Upper Brittany
Encyclopedia
Upper Brittany is a term used to describe the eastern part of Brittany
which is predominantly of a Romance
culture and is associated with the Gallo language
. The name is in counterpoint to Lower Brittany, the western part of the ancient province
and present-day region
, where the Breton language
has traditionally been spoken. However, there is no certainty as to exactly where the line between 'Upper' and 'Lower' Brittany falls.
In many regards, Upper Brittany is dominated by the industrial and cathedral city of Rennes
, seat of the University of Rennes 1
and the University of Rennes 2.
, while Upper Brittany is that of Gallo
, closely related to French
. The isolation of Brittany from the mainsteam of French society was always less acute in Upper than in Lower Brittany, largely thanks to the languages they spoke.
Together with other factors, this has led to other differences throughout history. The Revolt of the Papier Timbré
of 1675 was more ferocious in Lower Brittany than in Upper, but the Chouannerie
, a royalist
uprising in the west of France against the French Revolution
, the Republic, and the First Empire
, enjoyed more support in Upper Brittany than in Lower. Upper Brittany accounted for some sixty per cent of the province's emigrants to French Canada
, with especially high rates of emigration from Nantes
and Ille-et-Vilaine
, despite having a smaller population than Lower Brittany until the middle of the 20th century.
In the realm of cuisine
, the pancake
s known as galette
s, made with buckwheat
, originated in Upper Brittany, crêpe
s, made with wheat
flour, in Lower Brittany.
In the 20th and 21st centuries, the growth of urbanization
and industry
has been more pronounced in Upper Brittany than in Lower Brittany, the character of which has remained more rural.
has been little spoken, and indeed in some parts it may never have been the principal means of communication. Instead, the population historically spoke Gallo
, and later a mixture of Gallo and French
. However, in both ancient and modern times the larger towns of Upper Brittany have drawn in large numbers of Breton speakers from Lower Brittany, and most of them have at some time contained various institutions supporting that language and its culture. At the beginning of the 21st century, it was estimated that about one-tenth of Breton speakers lived in Upper Brittany.
Gallo, like the Breton language, was until recently highly stigmatized
, and its use declined steeply during the 20th century. Attempts are now made to revitalize it, with schools playing a role in this, but it is largely viewed as a rural language of older people.
, suggesting that it was much farther to the east than it is now, near Nantes
and Rennes
. For example, Pleugueneuc
, in Ille-et-Vilaine
, combines the Breton element plou (parish) with the name 'Guehenoc'.
The distinction of two Brittanys was made at least as early as the 15th century, when the names used were Britannia gallicana (Upper Brittany) and Britannia britonizans (Lower Brittany). At that time, it appears that Lower Brittany had a separate fiscal
status. Since then, the boundary between them has changed slowly as a result of the long retreat of the Breton language.
Under the ancien régime, the boundary between the two was generally in line with the province's division into nine bishoprics
, with those of Rennes
, Dol
, Nantes
, St Malo
and St Brieuc
considered to form Upper Brittany, while Tréguier
, Vannes
, Quimper and Saint-Pol-de-Léon formed Lower Brittany.
In 1588, the historian
Bertrand d'Argentré
defined the boundary as running from the outskirts of Binic
southwards to Guérande
, leaving the towns of Loudéac
, Josselin
, and Malestroit
in Upper Brittany. In 1886, Paul Sébillot
noted that the boundary was deeper into what had been Breton territory, the line then running from Plouha
on the north coast to Batz-sur-Mer
in the south, on the Bay of Biscay
.
The boundary between 'Upper' and 'Lower' Brittany is now a purely imaginary line and has no administrative or other status. However, having been based on linguistic areas, the boundary does correspond very roughly to administrative borders. The town of Ploërmel
is one point where the two meet.
In area, Upper Brittany now takes in something over half of the 35,000 square kilometres of the whole of Brittany, but it has some 2.5 million people, compared with Lower Brittany's 1.6 million. In the early 20th century, about 60% of the population had lived in the Breton-speaking areas.
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
which is predominantly of a Romance
Romance languages
The Romance languages are a branch of the Indo-European language family, more precisely of the Italic languages subfamily, comprising all the languages that descend from Vulgar Latin, the language of ancient Rome...
culture and is associated with the Gallo language
Gallo language
Gallo is a regional language of France. Gallo is a Romance language, one of the Oïl languages. It is the historic language of the region of Upper Brittany and some neighboring portions of Normandy, but today is spoken by only a small minority of the population, having been largely superseded by...
