Armorica

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Armorica

General Urbs ₁ Featured May 9 , 2008

Degemer mat! Welcome to the misty, magical maritime shores of Armorica. Though the weather is wet, our fishing villages are charming, our beaches are sandy and our rocky islands and language are similar to Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Our country is rich in Celtic history and lore with many intriguing sites to see. Follow the ermine to take the tour!

Cornouaille

They say the Celts arrived here during the Iron Age, around 800 BC. That's long before my time, and before the Romans arrived on our rugged shores and called our country Armorica. In his Natural History, Pliny the Elder says "Aremorica" is an older name for Aquitania. He may be right, too, considering the Gaulish origin of the name, which combines the two words are (on/at) and mori (sea) that describe not so much a country as a geographical region by the sea. Pliny also extends the southern boundary to the Pyrenees and lists several tribes living in the Armorican peninsula: the Aedui and Carnuteni, who he says had treaties with Rome; the Neldi and Secusiani, who he describes as having some measure of independence. He also mentions the Boii, Senones, Aulerci (the Eburovices and Cenomani), the Parisii, Tricases, Andicavi, Viducasses, Bodiocasses, Venelli, Coriosvelites, Diablinti, Rhedones, Turones and the Atseui. (That's a lot of tribes to commit to memory!)

Carnac

According to Diodorus Siculus, a complex network of trade between Armorica and Britain was established long before the arrival of the Romans, probably around the introduction of tin mining in the Bronze Age, which was indispensable for the manufacture of bronze. The abundance of tin in Armocia, Cornwall and neighbouring Piriac spurred a lucrative network of trade. Ships came from far and wide to the Veneti's principal port of Corbilo, today's St. Nazaire, where Iberian boats ensured its transport to the Mediterranean. Caesar also hints at complex relations. In De Bello Gallico, he describes Diviciacus of the Suessiones as "the most powerful ruler in the whole of Gaul, who had control not only over a large area of this region but also of Britain." There were five main tribes in Armorica in Caesar's time: the Namneti, the Veneti, the Osismii, the Curiosolitae and the Redones (a much easier number to remember!).

Point du Raz

With Rome on the move, things got pretty hot for the Celts in these parts. In 52 BC, the Veneti sent warriors to help Vercingetorix defend Alessia and were defeated. Later down the road, in 56 BC, the Veneti double-crossed Ceasar by detaining two Roman tribunes, which they hoped to exchange for the hostages they had surrendered to his legate, Publius Crassus. Caesar repaid their treachery by waging a campaign against them, defeating their considerable naval fleet, razing their towns and selling their people into slavery. I think Caesar was not amused, eh? The British aristocracy continued to support Armorican resistance to Roman rule. I don't think the Brits were amused either.

Under the Roman Empire, Armorica was annexed to the province of Gallia Lugudunensis, the capital of which was in modern day Lyons. That's also when Armorica got its Latinised name. With few towns to speak of and mostly large country houses scattered throughout the peninsula, it was probably less Romanised than the rest of Gaul. I guess the Romans didn't like country living as much as we Bretons do. I myself have an apple orchard and make some of the finest cider in Brittany...but I digress.

A couple of decades after Rome recalled its legions from Britain, Armorica rebelled again, in the 430s and 440s. This time, They succeeded in dispelling the ruling officials. It just goes to show that you can't keep a good man down. Though only nominally under Roman rule during the Battle of the Catalaunian Fields in 451 AD, Celtic Armorica joined the coalition led by General Flavius Aëtius and Visigothic King Theodoric I against King Attila and the Huns. Imagine what Brittany would be like today if the Huns had won! Maybe our musicians scared them away with their bombardes...a very loud oboe-like instrument best played outdoors.

Flag of Brittany

Several years later, between 458-60 AD, British aristocrats began migrating to Armorica to escape Anglo-Saxon invaders. They settled here and cleared largely wild, barren land, founded monasteries and andeventually established the counties of Cornouaille and Domnonée. And that's when Armorica became known as Brittany. Though these early Bretons seldom mentioned their subkingdoms beyond their borders, they often spoke of the King of Brittany as if he was a high king over a political structure similar to Britain's. The British language and culture must have either taken root quickly, or it was already in place before the exodus to Armorica.

Little else is known of the history of Cornouaille and Domnonée, for they were isolated behind the mysterious Brocéliande Forest. The capital of Cornouaille was said to be the fair city of Ker Ys on the Bay of Douarnenez. Cornouaille's fifth century king, Budic II, was also High King of Brittany from 478 to 544 AD. After 600 AD, the kings of Domnonée rose to power and became the high kings of Brittany. Most of their early history is entwined with legends of King Arthur, Ys and other Celtic lore. What is clear from historical and literary records and archaeological finds is that there was a strong cultural bond between the Celtic peoples of Brittany, the British isles and Ireland, which is hauntingly reflected in the following excerpt from an old Breton poem about Bran, the legendary king of Britain and original Fisher King of Arthurian legend:

There is a tree, that doth look o'er
From Kerloan's battle-field to th' shore;
An oak. Before great Evan's face
The Saxons fled in that same place.
Upon that oak in clear moonlight,
Together come the birds at night;
Black birds and white, but sea birds all;
On each one's brow a blood-stain small,
With them a raven gray and old;
With her a crow comes young and bold.
Both with soiled wings, both wearied are;
They come beyond the seas from far:
And the birds sing so lovely
That silence comes on the great sea.
All sing in concert sweet and low
Except the raven and the crow.
Once was the crow heard murmuring:
"Sing, little birds, you well may sing!
Sing, for this is your country!
You died not far from Brittany!"

The ancient cultural bond between the Celtic Armoricans and Britons is still evident in Brittany today, in our language, literature, customs, music dance and much of our cuisine. Breton (Brezhoneg) is a branch of the Insular Celtic languages spoken by our aristocracy until the twelfth century, after which they adopted French and relegated their native tongue to the peasants of West Brittany - Breizh Izel. Today Brezhoneg is only spoken by roughly 500,000 people in Brittany (down from over a million in 1930). Our literature includes the Lais of Marie de France, The Legend of the City of Ys and Arthurian tales. Breton bards like Alan Stivell keep our musical traditions alive by playing such instruments as the harp and a bagpipe called the binou coz. Our national beverages are cider (sistr), a tradition our ancestors brought from Cornwall and Devon over two centuries ago, and chouchen, a delicious wild honey mead. But don't take my word for it. Click on the map to visit the neighbourhoods of Armorica and meet the locals!