Celtic Influence in Brittany

[Gaisgeil]

My pipe band is going to be doing an all day seminar and night concert in a couple months to help further our beloved bagpipe music and also the Scottish and Celtic heritage in general. Part of what we're doing aside from giving mini-workshops to the kids on the instruments, music and highland dress is give topic related speeches or presentations to individual classes. Since I speak a little French and am a history buff I was nominated to give a presentation to a high school French class on the Celtic heritage/influence in French Brittany. Can anyone recommend some good reading material? I've got tons on Scotland and the "Auld Alliance" between Scotland and France but nothing I've got mentions much about Brittany at all.

A little help?

[Sylvain]

Begin by: http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bretagne

[Gaisgeil]

Thanks for the help. I'd already looked that over though. I was kind of hoping for something a little more credible than wikipedia though. Most educators don't accept them as a good source of information as I'm going to be giving this information to kids I want to be as accurate as possible.

Again though, thanks for the help.

[auld argonian]

I expect that even Wikipedia can be a starting point for research...there are usually some references cited at the ends of Wikipedia articles.

I remembered this:

http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/n...re3/index.html

...which may give you some kind of starting points. The map may be of use and the "learn more" page cites some reference works that might be helpful. This may be a deeper subject than it might first appear. I hope that this isn't just a "five page paper" topic because I can easily see that a "thirty page paper" would be just an overview of the Celtic roots of Brittany.

Best

AA

[cessna152towser]

Can't help much with the historical background but there is certainly an ongoing celtic influence in Breton dance, music and costume. Jedburgh is twinned with Malestroit, which is a town in Brittany. Here are some Malestroit youngsters in their native costumes.

[auld argonian]

The Bretons are represented at the Chicago Celtic fest...especially in the Dancing programs. Very cool that they are included...my daughter was suly impressed by the dance program.

Best

AA

[Andrew Breecher]

I don't know where you could find more information, but I was once approached by an elderly man from Brittany who wanted to talk about my kilt because he recognised it as similar to his traditional garb. We had a wonderful chat, and it turns out that he fought in the French Resistance.

Andrew.

[turpin]

Here is a link to La Maison du Kilt, a french maker specializing in tartans of Britanny. You may find some info and links here. It's in French, but tha's no problem for you, is it?

[auld argonian]

Damn, Turpin...those are some really nice tartans...thanks for the link and sorry that I can't find any Breton branches in the family tree,,,

Best

AA

[turpin]

Check out Hamish's Randonee Bretonne kilt in his gallery. it's the same one he's wearing in the heroic "Laird" poses at Caerlaverock Castle.