And we can say with certainty that the music,
legends, art and imagination of all these sister countries owe much
to their Celtic ancestors Celtic culture began in the 2nd
millennium B.C., in the south of
Germany. The tribes emigrated and
the Celts ended up occupying a good
part of what is today Europe.
But
rapid decline ensued: the Germans and
Romans progressively recolonised the
territories. The Celts only managed to
preserve their culture on the coasts at the
far western reaches of Europe, notably
in the British Isles and Armorica, the
ultimate refuge for their language,
religion and way of life: yes, in Roman
times, under Asterix, Armorican Gaul
was a “country of druids”! Caesar
feared their power, claiming the druids
had considerable authority for nothing
happened in their country without first
consulting them.
The education that
young nobles and future druids were
given, which amounted to the sum of
knowledge that their mentors possessed,
lasted twenty years! Manuscripts
from the Middle Ages describe them
as scholars, medicine men and mages
trained in divination and capable of
enchantment. Evidently, Merlin, the
legendary enchanter of the forest of Broceliande, was a druid.
The forest of Broceliande
Celtic heritage
Greek and Latin accounts tell us that the
Celts were inventive: they developed
agriculture with ploughs on wheels and
are said to have invented barrels. Very
few precious Celtic objects have been
found in Brittany, but excavations in
Germany and Denmark have revealed
objects that bear witness to their awe inspiring
art.
The Celts did not leave
any written material to shed light on
their civilisation: writing for them was
considered to be akin to dying, as it
meant that it “set” their speech, which
became dogmatic and lifeless. They
nevertheless had a written language of
signs, the ogams, which had magical
power and were reserved for use at death
rituals.
All that had to do with daily life
– knowledge, thought – was expressed
orally. Thus, ideas evolved freely and
stories would be brought back to life by
new interpretations.
From Celtic stories
to Breton legend
Breton legends are the heirs to these
constantly transformed and enriched
stories. Recited or sung, they have
been handed down from generation
to generation by elders or storytellers travelling throughout the countryside.
These legendary stories filled with
Celtic mythology endure to this day: just
ask a mamm-goz (grandmother) or tadkoz
(grandfather) in any village and you
will get your story! From the very first
word you will be thrown into a world
of fantastic characters: messengers who
come and go between this world and
beyond, fairies and wizards, giants and
korrigans (mischievous goblins)!
Korrigans are mischievous goblins
You will hear several versions
of the same legend, set in a
number of different places,
though always in the area
the storyteller is from!
And the storyteller will
doubtless show you a
stone or nearby cave
to prove his story.
Celtic languages
The Breton accent will surprise you
with the particular rhythm it adds to
phrases. That, and the fact that you will
not be able to understand a word! There
are no roots to help you. For example,
the French word beurre and the English
butter are similar.
Well, the Breton
word for butter is amann! Originating
from the Indo-European family, Celtic
languages are grouped into two main
branches: Gaelic and Brythonic, which
includes Welsh, Cornish and Breton.
Breton heroes and saints gave the
Breton calendar a whole host of names,
such as Arthur (the famous King Arthur)
and Morgan (the famous Celtic fairy),
as well as Enora, Gwenaël, Hervé and
Ronan, etc. Many of these Breton names
do not have French equivalents. They
have become quite popular in recent
years, at least more than in the days
when the French government would
not recognise them! Choosing a Breton
name is a sure-fire way of affirming
one’s cultural affiliation.
credits
: Brittany
Tourist Board
France Regions Brittany
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