summer school in breton heritage - univ-brest.fr · the level 2 breton-language classes are...

Summer School in Breton Heritage

The University of Western Brittany is delighted to announce its

second annual Summer School in Breton Language and

Heritage Studies. Until last year, scholars with an interest in the

Celtic languages and cultures had little opportunity to study the

Breton language, literature and culture. Yet, it is sometimes

forgotten that there are as many native speakers of Breton

(roughly 200,000) as there are native speakers of Welsh. The

course provides an excellent opportunity to study one of the

two major Brythonic Celtic languages and the only Celtic

language to have survived on the continent of Europe.

Summer School in Breton Heritage – 2016 1

Who can apply?

Graduate, postgraduate students as well as university researchers and specialists with an interest in linguistics,

sociolinguistics, ethnology and, more particularly, Celtic studies

are warmly encouraged to apply. Motivated undergraduate

students, non-academics with a foundation in Celtic language

or linguistics are also very welcome. It is hoped the course will

attract a mix of French and English-speaking participants

which will contribute to expanding the horizons of all. No prior

knowledge of Breton is required for the level 1 class described

below (see Programme).

Self-portrait of Gauguin and the Yellow Christ, 1889

Location

The Summer School will take place at the University of Western

Brittany’s Pôle Universitaire Per Jakez Hélias at Creac’h Gwenn,

in the historic, medieval town of Quimper/Kemper, well-

known for its and picturesque streets, its Cathedral and for its

world-renowned Henriot pottery factory, established in the

17th century. Located at western tip of Brittany in southern

Finistère (only 4 ½ hours by TGV and 1 hour by airplane from

Paris), Quimper is a beautiful, bustling little city of about

60,000 inhabitants.

Situated at the junction of four rivers, Quimper (Kemper)

means “the confluence” in Celtic. It has been the administrative

and cultural capital of Finistère (Penn ar Bed, meaning the “end

of the world”) for several centuries and boasts many

attractions and activities including theatres, cinemas, and first

rate museums (the Beaux-Arts museum, the Breton museum,

the médiathèque – which contains some of the earliest Breton-

language books including the Catholicon, the oldest trilingual

dictionary in the world: Breton, Latin, French) as well as

excellent restaurants and cafés and pubs. The city is located

only 10 kilometres from the sea and the entire region benefits

from an excellent public transportation system.


Breton: a Neglected Celtic Tongue

Because Brittany has long been geographically, culturally and

linguistically isolated from the other Celtic-speaking nations of

Great Britain and Ireland, where English generally serves as the

lingua franca between them, contacts with Breton and French-

speaking Brittany have only been sporadic since the 19th

century Celtic Renaissance. For this reason, of all the Celtic

languages, Breton is perhaps the least known by Celticists

around the world. Yet, as those who attended the course

discovered last year, the richness and variety of Brittany’s

cultural and linguistic traditions are remarkable. We are

confident that this year’s participants will share the same

opinion.

The Catholicon, the first trilingual dictionary in Breton, Latin and French –

Wikimedia Commons

Breton language classes

Morning language classes will be taught through the medium of

Breton, English and, whenever necessary, French. Written

supports will all be in English and Breton. We recommend

Delaporte’s Elementary Breton-English Dictionary (Hor Yezh)

which can be purchased upon your arrival at Coop Breizh in

Quimper.

Afternoon lectures will be given through the medium of English

and/or French. In those cases where lecturers feel more

comfortable giving their talks in French, English handouts or

transcriptions will be presented to participants (as well as

English translations of the powerpoints) to assist those having

only a rudimentary level of French.

Number of participants and registration

deadline

We hope to welcome a total of 20-24 participants to the

programme (10/12 per class). If you are interested, contact us

as soon as possible so that we can reserve a place for you. (see

below for contact information). The final deadline for

registration is May 15, 2016 (subject to change).


The daily schedule

Class activities, morning and afternoon, will extend from

Monday through Saturday morning (with a free afternoon on

Saturday and field trips on Sunday). The day will be divided

into two parts with morning classes devoted to Breton

language instruction and the afternoons reserved for lectures

and cultural visits and field trips.

MORNINGS

9:00 to 12:30 – Breton languages classes (level 1)

Level 1 Breton language classes have been designed for

complete beginners. Most of the lecturers speak vernacular

Cornouaillais varieties of Breton and will concentrate on the

living varieties of the spoken language. While oral

communication will be stressed, the entire courses will have

supports in standard written Breton with grammatical

explanations in English. The Breton language lecturers are also

English speaking.

