Everything about The Bretons totally explained
The
Bretons are a distinct
ethnic group located in the region of
Brittany in
France. They trace much of their heritage to groups of
Brythons who settled the area from south western
Britain in the 4th-6th centuries. The region of
Brittany is named after them and many speak
Brezhoneg, a
Brythonic language closely related to
Cornish and a bit more distantly to
Welsh. The Breton language as such is part of the
Insular Celtic language group. In eastern Brittany, a regional
langue d'oïl named
Gallo developed; it shares certain points of vocabulary, idiom, and pronunciation with Breton.
Neither language has official status under French law; however, some still use Breton as an everyday language (particularly those of the older generation) and bilingual road signs are common in the west of
Brittany. During the first half of the 20th Century, Breton was strongly discouraged by the French state and it was often looked down upon in schools and churches.
Today, the Breton
ethnicity isn't recognised by the
French Republic, nor by the
European Union or any other official body, which is why there are no specific statistics on that population. However, it's reported that hundreds of thousands of people in
France claim Breton
ethnicity, including a few
French celebrities such as Patrick Le Lay or
Patrick Poivre d'Arvor.
The Breton people are predominantly
Roman Catholic, with
Reformed and non-affiliated minorities.
Brittany is one of the most staunchly
Roman Catholic regions in all of
France. Attendance of Sunday
mass dropped during the 1970s and the 1980s but other religious practices such as
pilgrimages have experienced a strong revival. This includes the
Tro Breizh which takes in the shrines of the
seven founding saints of Breton Christianity.
Brittany was a quasi-independent kingdom and
Duchy during the Middle Ages, and an important object of contention between the kingdoms of England and France. The
War of the Breton Succession was a central component of the
Hundred Years' War.
Bretons are thought to have played a key, though nebulous, part in the transmission of
Arthurian legend into wider European literature.
Geoffrey of Monmouth was himself a Welshman of Breton descent.
Bretons have emigrated around the world, at various points in their history. One wing of
William the Conqueror's army in 1066 was Breton, as were many of the 'Normans' who took part in the conquest and colonization of
England,
Wales,
Ireland,
Sicily, and other lands. Breton ports became key points of departure during the
French colonization of the Americas (particularly
Nantes,
Saint-Malo, and later
Lorient and
Brest). Bretons furnished a significant proportion of the French colonists in present-day
Québec; they played an important role in the French slave trade and buccaneering. For a long time, Catholic priests in
Haiti were recruited primarily from Brittany (this was during a period when the church was reluctant to ordain black Haitians as priests). There is a substantial Breton community in Paris.
Symbol of Britanny
Image:Kroaz Du.svg|Old Flag of Britanny : Kroaz Du (Black Cross)
Image:Flag of Brittany.svg|Flag Of Britanny : Gwenn Ha Du (White and Black)
- National Anthem : Bro gozh ma zadoù (Old Country of my fathers).
- Motto of the dukes of Brittany : « Kentoc'h mervel eget bezañ saotret » in breton or « Potius mori quam fœdari » in latin
- National Day : 19 may, Saint Erwan or Saint Yves.
- Stoat
- Chivalric order : l'Ordre de l'hermine : the order of the Stoat
Image:VannesCathedral.jpg|Cathedral of Vannes
Image:Hdrt1 (Large).jpg|City hall of Rennes
Image:ChateauNantesEntrance1900.jpg|Castle of the Dukes of Brittany
Image:Ile-Longue-3.jpg|île longue :base of the SNLE, the French ballistic missile submarines, and as such one of the most secretive and heavily defended places in France.
Image:Bretagne Finistere Quimper 20072.jpg|City of Quimper
Image:Saintmalo.jpg|City of Saint Malo
Further Information
Get more info on 'Bretons'.
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