The little Church of St. Jean du Doigt offers complete and perfect example of what a village church should be. The building itself is surrounded by the churchyard, with its monumental portal, or triumphal arch, as it is always called hereabouts, its sacred fountain, its calvary, its ossuary, and its open-air oratory for the celebration of the mass for the pilgrims.
The triumphal arch is a great fifteenth-century gateway surmounted by two niches containing two ancient Gothic statues, one of St. John the Baptist, and the other of St. Roch.
With the coming of twilight, when the mists roll in from the sea, the silhouetted couples (lovers), following the ancient custom, promenade arm in arm, or rather hand in hand, each holding the other by the little finger, in deference to the finger of St. John.
When the darkness has actually fallen, the bonfires flame out on the far-away sands, the light reflected in the waves in truly eerie fashion, and so the great day of pardon and festival departs into the past.
Chant and song play a great part in all these religious festivals, not only the officiating priests, but the public singing. These religious chants seem to give rise to others less devout, of which the two following are typical.
If one is in South Finistère on the occasion of the celebration of the “Pardon of the Singers,” he will hear the following lines sung tumultuously by the local swains:
Leste, leste,
Entre Brest et Lorient
Lestement.
Sont des filles de quinze ans.
Entre Brest et Lorient
Leste, leste.”
At the “Pardon of the Sea,” in the Paimpol country, one hears these sombre words:
Je vois ma mort dans l’eau.”
The great extent to which the Breton people carry their respect and devotion to religious ceremony of all sorts is no better exemplified than in the observance of the Miz-dus (the black months, or the mourning months) by those who have banded themselves together and formed a sort of “cult of the dead.” In reality, however, it is merely a mourning for the departed, by the widows or mothers of the fishermen and sailors.
In November, when the Miz-dus begin, widows in most picturesque, though sombre, costumes are continually met with in the Morbihan, and such seacoast towns as Ploubazlanec, Portz—even (where there is a “widows’ cross,” quite the most frequented shrine of all) Saint Cast, on the coast of the Channel, or at Pontivy.
Anatole le Braz, in the “Legend of the Dead,” has written a complete history of the funeral superstitions which obtain in Brittany at this season.
The “Cult of the Dead,” as it is known, is unique among similar observances in all France. Virtually it is a display of devotion and respect for one’s ancestors. In the rural and seacoast parishes of Morbihan, Finistère, and the Côtes du Nord the custom is found most highly developed.
The little cemeteries of Brittany are better than mere formal gardens with rectangular walks and well-clipt trees and hedges. Mostly, they have winding little alleys, and are set out with apple-trees and wild-flowers.
In downright bad taste, these cemeteries, in common with most others in France, have an abundance of wire and bead memorial wreaths and crowns. Why it is that the French, with their usually highly developed artistic sense, affect these artificialities, is a question to which no one has had the temerity to devise an answer.
At Ploubazlanec, a tiny village settled upon a cliff overlooking the Bay of Paimpol, are the funeral monuments of many who have lost their lives by drowning in a frozen sea, as you will be told.
In 1901, three ships from these parts disappeared, crew and cargo, following the sinister local expression, in the cold waters off Iceland, whither the little fleet had gone for the fishing. In the cemetery, in the side of the mortuary chapel, is a section known as “the wall of those who disappeared,” and here you may read, many times repeated, such inscriptions as the following:
En Mémoire de Jean-Marie Brézellec, 16 ans, décédé à Islande.
En Mémoire de Yves Brézellec, 37 ans, décédé à Islande.
Priez Dieu pour eux!”
A whole family shattered and broken up, leaving perhaps a wife and an old mother dependent upon charity, or such a scanty living as can be picked up intermittently.
At Kérity, also, is an Icelanders’ cemetery, and here one may read the names, beginning with that of the captain, of the crew of twenty, all hailing from the home port of Kérity, who were lost in the white fiords of Iceland in another catastrophe.
Nowhere in the known world is there anything like the wholesale risk of life which goes on yearly from the ports of Finistère and the Côtes du Nord, unless it be that among the American fishermen on the Grand Banks, hailing from Gloucester, on Massachusetts Bay.
If the visitor to Brittany has not yet made the acquaintance of the heroes of Loti’s “Iceland Fishermen,” he should do so forthwith, for it was at Ploubazlanec that the great Yann Gaos was interred, and near him reposed his father and little Sylvestre.
