A Red-Haired Breton

The next story is from last year's "Fête de la Musique" - A one-day music festival in the French institute in Prague. It was the first day of summer and everybody seemed happy and pleased with everything that happened that day. The First Breton was going to finish the day with a Breton "Fest-Noz" - A night party which just means some good Breton music in the evening and a lot of dancing.
It was about five o'clock, yet plenty of time before midnight. I was sitting there and watching a few musicians playng some jazz when a young French-speaking man cought my interest. His red hair curled around all of his head and he was wearing a green t-shirt. I wanted to start conversation so I asked him about the meaning of the writing on his T-shirt. He explained to me that it's a "jeu des mots" - a word joke. Then he asked me whether I know someone in the institute. I pointed on the First Breton and said that he's going to play some music on his clarinet and bombard later in the evening.
"Bombard? But it's a Breton instrument!" he said. "Well, yes, that's because he's Breton." I replied with a smile. The man turned from side to side and then said a bit quieter than before: "Well, actually, I'm Breton as well!"

Me and François-Xavier, we spent the rest of the evening watching the musicians and looking forward to the Fest-noz. The midnight came but there was still some other band playing. I went to ask the First Breton and with a sad face he told me that there isn't enough time for him and his band to play. I went back to François bringing the sad news and then we all said our farewells and I went home. Nothing much important happened, except for I met another Breton... ;)

The First Breton Again

The time had passed and I'd already forgotten about the French Institute and Brittany. However, my interests in music deepened by then so that when my friends told me about a band playing some nice traditional music, I was immediately for going to a concert.
So there we went. We arrived into a small pleasant place. Well, a pub. There we watched the concert and I was asking myself: "I surely know this man. But how?" I somehow remembered his clarinet, bombarde (and ancient Breton instrument), his whistles and intrestingly - his voice. It was a large mystery for me but then suddenly some old memories have passed through my head. I looked in his eyes and I could see the Breton talking about his home almost two years ago again. It reminded me about the isle in front of his house, the song of Merlin and a lot more. I've met the First Breton of Prague again, and yet not for the last time ;)

Breton was forbidden...

Imagine how it was... Fortunately, today the Breton languages is even studied in the university "Haute Bretagne" in Rennes and you can speak it in schools. And after 1988 there are bilinguial signs on the roads and the language is timidly diffusing all around the world ;) (That's the First Breton's work). I decided to put a little dictionary here so you can learn some useful words. If you want to have a look on a real online dictionary, try these:

Breton - Français

Breton - English - French


Salud - Hello
Demat - Good day
Kenavo - Good bye
ken arc'hoazh - See you tomorrow
ken ur wech all - ... some time
Nozvezh vat - Good evening
Noz vat - Good night
Bloavezh Mat - H. New Year
Beaj vat - Good journey
Yec'hed mat - Good health
Chañs vat - Good luck
Trugarez - Thank you
Mar plij - Please
Mont a ra mat? - How do you do?
Mat an traoù? - -id (are things well?)
Ya, mat-tre. - Yes, very well.

About the pronounciation: Try reading the explanation on Kervarker.org - the best Breton site ever. Generally, Breton is pronounced as it's written with these exceptions:

ch - is pronounced as "sh"
c'h - like "ch" in the Scottish "loch"
j - as j in French
y - like y in "yacht"

Chañs vat with learning Breton!

A Few Words About Brittany

I realised that not everybody knows much about Brittany (which makes my stories a bit uncomprehensible...) so I decided to share my knowledge. Brittany ("Bretagne" in French and "Breizh" in Breton) is a small country in western Europe. Well, actually it was joined to France in fifteenth century and became French as it stays (unfortunately) until today. It has its own language and a very specific culture.

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Symbols:
Ermine (left): In heraldry it represents a stoat (an animal from northern regions) which is a symbol of royality (and of Brittany as well).

Triskell (right): Some people still search for the meaning but the fact is that there is no meaning :) It's just a symbol. However, some people still believe that it's a "sign of celtness".

The First Breton of Prague

My next tale has happened long after the story of Brieg Keravel and the foundation of "Diwan". To be exact, 26 years later. I, aged 13, went to "the French institute of Prague" - the most French place in the city, I thought (and I was mistaken, thanks God). Actually, I went to "a reading" about Brittany and was expecting a French geographer and some pictures, etc. but it wasn't that at all.


He stood there with his forehead high, his voice strong but velvet soft and his people around him - a vision of a knight or even the "duc de Bretagne".

Actually, it was a real knight but what makes him noble isn't his ring or a long family tree but his heart floating on the Atlantic and always loyal to his ancestors and "la Bretagne". The first Breton of Prague - a city so far from the sea or Brittany, a city where people meet, a city of thousand towers and thousand nationalities, the city where I was born.
Sometimes his sight seems so far-away, like returning back home. That day in the French institute he was talking about his friend living on an isle just in front of his house, the sea and the seagulls and he was singing an ancient Breton song:

And the poor people used to say :

« Sing, Merlin, sing, do not delay!»

(the whole lyrics)

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When this was finished, I was afraid that I will never see him again so all of that day has cut deep into my memory and I could tell you the tale a hundred years later as if it was yesterday.

I've met the first Breton of Prague... and not for the last time...

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(to learn more about him & his band)