Goursez Vreizh

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The Gorsedd of Brittany in 1906
Grand Druid Gwenc'hlan Le Scouëzec in 2007
centenary in 1999

Goursez Vreizh is the national gorsedd of Brittany ("Breizh" in Breton). It often has delegates from the Welsh gorsedd and Gorsedh Kernow in Cornwall.

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 Kervarker'. He created a “Fraternity of the Bards of Brittany” (Breuriez Breiz) but this did not lead to the creation of a Gorsedd.

  • 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.
  • 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 the widow Le Falc’her at Guingamp. Jean Le Fustec (with the bardic name “Yann ab Gwilherm”; later “Lemenik”) becomes the first Grand Druid 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.

The current official name is "Breudeuriezh Drouized, Barzhed hag Ovizion Breizh" (Fraternity of the druids, bards and ovates of Brittany).

Grand Druids

External links

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