The Celtic spirit of the modern Breton has preserved the legend or superstition of “An-Ankou,” the spirit of death. In many villages one may interrogate a peasant or a fisherman, who will affirm that it is “Ankou” who leads the way for the funeral-car and who waits at the grave to carry the soul of the departed away with him after the others have left.
Among the superstitious signs which presage the coming of the “Ankou” are, a ball of fire, which rests upon the tiles of the roof over the stricken one,—a most unlikely thing, one would think,—the theft of grain by crows, the tapping of a window-pane by the beak of a sea-bird, the prolonged bellowing of cattle by the light of the moon, a candle which will not light, or for a peasant to split or cleave two pairs of wooden shoes in one week.
APPENDICES
I.
THE PROVINCES OF FRANCE
UP to 1789, there were thirty-three great governments making up modern France, the twelve governments created by Francis I. being the chief, and seven petits gouvernements as well.
In the following table the grands gouvernements of the first foundation are indicated in heavy-faced type, those which were taken from the first in italics, and those which were acquired by conquest in ordinary characters.
| NAMES OF GOVERNMENTS | CAPITALS | |
| 1. | Ile-de-France | Paris. |
| 2. | Picardie | Amiens. |
| 3. | Normandie | Rouen. |
| 4. | Bretagne | Rennes. |
| 5. | Champagne et Brie | Troyes. |
| 6. | Orléanais | Orléans. |
| 7. | Maine et Perche | Le Mans. |
| 8. | Anjou | Augers. |
| 9. | Touraine | Tours. |
| 10. | Nivernais | Nevers. |
| 11. | Berri | Bourges. |
| 12. | Poitou | Poitiers. |
| 13. | Aunis | La Rochelle. |
| 14. | Bourgogne (duché de) | Dijon. |
| 15. | Lyonnais, Forez et Beaujolais | Lyon. |
| 16. | Auvergne | Clermont. |
| 17. | Bourbonnais | Moulins. |
| 18. | Marche | Guéret. |
| 19. | Guyenne et Gascogne | Bordeaux. |
| 20. | Saintonge et Angoumois[A] | Saintes. |
| 21. | Limousin | Limoges. |
| 22. | Béarn et Basse Navarre | Pau. |
| 23. | Languedoc | Toulouse. |
| 24. | Comté de Foix | Foix. |
| 25. | Provence | Aix. |
| 26. | Dauphiné | Grenoble. |
| 27. | Flandre et Hainaut | Lille. |
| 28. | Artois | Arras. |
| 29. | Lorraine et Barrois | Nancy. |
| 30. | Alsace | Strasbourg. |
| 31. | Franche-Comté ou Comté de Bourgogne | Besançon. |
| 32. | Roussilon | Perpignan. |
| 33. | Corse | Bastia. |
[A] Under Francis I. the Angoumois was comprised in the Orléanais.
The seven petits gouvernements were:
- 1. The ville, prévôté and vicomté of Paris.
- 2. Havre de Grâce.
- 3. Boulonnais.
- 4. Principality of Sedan.
- 5. Metz and Verdun, the pays Messin and Verdunois.
- 6. Toul and Toulois.
- 7. Saumur and Saumurois.
II.
THE ANCIENT PROVINCES OF FRANCE
III.
| THE PRINCIPAL PAYS AND PAGI OF BRITTANY | |
| Pays d’Alet | Ille et Vilaine |
| Pays de Briere | Loire Infr. |
| Cornouailles | Finistère. |
| Le Desert | Ille et Vilaine. |
| Dinannois | Côtes du Nord. |
| Pays de Dol | Côtes du Nord. |
| Pays de Grève | Côtes du Nord. |
| Léonais | Finistère. |
| Nantais | Loire Infr. |
| Rennois | Ille et Vilaine. |
| Pays de Vannes | Morbihan. |
IV.
