Who Are the Bretons?
The Bretons (Bretoned) are a Celtic people inhabiting Brittany (Breizh), the northwestern peninsula of France. Approximately 4.5 million people live in Brittany, with about 200,000 speaking Breton (Brezhoneg)—the only Celtic language spoken on the European continent. Bretons descend from Britons who fled Anglo-Saxon invasions of Britain in the 5th-6th centuries, establishing themselves among the existing Gaulish population. Despite centuries of French centralization, Breton identity persists through language, music, festivals, and a growing autonomist movement.
Language Under Pressure
Breton faced aggressive suppression under French centralization. The 1794 Barère Report declared regional languages "barbarous." The phrase "Il est interdit de cracher par terre et de parler breton" ("It is forbidden to spit on the ground and speak Breton") exemplified school policies shaming children for using their language. From majority language in 1900, Breton declined to about 200,000 speakers today, mostly elderly. Diwan schools (immersion education since 1977) and cultural activism have created new speakers, but transmission remains interrupted.
Fest-noz: The Night Festival
The fest-noz (night festival) is Brittany's distinctive dance party, featuring traditional music and communal circle or chain dances. Suppressed as backward during modernization, fest-noz revived in the 1950s-70s as cultural affirmation. Today, fest-noz draws thousands to weekly events across Brittany. UNESCO recognized fest-noz as Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2012. The tradition combines bagpipe (biniou), bombarde (oboe-like instrument), accordion, and increasingly modern instruments while maintaining traditional dance forms that everyone—regardless of age—joins together.
Celtic Connections
Brittany maintains connections with other Celtic nations—Wales, Ireland, Scotland, Cornwall, and the Isle of Man—through the Inter-Celtic Festival of Lorient (the world's largest Celtic festival) and pan-Celtic organizations. Breton and Welsh share recognizable vocabulary; Cornish is closest linguistically. This Celtic identity provides an alternative frame to French nationalism, connecting Bretons to peoples with whom they share more cultural affinity than with Parisians. Pan-Celtic consciousness has grown alongside European regionalism.
Autonomist Movements
Breton autonomist and nationalist movements have existed since the 19th century. The Breton National Party (1911-1944) was tainted by wartime collaboration with Germany. Post-war movements ranged from cultural activists to the violent FLB (Liberation Front of Brittany). Today, parties like the Union Démocratique Bretonne advocate for autonomy within France. Demands include official language status for Breton, a unified Brittany (Loire-Atlantique was administratively separated), and regional powers. France's centralized tradition makes such demands politically challenging.
References
- McDonald, M. (1989). We Are Not French! Language, Culture and Identity in Brittany
- Hoare, R. (2000). Linguistic Competence and Regional Identity in Brittany
- Postic, F. (2015). Aux Origines du Mouvement Breton