Bretons

William-Adolphe Bouguereau Breton Brother and Sister

The Bretons are a distinct ethnic group in the region of Brittany in France. They trace much of their heritage to groups of ancient Britons who settled the area from south western Great Britain in the 4th–6th centuries. The region of Brittany is named after them and many speak Brezhoneg, a Brythonic language closely related to Cornish and a bit more distantly to Welsh. The Breton language as such is part of the Insular Celtic language group. In eastern Brittany, a regional langue d'oïl named Gallo developed; it shares certain points of vocabulary, idiom, and pronunciation with Breton.

Bretons Media

• 

  The Brittonic-speaking community around the sixth century. The sea was a communication medium rather than a barrier.

• 

  The modern flag of Brittany: Gwenn-ha-du (White-and-black)

• 

  Sculpted calvaries can be found in many villages

• 

  Regional statistics of Breton speakers, in 2004

• A Breton speaker, recorded in the United States.

• 

  A fest-noz in the Pays Gallo in September 2007 as part of the Mill Góll festival

• 

  Chouchenn Breton for 'mead'. On the honey stallBon Repos

• 

  Shield of Ermine. The ermine symbol here can be seen on the Breton flag, and is an important symbol to the Breton people.

• 

  This triskele is the most common form of the triskele seen in Breton imagery.

• 

  Paul Gauguin, Breton Girl