| COUNTS AND DUKES OF BRITTANY | |
| Nominoë | 824 |
| Erispoë | 851 |
| Salomon | 857 |
| Pasqueten and Gurvaud | 874 |
| Alain I. | 877 |
| Gurmailhon | 907 |
| Juhael Béranger | 930 |
| Alain II. (Barbe Torte) | 937 |
| Drogon | 952 |
| Hoël I. | 953 |
| Guerech | 980 |
| Conan I. | 987 |
| Geoffroy I. | 992 |
| Alain III. | 1008 |
| Conan II. | 1040 |
| Hoël II. | 1066 |
| Alain Fergent | 1084 |
| Conan III. | 1112 |
| Eudes and Hoël III. | 1148 |
| Geoffroy II. | 1156 |
| Constance and Arthur | 1171 |
| Pierre Mauclerc and Alix | 1186 |
| Jean I. | 1213 |
| Jean II. | 1237 |
| Arthur II. | 1286 |
| Jean III. | 1305 |
| Charles de Blois | 1312 |
| Jean IV. de Montfort | 1341 |
| Jean V. | 1365 |
| François I. | 1399 |
| Pierre II. | 1450 |
| Arthur III. | 1457 |
| François II. | 1458 |
| Duchess Anne, who married Charles VIII. and afterward Louis XI. of France, | 488-1513 |
V.
THE METRIC SYSTEM
METRICAL AND ENGLISH WEIGHTS AND MEASURES
- Mètre = 39.3708 in. = 3.231. 3 ft. 3 1-2 in. = 1.0936 yard.
- Square Mètre (mètre carré) = 1 1-5th square yards (1.196).
- Are (or 100 sq. mètres) = 119.6 square yards.
- Cubic Mètre (or Stere) = 35 1-2 cubic feet.
- Centimètre = 2-5ths inch.
- Kilomètre = 1,093 yards = 5-8 mile.
- 10 Kilomètres = 6 1-4 miles.
- 100 Kilomètres = 62 1-10th miles.
- Square Kilomètre = 2-5ths square mile.
- Hectare = 2 1-2 acres (2.471).
- 100 Hectares = 247.1 acres.
- Gramme = 15 1-2 grains (15.432).
- 10 Grammes = 1-3d oz. Avoirdupois.
- 15 Grammes = 1-2 oz. Avoirdupois.
- Kilogramme =2 1-5th lbs. (2.204) Avoirdupois.
- 10 Kilogrammes = 22 lbs. Avoirdupois.
- Metrical Quintal = 220 1-2 lbs. Avoirdupois.
- Tonneau = 2,200 lbs. Avoirdupois.
- Litre = 0.22 gal. = 1 3-4 pint.
- Hectolitre = 22 gallons.
ENGLISH AND METRICAL WEIGHTS AND MEASURES
- Inch = 2.539 centimètres = 25.39 millimètres.
- 2 inches = 5 centimètres nearly.
- Foot = 30.47 centimètres.
- Yard = 0.9141 mètre.
- 12 yards = 11 mètres nearly.
- Mile =1.609 kilomètre.
- Square foot = 0.093 mètre carré.
- Square yard = 0.836 mètre carré.
- Acre = 0.4046 hectare = 4,003 sq. mètres nearly.
- 2 1-2 acres = 1 hectare nearly.
- Pint = 0.5679 litre.
- 1 3-4 pint = 1 litre nearly.
- Gallon = 4.5434 litres = 4 nearly.
- Bushel = 36.347 litres.
- Oz. Troy = 31.103 grammes.
- Pound Troy (5,760 grains) = 373.121 grammes.
- Oz. Avoirdupois = 8.349 grammes.
- Pound Avoirdupois (7,000 grains) = 453.592 grammes.
- 2 lbs. 3 oz. = kilogramme nearly.
- 100 lbs. = 45.359 kilogrammes.
- Cwt. = 50.802 kilogrammes.
- Ton = 1,018.048 kilogrammes.
VI.
Sketch Map of Circular Tour in Brittany. Fares from Rennes, 65 francs, 1st class; 50 francs, 2d class.
Itinerary: Rennes, Saint-Malo-Saint-Servan, Dinard, Saint-Brieuc, Guingamp, Lannion, Morlaix, Roscoff, Brest, Quimper, Douarnenez, Pont-l’Abbé, Concarneau, Lorient, Auray, Quiberon, Vannes, Savenay, Le Croisic, Guérande, Saint-Nazaire, Pont-Château, Redon, Rennes.
VII.
VIII.
By day the signals showing the depth of water—in mètres—at the harbour entrance are shown by balls or small balloons; at night these are replaced by lanterns. (See top diagram.) The flag signals of the other diagrams explain themselves.
IX.
THE PRINCIPAL PARDONS OF BRITTANY
DEPARTMENT OF FINISTÈRE
Plougastel-Daoulas.—Easter Monday, the Monday of Pentecôte, 29th June, and 15th August.
