Goursez Vreizh
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Goursez Vreizh is the national gorsedd of Brittany ("Breizh" in Breton). It often has delegates from the Welsh gorsedd and Gorseth Kernow in Cornwall.
[edit] History
Théodore Hersart de la Villemarqué (1815-1895) was the first Breton to be made an initiate by the Gorsedd of Wales. He took the bardic name 'Hersart Kervaker'. He created a “Fraternity of the Bards of Brittany” (Breuriez Breiz) but this did not lead to the creation of a Gorsedd.
- 1838: La Villemarqué, Auguste Brizeux and Jean-François Le Gonidec are adopted as honorary members of Cymdeithas Cymreigyddion y Fenny (Abergavenny Celtic union).
- 1843 (or possibly 1857, evidence is unclear): foundation by La Villemarqué of Breuriez-Breiz (Breton Brotherhood), whose activity is restricted to the scholarship of arts and linguistics.
- 1867: a small Welsh delegation goes to the international Celtic Congress.
- August 16, 1898: foundation of the Breton Regionalist Union (l’Union régionaliste bretonne or URB).
- 1899: a Breton delegation of twenty people is received at the Gorsedd of Wales in order to constitute the core of a Breton group (presentation of the sword of Arthur). The Breton guests are made ovates, but not fully initiated.
- September 1, 1900: the new constitutive assembly meets in the inn of la Veuve Le Falc’her at Guingamp. Jean Fustec (with the bardic name “Yann ab Gwilherm”; later “Lemenik”) becomes the first archdruid of the “Gorsedd of Lesser Britain”.
- November 23, 1908: Breton bardic association is officially proclaimed under the title of "Gorsedd Barzed Gourenez Breiz Izel" (Gorsedd of the Bards of the Peninsula of Brittany).
- 1936: a split causes the formation of explicitly neo-pagan Kredenn Geltiek Hollvedel.[1]
The current official name is "Breudeuriezh Drouized, Barzhed hag Ovizion Breizh" (Fraternity of the druids, bards and ovates of Brittany).
[edit] Archdruids
- Jean Le Fustec from 1900 to 1903.
- Erwen Berthou (aka Kaledvoulc'h) from 1904 to 1932.
- François Taldir-Jaffrennou from 1933 to 1955.
- Pêr Loisel-Eostig Sarzhaw from 1956 to 1980.
- Gwenc'hlan Le Scouëzec from 1981 to 2008.
- Per Vari Kerloc'h from 2008