9:00 to 12:30 – Breton languages classes (level 2)

The level 2 Breton-language classes are intended for those who

attended the Summer School last year and who would like to

reinforce and advance their knowledge of Breton. Participants

who already know one or several Celtic languages are

encouraged to register for this second level which is essentially

conceived for false-beginners and those who already have

some grounding in Breton.

Dr. Nelly Blanchard lecturing on the Barzaz Breiz


AFTERNOON LECTURES AND CULTURAL ACTIVITIES

13:30 to 16:15 – Breton culture and society

The afternoon lectures will be delivered by leading scholars in their fields, all members of the Centre for Breton and Celtic Research. A broad range of talks will be proposed dealing with a variety of subjects such as the origins of the Breton language, Breton history, Breton dialectology and sociolinguistics, ethnology (rural and maritime culture), oral Breton literature (ex. the Barzaz Breiz), onomastics, medieval and modern Breton-language literature, Breton maritime culture… New talks and activities have been planned for those who attended the Summer School in 2015 including a newly designed, hands-on workshop in Breton dialectology in which participants will analyze CRBC field recordings of native Breton speakers. This activity will be organized by specialists in Breton geolinguistics. Whenever the subject-matter is new to both groups, levels 1 & 2 will attend the lectures together.

Outings

Level 1 and level 2 groups will both participate in all outings and activities.

During the first week of your stay, a visit of medieval Quimper and its cathedral will be organized. Participants are also invited for cocktails at the town hall of Quimper by Mrs. Isabelle Le Bal, Assistant-Mayor and Vice-President of university affairs.

The visit of Quimper


A visit to the farm of Kervren in the parish of Saint Yvi will take place during which participants will be introduced to Breton vocabulary linked to rural culture. This will be followed by “merenn vihan”: crêpes, cider and/or coffee. This will be followed by a visit of the Chapel of Locmaria-an-Hent, also in the parish of Saint Yvi.

A visit to the fishing town of Concarneau (Konk-

Kerne) with its famous fortifications is also planned. This will be followed by an evening meal at a restaurant on the sea front.

We shall be visiting the Paul Gauguin museum in Pont-Aven and the nearby fishing village of Doëlan.

Finally, a guided visit of the 6th century monastery of Landévennec in the Crozon peninsula is planned, followed by a tour at the Tregarvan School Museum.

The monastery of Landévennec

EVENING ACTIVITIES

Several evening meals will be offered to participants in Quimper and surrounding area. The well-known traditional singer, Brigitte Kloareg, will introduce participants to Breton and Celtic singing and dancing. Last year, a favorite evening activity was to meet for a drink at the Ceili, a popular pub where Breton beer and cider are on offer and Celtic music is the rule. Quimper is known for its excellent restaurants.

An evening with Brigitte Kloareg


Provisional Programme – Level 1

WEEK 1

Mon. 20/06

9h00 – 10h00 Welcome

10h15 – 12h30 Grammar - Conversation

13h30 – 14h45 History of the Breton language – part 1


Tues. 21/06

9h00 – 10h30 Grammar

10h45 – 12h30 Conversation

13h30 – 14h45 History of Brittany – part 1


Wed. 22/06





Thurs. 23/06



13h30 – 16h15 Visit of Locronan

Fri. 24/06



13h30 – 16h15 Traditional Breton dialects and new Breton

Sat. 25/06



13h30 – 16h15 Free

Sun. 26/06

9h00 – 12h30 Free

13h30 – 16h15 Visit of Landévennec & Menez Hom


WEEK 2

Mon. 27/06



13h30 – 14h45 Breton ethnology

15h00 – 16h15 Film in Breton and analysis

Tues. 28/06



13h30 – 16h15 Brittany and the sea – Visit of Concarneau

Wed. 29/06



13h30 – 14h45 Middle Breton Literature

15h00 – 16h15 Modern Breton Literature

Thurs. 30/06



13h30 – 16h15 Discovery of the rural heritage – Visit of the Kervren farm and chapel of Locmaria-an-Hent

Fri. 01/07

9h00 – 12h30 Visit of Pont-Aven

13h30 – 16h15 Visit of Doëlan

Sat. 02/07

9h00 – 12h30 Conclusion and final evaluation


Provisional Programme – Level 2

WEEK 1

Mon. 20/06

9h00 – 10h00 Welcome

10h45 – 12h30 Conversation - Grammar



Tues. 21/06



13h30 – 16h15 Transcription and analysis of authentic dialect recordings – part 1

Wed. 22/06



13h30 – 16h15 Transcription and analysis of authentic dialect recordings – part 2

