BRITTANY
Brittany
is a Celtic region of north-west France. Brittany is a beautiful land of rocky
headlands, sheltered bays studded with countless islets, with golden beaches and
dramatic coastlines, to a hilly interior of forests and lakes. From mysterious
ancient burial mounds on uninhabited islands and rocky headlands, through endless
rows of timeless standing stones, to grand medeival chateaux, the land is steeped
in myths and legends, from Korrigans (little people) to King Arthur and Merlin.
The Celtic culture is alive and well here with a strong tradition of unique music and dance. In the native Breton language the land is called Breizh, but the ancient Celts called it 'Amor' (the country of the sea), and the Romans called the area 'Armorica'. The region is 'home' to the legendary cartoon characters of Asterix and Obelix, two ancient Gaulish warriors, who with the help of their village druid, hold off the might of the Roman Empire. A creation of Goscinny and Uderzo, the cartoon book series has been popular in Europe for over 40 years. The Breton language is the only Celtic one spoken on the European continent, spoken by a million people at the beginning of the 20th century, but now only about 250,000 speak it daily, with 600,000 able to understand it.
The land is covered with ancient megaliths, menhirs and dolmens, with over 3000 of these in the Carnac area alone. 'Menhir' is a Breton word meaning 'long stones', which are standing stones, arranged in rows, aligning to the movements of the sun and moon at the equinoxes, marking the changing of seasons. The ancient Celts revered nature and the elements, and worshipped the sun, moon, the stars and the Earth Mother, with a wide range of goddesses and gods, and Brittany undoubtedly was an important centre. 'Dolmen' is from a Breton word meaning 'stone tables', and they were three standing stones with a huge slab across the top, forming burial chambers. The Bronze Age saw Armorica continue in importance with the need for tin, found here and in Cornwall, a lot of trade went between these lands and on to the rest of Europe. The Celts were settling in the area by 1000 B.C. and thrived until the arrival of the expanding Roman Empire in the 1st century, lasting for the next four.
The next influx of people was a friendly one, with the emigration of Cornish Celts, in the 5th and 6th centuries, escaping the Saxon and Angle invasion of their homeland. These Cornish were the ancient Britons, and gave their name to old Armorica, naming it 'Little Britain'. Christianity first appeared the area in about 450 A.D. In 799 Charlemagne subjugated Brittany, but 27 years later Nomino, Duke of Brittany united the land, ending Frankish rule. His son Erispoe was named King of Brittany, but assassinated by his cousin Salomon, who extended the kingdom.
The Normans (descended from Vikings) raided Brittany in the early 900s, but were driven out
by King Alain Barb-Tort. They did repeatedly return for the next 150 years, and
Bretons served in William the Conqueror's army that invaded Saxon England in 1066.
In 1158 King Henry 2nd of England invaded Brittany, and his descendants ruled
for several generations. The next 3 centuries were a time of disorder and revolt,
until the House of Montfort restored Brittany, and a period of relative peace
followed, until war with France ending in 1458 with a French invasion. In 1491
Anne of Brittany married Charles 8th, but remained sovereign, and after his death
married Louis 12th. Her daughter Claude married Francois 1st, and the Duchy reunited
with France. 1532 saw the Union treaty, and the end of Breton independence. The
next 350 years was a time of regular uprisings against French rule.
In 1901 the Gorsedd des Bardes was founded, similar to the Welsh and Cornish literary groups, and in 1930 the Breton National Party began a separatist movement. In 1985 Brittany introduced bi-lingual road signs in Breton and French. Breton history is by no means as simple as described above, and more details can be found via our links page.
The Breton flag, the Gwenn ha Du, the 'White and Black', shows 9 black and white stripes, and a scattering of ermines. This represents 9 regions and 9 dioceses. Black is for the eastern Gallo region, which is Rennes, Nantes, Dol, St.Malo, and St. Brieuc. White is for the Breton speaking western region, which is Leon, Tregor, Cornouaille, and Vannes. The ermine is from the Duchy of Brittany flag since 1318.
