. Now restricted to a much reduced territory in the east of Brittany, Gallo finds itself under pressure not only from the dominant Francophone culture, but also from the Breton language revival which is gaining ground in territory that was never part of the main Breton-speaking area.

Privately funded Diwan ("Seed") schools, where classes are taught in Breton by the immersion method, play an important part in the revival of the Breton language. The issue of whether they should be funded by the State has long been, and remains, controversial. Some bilingual classes are also provided in ordinary schools.

Despite the resistance of French administration, bilingual (Breton and French) road signs may be seen in some areas, especially in the traditional Breton-speaking area. Signage in Gallo is much rarer.

A large influx of English-speaking immigrants and second-home owners in some villages sometimes adds to linguistic diversity.

Music

Some of the musicians for which Brittany is known are: the most famous, Alan Stivell, but also les frères Guichen, Carre Manchot, Ar Re Yaouank, Sonerien Du, Loened Fall, Yann Tiersen, etc.

Religion

The first Christian missionaries came to the region from Ireland and Great Britain. With more than 300 "saints" (only a few recognized by the Catholic Church), the region is strongly Catholic. Since the nineteenth century at least, Brittany has been known as one of the most devoutly Catholic regions in France, in contrast to many other more secularised areas. The proportion of students attending Catholic private schools is the highest in France. As in other Celtic countries, the legacy of Celtic Christianity has left a rich tradition of local saints and monastic communities, often commemorated in placenames beginning Lan, Lam, Plou or Lok. The patron saint of Brittany is Santez Anna Saint Anne, the Virgin's mother. But the most famous saint is Saint Ivo of Kermartin ('saint Yves' in French, 'sant Erwan' in Breton), a 13th-century priest who devoted his life to the poor.

Once a year, believers go on a "pardon", the saint's feast day of the parish. It often begins with a procession followed by a mass in honour of the saint. There is always a pagan side, with some food and craft stalls. The three most famous pardons are :

• from Sainte-Anne d'Auray/Santez-Anna-Wened, where a poor farmer in the 17th century assured the saint give him the order to build a chapel in her honour.
• from Tréguier/Landreger, in honour of St Yves, the patron saint of the judges, advocates, and any profession involved in justice.
• from Locronan/Lokorn, in honour of St Ronan, with a troménie (a procession, 12 km-long) and numerous people in traditional costume,

In Brittany, there is a very old pilgrimage called the Tro Breizh (tour of Brittany), where the pilgrims walk around Brittany from the grave of one founder saint to another. The seven founder saints of Brittany are:

• St Pol Aurelian, at Saint-Pol-de-Leon/Kastell-Paol,
• St Tudual (sant Tudwal), at Tréguier/Landreger,
• St Brieuc, at Saint-Brieuc/S-Brieg,
• St Malo, at Saint-Malo/S-Maloù,
• St Samson of Dol, at Dol,
• St Patern, at Vannes/Gwened
• St Corentin (sant Kaourintin), at Quimper/Kemper

Historically, the pilgrimage was made in one go (a total distance of around 600 km). Nowadays, however, pilgrims complete the circuit over the course of several years. In 2002, the Tro-Breizh included a special pilgrimage to Wales, symbolically making the reverse journey of the Welshmen Sant Paol, Sant Brieg, and Sant Samzun. Whoever does not make the pilgrimage at least once in his lifetime will be condemned to make it after his death, advancing only by the length of his coffin each year.

Some old pagan traditions and customs from the old Celtic religion have also been preserved in Brittany. The most powerful folk figure is the Ankou or the "Reaper of Death" because even Jesus and the Virgin Mary obey him. He is a skeleton wrapped in a shroud with the Breton flat hat. He makes his journeys by night carrying an upturned scythe which he throws before him to reap his harvest. Sometimes he is on foot but mostly he travels in a cart, the Karrig an Ankou, drawn by two oxen and a lean horse. Two servants dressed in the same shroud and hat as the Ankou pile the dead into the cart, and to hear it creaking at night means you have little time left to live.

Gastronomy

Although some white wine is produced near the Loire, the traditional drinks of Brittany are:

• cider (Breton: chistr) - Brittany is the second largest cider-producing region in France;
• a sort of mead made from wild honey called chouchen;
• an apple brandy called lambig.

Some beers are also now produced, although the region does not have a strong tradition of brewing. Another recent drink is the kir Breton (crème de cassis and cider) which may be served as an apéritif.

Very thin, wide pancakes made from buckwheat flour are eaten with ham, eggs and other savoury fillings. They are usually called galettes (Breton galetes), except in the western parts of Brittany where they are called crêpes (Breton krampouezh)^. Thin crêpes made from wheat flour are eaten for dessert. Other pastries such as kouign amann ("butter cake" in Breton) made from bread dough, butter and sugar, or far, a sort of sweet Yorkshire pudding or clafoutis with prunes, are traditional.

Surrounded by the sea, Brittany offers a wide range of fresh sea food and fish, especially mussels and oysters. Among the sea food specialities is cotriade.

Climate

Since Brittany is on the west coast of France, it has a warm temperate climate. Rainfall occurs periodically - which is one of the reasons its countryside is so green and wooded - but sunny, cloudless days are also common.

In the summer months, Brittany can reach temperatures of about 30 degrees Celsius, but is still comfortable compared to parts of France south of the Loire River. It generally has a moderate climate during both summer and winter, and rain is not uncomfortably common.

The most popular summer resorts are on the south coast (La Baule, Belle Île, Gulf of Morbihan) although the wilder and more exposed north coast also attracts summer tourists.

Miscellaneous

The Breton national anthem Bro Gozh ma Zadoù is set to the same tune as the Welsh and Cornish anthems.

A number of independence groups exist and they enjoy increasing, but minority, support in elections.

The Onion Johnny from the area around Roscoff in Brittany was the image of the stereotypical Frenchman for British people.

This article is licenced under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Brittany".