Thurs. 23/06



13h30 – 16h15 Visit of Locronan

Fri. 24/06



13h30 – 16h15 Traditional Breton dialects and new Breton

Sat. 25/06



13h30 – 16h15 Free

Sun. 26/06

9h00 – 12h30 Free

13h30 – 16h15 Visit of Landévennec & Menez Hom


WEEK 2

Mon. 27/06



13h30 – 14h45 Breton ethnology

15h00 – 16h15 Film in Breton and analysis

Tues. 28/06



13h30 – 16h15 Transcription and analysis of authentic dialect recordings – part 3 – Visit of Concarneau

Wed. 29/06



13h30 – 14h45 Breton identity

15h00 – 16h15 Reading and analysis of texts from the Barzaz Breiz – Songs by traditional singers

Thurs. 30/06



13h30 – 16h15 Discovery of the rural heritage – Visit of the Kervren farm and chapel of Locmaria-an-Hent

Fri. 01/07

9h00 – 12h30 Visit of Pont-Aven

13h30 – 16h15 Visit of Doëlan

Sat. 02/07

9h00 – 12h30 Conclusion and final evaluation


The teaching staff

The lecturers are all members of the University of Western

Brittany’s Centre for Breton and Celtic Research (Centre de

Recherche Bretonne et Celtique). The CRBC has over 40 full-time

faculty and researchers and it is the largest structure of its kind

in France devoted to Breton and Celtic studies.

Nelly Blanchard, Breton and Celtic Department, senior lecturer,

CRBC

Ronan Calvez, Breton and Celtic Department, professor, CRBC

Yann Celton, Director of the Archives of Diocese of Quimper,

CRBC

Yves Coativy, History Department, professor, CRBC

Patrick Galliou, English Department, professor, CRBC

Gary German, Summer School Director, English Department,

professor, CRBC

Anne Hellegouarc’h, English Department, senior lecturer, CRBC

Patrick Kernevez, Director of the IUP for Heritage Studies, senior

lecturer, CRBC

Donatien Laurent, Emeritus professor, Oral Breton literature

CRBC

Daniel Le Bris, Breton and Celtic Department, senior lecturer,

CRBC

Jean-Yves Le Disez, English Department, senior lecturer, CRBC,

Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

Jean Le Dû, Breton and Celtic Department, Emeritus professor,

CRBC

Philippe Le Stum, Director and curator of the Musée

départemental breton, CRBC

Stéphane Moal, Breton and Celtic Department, senior lecturer,

CRBC

Fañch Postic, CRBC/CNRS, Director of the Centre for Oral Breton

History, Kernault

Pierrick Pourchasse, Department of Modern History, senior

lecturer, CRBC

Jean-François Simon, Department of Ethnology, professor, CRBC

Tanguy Solliec, PhD researcher, Breton linguistics and

dialectometry, CRBC

Mannaïg Thomas, Breton and Celtic Department, senior lecture,

CRBC


The Centre for Breton and Celtic Research

The Centre for Breton and Celtic Research (CRBC) is a multidisciplinary research laboratory whose 46 members explore topics and areas of research within Breton and Celtic cultural domains.

The Centre for Breton and Celtic Research (CRBC) is a multidisciplinary research laboratory whose 46 members (historians, linguists, Anglicists and Celticists, enthnologists, sociologists…) explore topics and areas of research within Breton and Celtic cultural domains. They also lead individual or collective research in other fields, across Europe, the Atlantic and beyond.

The five-year project 2012-2016 untitled “Peripheries and identity dynamics” aims to highlight the formation and evolution of identity practices and realities in and about peripheral areas.

The CBRC team is also composed of 60 PhD students, 79 research fellows and 9 administrative and technical staff.

CBRC entity is twofold: CBRC Brest at University of Western Brittany and CRBC Rennes at Rennes 2 University.

CRBC library


Contact

Dr. Gary GERMAN

Summer School Director

Ms. Roxane CARREY

Admissions officer

Pôle universitaire Pierre-Jakez Hélias 18 Avenue de la Plage des Gueux

CS 12024 29018 QUIMPER

33(0)2 90 94 48 00

[email protected]

www.univ-brest.fr/summer-school-en/

mailto:[email protected]


We wish to thank the following institutions and

organizations for their generous support:

- Conseil Départemental du Finistère

- Quimper Communauté

- Mairie de Quimper

- Centre de Recherche Bretonne et Celtique

- Faculté des Lettres Victor Ségalen

- Pôle Universitaire Pierre-Jakez Hélias

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