. The name is in counterpoint to Lower Brittany, the western part of the ancient province
Provinces of France
The Kingdom of France was organised into provinces until March 4, 1790, when the establishment of the département system superseded provinces. The provinces of France were roughly equivalent to the historic counties of England...
and present-day region
Régions of France
France is divided into 27 administrative regions , 22 of which are in Metropolitan France, and five of which are overseas. Corsica is a territorial collectivity , but is considered a region in mainstream usage, and is even shown as such on the INSEE website...
, where the Breton language
Breton language
Breton is a Celtic language spoken in Brittany , France. Breton is a Brythonic language, descended from the Celtic British language brought from Great Britain to Armorica by migrating Britons during the Early Middle Ages. Like the other Brythonic languages, Welsh and Cornish, it is classified as...
has traditionally been spoken. However, there is no certainty as to exactly where the line between 'Upper' and 'Lower' Brittany falls.
In many regards, Upper Brittany is dominated by the industrial and cathedral city of Rennes
Rennes
Rennes is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France. Rennes is the capital of the region of Brittany, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine department.-History:...
, seat of the University of Rennes 1
University of Rennes 1
The University of Rennes 1 is one of the two main universities in the city of Rennes, France. It is under the Academy of Rennes. It specializes in science, technology, law, economy, management and philosophy. The University of Rennes 1 has been in existence since 1969, but its heritage stems back...
and the University of Rennes 2.
Distinctions
The principal distinction between the two parts of Brittany is that Lower Brittany is the historic realm of the Breton languageBreton language
Breton is a Celtic language spoken in Brittany , France. Breton is a Brythonic language, descended from the Celtic British language brought from Great Britain to Armorica by migrating Britons during the Early Middle Ages. Like the other Brythonic languages, Welsh and Cornish, it is classified as...
, while Upper Brittany is that of Gallo
Gallo language
Gallo is a regional language of France. Gallo is a Romance language, one of the Oïl languages. It is the historic language of the region of Upper Brittany and some neighboring portions of Normandy, but today is spoken by only a small minority of the population, having been largely superseded by...
, closely related to French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
. The isolation of Brittany from the mainsteam of French society was always less acute in Upper than in Lower Brittany, largely thanks to the languages they spoke.
Revolt of the papier timbré
The Revolt of the papier timbré was an anti-fiscal revolt in the west of Ancien Régime France, during the reign of Louis XIV from April to September 1675...
of 1675 was more ferocious in Lower Brittany than in Upper, but the Chouannerie
Chouannerie
The Chouannerie was a royalist uprising in twelve of the western departements of France, particularly in the provinces of Brittany and Maine, against the French Revolution, the First French Republic, and even, with its headquarters in London rather than France, for a time, under the Empire...
, a royalist
House of Bourbon
The House of Bourbon is a European royal house, a branch of the Capetian dynasty . Bourbon kings first ruled Navarre and France in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the Bourbon dynasty also held thrones in Spain, Naples, Sicily, and Parma...
uprising in the west of France against the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
, the Republic, and the First Empire
First French Empire
The First French Empire , also known as the Greater French Empire or Napoleonic Empire, was the empire of Napoleon I of France...
, enjoyed more support in Upper Brittany than in Lower. Upper Brittany accounted for some sixty per cent of the province's emigrants to French Canada
French Canada
French Canada, also known as "Lower Canada", is a term to distinguish the French Canadian population of Canada from English Canada.-Definition:...
, with especially high rates of emigration from Nantes
Nantes
Nantes is a city in western France, located on the Loire River, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the 6th largest in France, while its metropolitan area ranks 8th with over 800,000 inhabitants....
and Ille-et-Vilaine
Ille-et-Vilaine
Ille-et-Vilaine is a department of France, located in the region of Brittany in the northwest of the country.- History :Ille-et-Vilaine is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790...
, despite having a smaller population than Lower Brittany until the middle of the 20th century.
In the realm of cuisine
Cuisine
Cuisine is a characteristic style of cooking practices and traditions, often associated with a specific culture. Cuisines are often named after the geographic areas or regions that they originate from...
, the pancake
Pancake
A pancake is a thin, flat, round cake prepared from a batter, and cooked on a hot griddle or frying pan. Most pancakes are quick breads; some use a yeast-raised or fermented batter. Most pancakes are cooked one side on a griddle and flipped partway through to cook the other side...
s known as galette
Galette
Galette is a general term used in the French cuisine to designate various types of flat, round or freeform crusty cakes, similar in concept to a Chinese bing. One notable type is the galette des Rois eaten on the day of Epiphany...
s, made with buckwheat
Buckwheat
Buckwheat refers to a variety of plants in the dicot family Polygonaceae: the Eurasian genus Fagopyrum, the North American genus Eriogonum, and the Northern Hemisphere genus Fallopia. Either of the latter two may be referred to as "wild buckwheat"...
