Some thoughts on Brittany - from Scotia 22/10/00
[another Scotia list member stated]> Many years ago in Brittany I noted that shops had bracelets etc with the emblems of the six countries, and it was possible to buy sets of flags of the six. Then as now, probably most Scots could not have named the six.
Even amongst those that would be aware of Brittany as a Celtic nation how many would know that not all of the traditional duchy of Brittany (which was quasi-independent up until 1532) was traditionally Breton speaking:-
Link to website about BrittanyThe black and white stripes on the modern Gwenn-ha-du Breton flag respresent the five Breton and four Gallo speaking districts of the traditional duchy. Nantes is excluded from the modern French region of Brittany although many people in Nantes see themselves as Breton despite it being very much outside the traditional Breton language area.
Link to website about BrittanyGallo is similar to Parisian French like Scots is to Standard English and like Breton is in decline as a first language native vernacular:-
Link to website about BrittanyThe following attitudes found amongst Bretons shows certain parallels with the way things are in Scotland:-
Link to website about BrittanyThe problem with groups like the Celtic League IMO is that they overemphasise the importance of the Celtic cultural element in places like Brittany and Scotland de Valera style in a manner that most of the population can't buy into even if they are not 100% comfortable with the overcentralized French/British state either.
The autonomy proposed by Jospin for Corsica has been mentioned on this list before. Here's what the Breton equivalent of the SNP has to say about it:-
Link to a Breton overview of the proposed Corsican devolution packageIf you don't speak French Babelfish helps:-
Babelfish