Page 33 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Brittany

A POR TR AIT OF BRIT T AN Y  31

The Breton Language
Brezoneg, an ancient Celtic language that is related to Welsh, is
spoken west of a line running from Plouha to Vannes. Although
this linguistic frontier has hardly changed since the 12th century,
over recent generations Brezoneg has
become much less widely spoken. In
1914, 90 per cent of the population of
that part of Brittany spoke Brezoneg.
After 1945, parents were encouraged
to have their children speak French
and, until 1951, Brezoneg was
surpressed in schools. It was thus no
longer passed down from parent to
child. Today, although it is increasingly
Per-Jakez Hélias, author of the novel Le rare to hear Brezoneg spoken (only
Cheval d’Orgueil
240,000 Bretons over 60 know it well),
it is attracting fresh interest. There are
(1859–1926), meanwhile, now bilingual schools (Diwan), an
explored Breton legends that official Breton institute, and a Breton
are concerned with death. television channel (TV Breizh), all of
which contribute to keeping Breton grammar books used in
Brezoneg alive. Diwan schools
Breton Classics
During the 1930s, three 19th-century French strong opposition to
accomplished novelists – authors were of Breton all that is dull and flat”.
Youenn Drezen, Yeun ar Gow stock. Two were natives In the 20th century,
and Jakez Riou – demonstrated of St-Malo. One of these too, Breton soil spawned
that Breton lit erature was not was the statesman, traveller many writers of renown:
limited to the description of and memoir-writer François they in clude the poets
life in the countryside in times René de Chateaubriand (see René-Guy Cadou,
gone by. While their novels p75), author of Génie du Eugène Guillevic
had only a small readership, Christianisme (1802) and and Xavier Grall, the
those of Tanguy Malmanche Mémoires d’Outre-Tombe essay ist Jean Guéhenno,
enjoyed wider renown. Two (1830–41). Describing of Fougères, and the
poets also emerged: his attachment to novelist Louis Guilloux, of
Yann-Ber Kalloc’h the region, he St-Brieuc, whose Le Sang
(1888–1917), a once said “It Noir (Black Blood, 1935)
native of Vannes, was in the and Ma Bretagne (My
with his moving woods near Brittany, 1973) were hailed
Ar en deulin Combourg by critics as works of
(Kneeling), and that I major importance.
Anjela Duval became
(1905–81), of what I am”.
the Trégor. The other was
The most the priest and
widely read Breton philosopher
writer is Per-Jakez Félicité de
Hélias, who came Ernest Renan, noted for his Lamennais,
to the notice of writing on science and religion whose social
the general ideals included
public in 1975 with Le Cheval harnessing political liberalism
d’Orgueil (Horse of Pride), which to Roman Catholicism.
was subsequently translated At his manor house at
into 20 lan guages. St-Pierre-de-Plesguen,
near Dinan, he entertained
a coterie of dis ciples. The
third, Ernest Renan, author
Literature in French
of Vie de Jésus (Life of Jesus),
Although not part of often returned to his
the Breton literary canon, native Trégor, where, Louis Guilloux, author of Le Sang Noir
three of the greatest he said, “you can feel a and Ma Bretagne

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