, originated in Upper Brittany, crêpe
Crêpe
A crêpe or crepe , is a type of very thin pancake, usually made from wheat flour or buckwheat flour . The word is of French origin, deriving from the Latin crispa, meaning "curled". While crêpes originate from Brittany, a region in the northwest of France, their consumption is widespread in France...
s, made with wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
flour, in Lower Brittany.
In the 20th and 21st centuries, the growth of urbanization
Urbanization
Urbanization, urbanisation or urban drift is the physical growth of urban areas as a result of global change. The United Nations projected that half of the world's population would live in urban areas at the end of 2008....
and industry
Industry
Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...
has been more pronounced in Upper Brittany than in Lower Brittany, the character of which has remained more rural.
Languages
In much of Upper Brittany, BretonBreton language
Breton is a Celtic language spoken in Brittany , France. Breton is a Brythonic language, descended from the Celtic British language brought from Great Britain to Armorica by migrating Britons during the Early Middle Ages. Like the other Brythonic languages, Welsh and Cornish, it is classified as...
has been little spoken, and indeed in some parts it may never have been the principal means of communication. Instead, the population historically spoke Gallo
Gallo language
Gallo is a regional language of France. Gallo is a Romance language, one of the Oïl languages. It is the historic language of the region of Upper Brittany and some neighboring portions of Normandy, but today is spoken by only a small minority of the population, having been largely superseded by...
, and later a mixture of Gallo and French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
. However, in both ancient and modern times the larger towns of Upper Brittany have drawn in large numbers of Breton speakers from Lower Brittany, and most of them have at some time contained various institutions supporting that language and its culture. At the beginning of the 21st century, it was estimated that about one-tenth of Breton speakers lived in Upper Brittany.
Gallo, like the Breton language, was until recently highly stigmatized
Social stigma
Social stigma is the severe disapproval of or discontent with a person on the grounds of characteristics that distinguish them from other members of a society.Almost all stigma is based on a person differing from social or cultural norms...
, and its use declined steeply during the 20th century. Attempts are now made to revitalize it, with schools playing a role in this, but it is largely viewed as a rural language of older people.
The boundary between Upper and Lower Brittany
Place-names are one form of evidence for the linguistic boundary during the Early Middle AgesEarly Middle Ages
The Early Middle Ages was the period of European history lasting from the 5th century to approximately 1000. The Early Middle Ages followed the decline of the Western Roman Empire and preceded the High Middle Ages...
, suggesting that it was much farther to the east than it is now, near Nantes
Nantes
Nantes is a city in western France, located on the Loire River, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the 6th largest in France, while its metropolitan area ranks 8th with over 800,000 inhabitants....
and Rennes
Rennes
Rennes is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France. Rennes is the capital of the region of Brittany, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine department.-History:...
. For example, Pleugueneuc
Pleugueneuc
Pleugueneuc is a commune in the Ille-et-Vilaine department in Brittany in north-western France.-Demographics:Inhabitants of Pleugueneuc are called Pleugueneucois.-References:* ;* -External links:*...
, in Ille-et-Vilaine
Ille-et-Vilaine
Ille-et-Vilaine is a department of France, located in the region of Brittany in the northwest of the country.- History :Ille-et-Vilaine is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790...
, combines the Breton element plou (parish) with the name 'Guehenoc'.
The distinction of two Brittanys was made at least as early as the 15th century, when the names used were Britannia gallicana (Upper Brittany) and Britannia britonizans (Lower Brittany). At that time, it appears that Lower Brittany had a separate fiscal
Tax
To tax is to impose a financial charge or other levy upon a taxpayer by a state or the functional equivalent of a state such that failure to pay is punishable by law. Taxes are also imposed by many subnational entities...
status. Since then, the boundary between them has changed slowly as a result of the long retreat of the Breton language.
Under the ancien régime, the boundary between the two was generally in line with the province's division into nine bishoprics
Episcopal See
An episcopal see is, in the original sense, the official seat of a bishop. This seat, which is also referred to as the bishop's cathedra, is placed in the bishop's principal church, which is therefore called the bishop's cathedral...
, with those of Rennes
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Rennes
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Rennes is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic church in France. The diocese is coextensive with the department of Ille et Vilaine...
, Dol
Ancient Diocese of Dol
The Breton and French Catholic diocese of Dol existed from 848 to the French Revolution. It was suppressed by the Concordat of 1801. Its see was Dol Cathedral...