Pont l’Abbé.—25th March, Monday of Pentecôte, 3d Sunday of July, 4th Sunday of September.
Concarneau.—(Ste. Guénolé) First Sunday in May, (Sainte Croix) 14th September, (Pardon du Rosaire) First Sunday in October.
Bannalec.—Ascension Day.
Quimperlé.—Trinity Sunday, second Sunday of May, last Sunday of July, third Sunday in September.
Quimperlé.—Easter Monday.
Rumengal.—Trinity Sunday.
Loctudy.—Sunday following 11th May, and 2d Sunday of August.
Pont Aven.—Second Sunday of May and third Sunday of September.
Saint Jean du Doigt.—23d and 24th June.
Roscoff.—Mid-June and 15th August.
Camaret (Fête de la Pêche et Bénédiction de la Mer).—Third Sunday in June.
Locronan (Petite Troménie every year; Grande Troménie every six years).—Second Sunday of July.
Rosporden.—Second Sunday in July.
Le Folgoët.—15th August, and 7th and 8th September.
Quimper.—15th, 16th, and 17th August.
Huelgoat.—Three days—first Sunday of August.
Ste. Anne de la Palude.—Saturday evening and last Sunday of August.
Scaër.—Last Sunday of August.
Audierne.—Last Sunday of August.
Penmarc’h (Pardon du Rosaire).—First Sunday of October.
DEPARTMENT OF THE MORBIHAN
St. Gildas de Rhuis.—29th of January.
Auray.—(Ouverture du Pardon de St. Anne) 7th March, (Principal Pardon) 25th and 26th of July.
Locminé.—Three days from the Sunday nearest 27th June.
Ste. Barbe en Faouët.—Last Sunday of June.
St. Fiacre près le Faouët.—Fourth Sunday in July.
Locmariaquer.—Second Sunday in September.
Pontivy.—Second Sunday in September.
Carnac.—Third Sunday in September, (Pardon of St. Cornely) the Sunday nearest the 14th September.
Pont Scorff.—Third Sunday in September.
Le Faouët.—First Sunday in October.
X.
A BRIEF LIST OF SOME OF THE MORE IMPORTANT PREFIXES OF PLACE-NAMES IN BRITTANY, WITH THEIR DEFINITIONS
Bod, Bot.—A place surrounded by a wood. Bodilis, Botsorhel.
Bras, Bré.—High, elevated. Braspart, Brelevené.
Conc.—A harbour or bay. Concarneau, le Conquet.
Car.—A manor or château. Carhaix.
Coat.—A wood or forest. Coatascorn, Coatreven.
Crug.—Amid the rocks. Cruguel.
Faou.—A place planted with oaks. Le Faouët.
Guic.—Bourg. Guichen (old bourg).
Hen.—Old. Henvie, Henpont.
Ker or Kaer.—Manor, château. Kerlouan, Kervignac.
Lan.—Church or consecrated spot. Lannion, Lanildut.
Les, Lis.—Court or jurisdiction. Lesneven, Lezardrieux.
Loc.—Oratoire or hermitage. Locmaria.
Méné.—Mountain. Méné Bré.
Mor.—The sea. Morbihan (la petite mer).
Pen.—Promontory summit or extremity. Penmarc’h, Paimbœuf (par corruption).
Plé, Pleu, Plo, Plou, Plu.—Parish. Pléhédel, Pleudihen, Plouha.
Poul.—Hole or basin. Pouldergat.
Ros.—Hill or slope. Roscoff, Rosporden.
Tref, Tré.—Part of a parish. Trégastel, Trémelior.
XI.
THE BRETON TONGUE IN BRITTANY TO-DAY[B]
| DÉPARTEMENT | INDIVIDUALS UNDERSTANDING ONLY BRETON |
INDIVIDUALS UNDERSTANDING BRETON AND FRENCH |
| Côtes du Nord | 145,000 | 150,000 |
| Finistère | 352,000 | 302,000 |
| Morbihan | 182,700 | 190,000 |
[B] This table takes no cognizance of those speaking French only and not Breton, whilst the three departments given are those only in which the knowledge of the Breton tongue is in excess of that in other parts.
It is a regrettable fact that the Morbihan has the greatest number of illiterates of any of the departments of France. Among a hundred conscripts for the army, often thirty or forty are classed as illiterate, while in Finistère and the Côtes du Nord, the number falls to thirty or less, and in Ille et Vilaine to less than twenty.