No. 145 March 2018 1 Bro Nevez 145 Editorial The last issue of Bro Nevez includes some statistics on March 2018 the “state of the Breton language,” but I felt it was a good time to go beyond the numbers. The following is a revision of a presentation I first prepared in 2004, and ISSN 0895 3074 the draft for an update of information now on the ICDBL website. It skims the surface of a complex history, but I hope it will be useful – especially to American readers - EDITOR’S ADRESS & E-MAIL in providing a basic understanding of why the Breton language is a threatened language today. And, I hope it will also show not only the challenges that remain, but Lois Kuter, Editor also some of the extraordinary work on the part of Bro Nevez Bretons to make the Breton language part of the future. 605 Montgomery Road Ambler, PA 19002 U.S.A. On the Cover 215 886-6361 The illustration on the cover is by René-Yves Creston (1898-1964) and dates from 1928. Creston was an [email protected] artist, designer and ethnographer and was one of the founders of Seiz Breur (Seven Brothers) in 1923. This U.S. ICDBL website: www.icdbl.org group was made up of artists and designers interested in creating a distinctly Breton avant-garde style in painting, sculpture, ceramics and furniture. Creston’s The U.S. Branch of the International Committee for the oils, watercolors and prints depicted maritime and Defense of the Breton Language (U.S. ICDBL) was everyday life in Brittany, Breton history and saints, and costume. Active with the Resistance movement during incorporated as a not-for-profit corporation on October 20, World War II, he was an ardent defender of the Breton 1981. Bro Nevez (“new country” in the Breton language) is language and culture – a Breton nationalist. the newsletter produced by the U.S. ICDBL. It is published quarterly. Contributions, letters to the editor, corrections, and ideas are welcome from all readers and will be printed The Breton Language – Challenges and Hope at the discretion of the Editor. Lois Kuter The U.S. ICDBL provides Bro Nevez on a complimentary basis to a number of language and cultural organizations in Brittany THE BRETON LANGUAGE IS A CELTIC LANGUAGE to show our support for their work. Your Membership/Subscription allows us to mail print copies. The Breton language is one of dozens of “lesser used” Membership (which includes subscription) for one year is $20. languages in Europe It is a Celtic language. There are Checks should be in U.S. dollars, made payable to “U.S. ICDBL” five others: Irish Gaelic and Scottish Gaelic, Manx, and mailed to Lois Kuter at the address above. Welsh, and Cornish (yes, it is alive contrary to many things one will read). This newsletter can be sent as a PDF file attached to an e- mail instead of the print version. Just let the Editor know When you hear the word “Celtic” today in the U.S., it is how you would like to receive it. The e-mail version is much mostly thrown about to sell something Irish or Scottish … a music CD or festival. The noun “Celt” or adjective more colorful than the photocopied print copy! ”Celtic” are more precisely used to apply to people, places or things where there is a link to a Celtic Back issues of Bro Nevez can be found on the U.S. ICDBL language. Many people also include Galicia and website Asturias (in Spain) in the family of Celts. While these regions have a Celtic identity based on history and Ideas expressed within this newsletter are those of the traditional culture, they do not have Celtic languages, individual authors, and do not necessarily represent ICDB although the languages spoken in those regions today philosophy or policy. are unique. 2 JUST HOW MANY PEOPLE SPEAK THE BRETON LANGUAGE? French – that meant using French when at all possible to speak to children in the home. This resulted in The French government has not included questions households where grandparents spoke only Breton, about languages in its census so until recent times parents spoke Breton and some French, and children when some fairly reliable surveys have been taken, it spoke only French (although they could understand has been difficult to know exactly how many people some Breton even if discouraged from speaking it spoke Breton at any given period of history. themselves, for their own good). Thus, children were In 1914 it is said that over 1 million people spoke Breton being cut off from grandparents and older relatives. west of the border between Breton and Gallo-speaking Imagine a family gathering where all the adults are regions – roughly 90% of the population of the western conversing and telling funny stories in Breton. You’re 12 half of Brittany. In 1945 it was about 75%. A survey in and you can follow a little bit of it but feel very much left 2013 by Bretagne Culture Diversté/Sevenadurioù out of the fun because you can’t get the jokes and you showed that 6% of those surveyed said they spoke can’t express yourself in Breton. Breton (one-half “very well” and the other half “somewhat well”). An additional 22% knew some words, But parents firmly believed that social and economic and 72% said they knew nothing at all. In 2014 Ofis ar progress for their children was dependent on mastering Brezhoneg estimated the number of Breton speakers to French and abandoning Breton. How did that conviction be 165,000 to 170,000 with a gaining number of come about? - The schools played a big role speakers among children and young adults. Brittany has a population of roughly 4.1 million -- if you include In 1863, one-fifth of people of France spoke no French the department of Loire-Atlantique which the Vichy at all. You didn’t need it. You stayed in school only a government chopped off from “official” Brittany in 1941. very short time and then worked on the farm and rarely This would mean that an estimated 5% of people in traveled far enough to use anything but the local lingo. Brittany are active Breton speakers. Roughly sixty Compulsory attendance at school was introduced in percent of Breton speakers using Breton as an 1882. Jules Ferry, the French Education Minister at the everyday language today are over the age of 60. time considered Breton to be “a barbarous relic of another age.” WHY HAVE THE NUMBERS OF BRETON SPEAKERS The impact of compulsory schooling was not immediate DWINDLED? since in Brittany children still left school at a pretty Image is everything, and this has to do with why young age to work on farms or go off to sea. But long Bretons at a certain period in history decided they must before this, teachers had a mission which they took speak French and discourage their children from very seriously. In 1845 teachers in Finistère, the learning the Breton language. western department of Brittany, were reminded by the sub-prefecture: “Above all gentlemen, remember that Image No. 1: Breton is a rural, backward-looking, you have no higher purpose than to kill the Breton language fit only for the barnyard. language." Fañch Elegoët, a Breton sociologist, did an extensive Image No. 2: Breton is a hindrance to good study of rural Breton speakers in northwestern Brittany citizenship in the 1960s and 70s – primarily through oral histories. He found that Bretons had internalized the following Not only was Breton considered a worthless language, it was also a hindrance to becoming a good citizen of view of Breton: France. It was the role of the teacher to turn children of Breton …. Is a peasant patois, unable to insure France into good French citizens. That meant making communication even with the neighboring village, even them French speakers. Non-French languages were more incapable of expressing the modern world – the seen as a threat to national unity. There’s an often world of tractors, automobiles, airplanes and television. quoted line from 1927 by the Minister of National Education at that time that states: “for the linguistic unity A language only good enough to talk to cows and pigs. From that you get the refusal to transmit this language of France, the Breton language must disappear.” to children – a language considered to be a burden, a handicap in social promotion, a source of humiliation Teachers used ridicule and humiliation and corporal and shame (Elegoët 1978) punishment to convince little children that they should not use Breton at school or anywhere near the Because Bretons learned to feel that the Breton schoolyard. Breton parents who made the decision not language was vastly inferior to French, many parents in to speak Breton to their children in the 50s and 60s post World War II Brittany made the decision to do often cited their memories of humiliation in school as everything possible to ensure that their children spoke one reason. 3 Image no. 3 – Breton is a language of the powerless Image No. 5 – The “littleness” of Breton. Breton is not a true language For men who spoke no or very little French, serving in the army was a rude awakening. It is one thing to want to improve your life by learning another language, but it is quite another to reject the Military service for Breton speakers was a lesson in language you grew up with or that your parents and what it is like to be powerless to take charge of your grandparents speak.