8), better known as a French
poet, wrote a collection of lyrics entitled _Telen Arvor_, or the
_Armorican Harp_ (Lorient, 1844, reprinted Paris, 1903). Luzel's
original compositions were published under the title of _Bepred Breizad,
Toujours Breton_ (Morlaix, 1865), and Prosper Proux is known as the
author of _Canaouenno gret gant eur C'hernewod_ (1838) and _Ar Bombard
Kerne_, or _The Hautboy of Cornouailles_ (Guingamp, 1866). Dottin also
mentions _Telenn Remengol_, by J. Lescour (Brest, 1867); _Telenn
Gwengam_, by the same writer (Brest, 1869), a volume of _Chansoniou_ by
Y.M. Thomas (Lannion, 1870), and another by C. Rannou. This was a very
creditable beginning, but the themes of these writers are apt to be
somewhat conventional and the constant recurrence of the same situation
or the same idea grows monotonous. An anthology of poems connected with
this movement appeared at Quimperle in 1862 under the title of _Bleuniou
Breiz, Poesies anciennes et modernes de la Basse-Bretagne_ (reprinted,
Paris, 1905). Several of La Fontaine's fables were published in a Breton
dress by P.D. de Goesbriand (Morlaix, 1836), and a collection of fables
in verse which is thought very highly of by cultivated Bretons appeared
under the title of _Marvaillou Grac'h koz_ by G. Milin (Brest, 1867). A
book of Georgics in the dialect of Vannes appeared under the title of
_Levr al labourer_ (The Farmer's Book) by l'Abbe Guillome (Vannes,
1849), and Le Gonidec prepared a translation of the Scriptures, which
was revised by Troude and Milin, and published at St Brieuc in 1868. But
the real literature of Brittany consists of legends, folk-tales and
ballads. The first to tap this source was Hersart de la Villemarque
(1815-1895), who issued in 1839 his famous collection of ballads
entitled _Barzas Breiz_, but which cannot be regarded as an anthology of
Breton popular poetry. The publication of this work gave rise to a
controversy which is almost as famous as that caused by Macpherson's
forgeries. De la Villemarque was endowed with considerable poetic gifts,
and, coming as he did at a time when folk-poetry was the fashion, he
determined to collect the popular literature of his own country.
However, he was not content to publish the poems as he found them
circulating in Brittany. With the aid of several collaborators he
transformed his material, eliminating anything that was crude and gross.
The poems included in his collection may be divided into three clas