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Full Description
This is a vivid introduction, by two of the foremost scholars in the field, to one of the most fascinating and little-known song traditions in Europe, the Breton gwerz, or ballad. These narrative songs, collected in Western Brittany from the 19th century to the present day, recount a wealth of stories based on tragic local events or legends. They tell of shipwrecks, abductions, accidents and murders, miraculous rescues, penitent souls, and strange journeys. Quite unlike songs from the neighbouring French tradition, and distinct from anything else in the other Celtic languages, these ballads unfold in clear, spare verses, filled with striking imagery: they are often highly dramatic in nature.
Historians of popular culture will find much to explore here, as will medievalists interested in tracing themes and legends across different European cultures, or linguists looking for rare material in Breton. But the gwerziou speak to readers and listeners of all kinds, with stories of violence, love, and grief that touch us directly today. This generous selection of songs is presented here for the first time in the original Breton with English translations and musical notation; an accompanying CD showcases some of the most famous Breton traditional singers. A comprehensive introductory essay offers insights into the history of ballad collection in Brittany, the nature of the songs, and the contexts in which they have been performed.
Contents
Introduction
The Ballads
Lord Count and the Fairy
Saint Henori and the King of Brest
Skolvan, a penitent soul
Maharit Laurans saved from the gallows
Dom Jean Derrian's journey to Santiago de Compostela
Saint Iañn Bubry, murderer and rapist
Berhet, midwife to the Virgin Mary
The plague in Langonnet
The bridegroom and the mad dog
Seven years at sea
Shipwreck at Penmarc'h
The siege of Guingamp
The Heiress of Keroulaz: a forced marriage
Lord Villaudrain and the merchants
Fontanelle and his bandits
The kidnap and suicide of Jeannedig ar Rous
Marharit Charles and her bandits
Love and Leprosy: Iannik Kokard
Janedig the witch
The wax child
The lead tower
Cleric Laoudour and his sweetheart
The murder of Lord Penanger
The reprieve of Contrechapell
Marivonnik abducted by English sailors
Sea-changes: Catherin An Troadec
Infanticide and penance: Mari Kelen
The murdered servant girl
The drowning of Toussaint de Kerguézec
The execution of the Marquis de Pontcallec
Loeiz Er Ravalleg murdered by his friends
The twice-married woman
The recruit: Garan Ar Briz
The death of the chouan Jean Jan
Our Lady of Port-Blanc