, Nantes
Roman Catholic Diocese of Nantes
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Nantes, is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic church, in France. The diocese consists of the department of Loire-Atlantique. It has existed since the 4th century. It is now suffragan of the archdiocese of Rennes, having previously been suffragan to the...
, St Malo
Ancient Diocese of Saint-Malo
The former Breton and French Catholic diocese of Saint-Malo existed from at least the seventh century until the French Revolution. Its see was at Aleth, to a point in the twelfth century, when it moved to Saint-Malo. Its territory extended over some of the modern departments of Ille-et-Vilaine,...
and St Brieuc
Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint-Brieuc
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint-Brieuc, is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic church in France. The diocese comprises the department of Côtes du Armor in the Region of Brittany. The diocese is currently suffragan to the Archdiocese of Rennes...
considered to form Upper Brittany, while Tréguier
Ancient Diocese of Tréguier
The former Breton and French diocese of Tréguier existed in Lower Brittany from about the sixth century, or later, to the French Revolution. Its see was at Tréguier, in the modern department of Côtes-d'Armor....
, Vannes
Roman Catholic Diocese of Vannes
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Vannes is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic church in France.Erected in the 5th century, the Episcopal see is Vannes Cathedral, in the city of Vannes. The diocese corresponds to the province of Morbihan, and is suffragan to the Archdiocese of Rennes...
, Quimper and Saint-Pol-de-Léon formed Lower Brittany.
In 1588, the historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
Bertrand d'Argentré
Bertrand d'Argentré
Bertrand d'Argentré was a Breton jurist and historian.Argentraeus was born the son of Pierre d'Argentré, seneschal of Rennes, and the nephew of historian Pierre Le Baud. After studies of law in Bourges, he was named seneschal of Vitré in 1541 and seneschal of Rennes in 1547...
defined the boundary as running from the outskirts of Binic
Binic
Binic is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department in Bretagne in northwestern France.It is about 10 km north of Saint-Brieuc.Its beaches have become clogged with sea lettuce.-History:...
southwards to Guérande
Guérande
The medieval town of Guérande is located in the département of Loire-Atlantique in western France.The inhabitants are so called Guérandais, for men, and Guérandaise, for women....
, leaving the towns of Loudéac
Loudéac
Loudéac is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department in Brittany in northwestern France.-A market town:Loudéac is a very pretty market town with many traditional buildings and mediaeval streets to enjoy. The weekly market, which sells the best and freshest of local produce, goes on as it has for...
, Josselin
Josselin
Josselin is a commune in the Morbihan department in Brittany in north-western France.-History:St Meriadek is said to have founded a chapel there during the 4th century...
, and Malestroit
Malestroit
Malestroit is a commune in the Morbihan department of Brittany in north-western France.-Tourism:The canal is a delightful place to spend a little time, and you can watch the barges as they moor up near the centre of Malestroit. It is possible to hire a boat yourself to explore the waterway, and...
in Upper Brittany. In 1886, Paul Sébillot
Paul Sébillot
Paul Sébillot was a French folklorist, painter, and writer. Many of his works are about his native province, Brittany.-Early life and art:...
noted that the boundary was deeper into what had been Breton territory, the line then running from Plouha
Plouha
Plouha is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department in Bretagne in northwestern France.-Population:Inhabitants of Plouha are called plouhatins.-International relations:Plouha is twinned with Killorglin located in County Kerry, Ireland....
on the north coast to Batz-sur-Mer
Batz-sur-Mer
Batz-sur-Mer is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.The town lies between the Bay of Biscay and its salt marshes and is a very Breton town of whitewashed granite houses.-History:...
in the south, on the Bay of Biscay
Bay of Biscay
The Bay of Biscay is a gulf of the northeast Atlantic Ocean located south of the Celtic Sea. It lies along the western coast of France from Brest south to the Spanish border, and the northern coast of Spain west to Cape Ortegal, and is named in English after the province of Biscay, in the Spanish...
.
The boundary between 'Upper' and 'Lower' Brittany is now a purely imaginary line and has no administrative or other status. However, having been based on linguistic areas, the boundary does correspond very roughly to administrative borders. The town of Ploërmel
Ploërmel
Ploërmel is a commune in the Morbihan department in Brittany in north-western France.-Character of the town:It is a growing and developing community with a thriving economy and a lively atmosphere. The town is modern rather than romantically mediaeval, but it is clean and attractive and offers a...
is one point where the two meet.
In area, Upper Brittany now takes in something over half of the 35,000 square kilometres of the whole of Brittany, but it has some 2.5 million people, compared with Lower Brittany's 1.6 million. In the early 20th century, about 60% of the population had lived in the Breton-speaking areas.