Basse-Bretagne
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Basse-Bretagne (Breizh Izel in Breton) denotes the parts of Brittany west of Ploërmel, where the Breton language was traditionally spoken, and where the culture associated with this language is most prolific. The name is in contra-distinction to Haute-Bretagne, the eastern part of Brittany, of predominantly Romance culture.
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[edit] History
[edit] The Naming
Other régions divide up into "Basse" (lower) and "Haute" (upper) areas - for example Basse-Lorraine, Bas-Poitou, Basse-Normandie. The upper and lower terms refer to the relative positions of the capital. In the case of Brittany, Nantes and Rennes have both been the capital. The French word "bas" has negative connotations, often implying inferior.
Traditionally, in France, only the Bas/Lower Bretons were considered "real Bretons", and had a specific culture, and when referring to Breton culture, one often means just the traditional culture of Basse-Bretagne.
The term "Breizh Izel" is mentioned numerous times in Breton songs of the 19th century and 20th century, possibly due to the fact that the Breton word "Izel" holds no negative connotations.
[edit] The Frontier of Basse and Haute-Bretagne
Having been based on linguistic domains, the frontier corresponds very roughly to administrative border policies. It had already been established by the 14th century, and has changed only slightly since, hand in hand with the pushing back of the Breton language.
In 1588, the historian Bertrand d'Argentré defined the border as running from the outskirts of Binic southwards down to Guérande, leaving the communes of Loudéac, Josselin, Malestroit in Haute Bretagne. In 1886, Paul Sébillot moved the frontier deeper into Breton territory, the line then running from Plouha to Batz-sur-Mer. Maps in the 17th century favour the latter.
In the 19th century, the nationalist movement sparked up, claiming certain territories of historic Brittany, namely the ancient duchy, corresponding to five current départements: these demands did not concern Basse-Bretagne itself. The nationalists mostly claimed a return to Brittany within its historic frontiers.
Even since the May 1968 demonstrations, the left wing of the nationalist movement have still not relinquished their claims.
[edit] External links
In French
- Carte de 1695, présentant la limite
- À la recherche de la frontière Présentation du livre de Fañch Broudic ISBN 2-906373-44-3
