François Jaffrennou
Encyclopedia
François-Joseph-Claude Jaffrennou (March 15, 1879 - March 26, 1956) was a Breton language
writer and editor. He was a Breton nationalist and a neo-druid bard. He is also known as François Taldir-Jaffrennou, since he also used the Druidic name Taldir ("Wall of Steel"). He was one of the pioneers of the Breton autonomist movement.
, the son of a notary. His mother, Anna Ropars, was from Bolazec
. He went on to study law.
In August 1898, in Morlaix the Breton Regionalist Union
was founded by Régis de l'Estourbeillon
under the chairmanship of Anatole le Braz
. Jaffrennou became secretary of the section dedicated to Breton language and literature. Between 1898 and 1899, he worked at Morlaix for the newspaper La Resistance, publishing a page about Breton literature.
On 18 July 1899, Jaffrennou visited the Eisteddfod in Cardiff with twenty one other Bretons. He was received at Gorsedd under the name Taldir ab Hernin. At this time he translated the Welsh national anthem Land of my Fathers into Breton as Bro Gozh ma Zadoù
, which became the national anthem of Brittany. This hymn is now recognized and accepted by all political and cultural groups in Brittany. It was originally published in 1898 in La Résistance.
In October 1899, he moved to Rennes
. There he met the editor of L’Ouest-Éclair, then in its infancy, in which he went on to publish two columns in Breton. Some time later, he founded the Federation of Breton Students. He completed his military service in Guingamp with the Dispensés platoon.
, he created the Gorsedd of Brittany on the model of the Welsh Gorsedd. Having finished his law degree, he worked with his father to further his legal studies. He became acquainted with the printer Alexandre Le Goaziou and with him created Ar Vro (The Nation) whose first issue appeared on March 1, 1904. They then decided to unite to create a printshop in Carhaix. It published Ar vro and a bilingual newspaper Ar Bobl (The People), which appeared up to 1914. In 1913, he earned his doctorate from the University of Rennes
for a thesis he wrote in Breton on the Breton language writer Prosper Proux.
He fought for France during the First World War. When he returned to Carhaix, he sold his share of the press.
He continued to be active in the Breton Regionalist Federation, and participated in the journal La Bretagne libertaire in 1923. In 1926 he created An Oaled, a quarterly newsletter promoting regionalism and bardism in French and Breton. He continued to publish this until his death in 1956. He also wrote numerous articles, plays and books, including Buhez Sant Erwan, An Hirvoudou (1899), An Delen Dir (1900), Breiziz (1911).
headed by Olier Mordrel
and François Debeauvais
. The disputes were over the issue of the Breton flag Gwenn-ha-Du
, Breton language orthography and, most importantly, the issue of separatism.
These topics were the subject of a long controversy and numerous articles published in his journal An Oaled in which Jaffennou set himself against the BNP, which in turn criticised his regionalist politics and his links to the French establishment.
At this period also became Grand Druid of the Gorsedd of Brittany, being appointed in 1933.
In 1939, he ceased publication of An Oaled. After the Fall of France Mordrel and Debeauvais set up the pro-German nationalist journal l'Heure Bretonne
. On 29 September 1940, l'Heure Bretonne published an article under the title: Taldir veut écarteler la Bretagne (Taldir wants to dismember Brittany), which attacked plans to create the truncated Region of Brittany:
in December 1940 and participated in the Breton Advisory Committee (1942), seeking ro promote Breton political, economic and cultural rights in the difficult war years.
In 1941 on the occasion of the thirtieth anniversary of the Breton Nationalist Party
, Mordrel and Debeauvais organised a heartfelt tribute to Camille Le Mercier d'Erm
, who founded the party in 1911. At this point, Jaffrennou abandoned his previous moderate regionalist position, which he declared "obsolete and outdated", and now advocated complete independence for Brittany. Rejecting his earlier decision to cease publishing during the war, he now wrote for L'Heure Bretonne and completely broke with his past views.
. Baudet-Germain affirmed he had copied the original before burning it. Requested to produce his copy of the original denunciation M. Baudet-Germain said he had destroyed his copies as well. There was no physical evidence against Jaffrennou. However the testimony was sufficient to convict Jaffrennou to 5 years imprisonment, confiscation of a quarter of his property and national indignity.
Le Goaziou, who had been made President of the Finistère Departmental Liberation Committee, said he has always maintained a good relationship with Jaffrennou, never doubted his sincerity, and shared his regionalist political beliefs, but he regretted that he had sullied his reputation by dealing with Vichy. He said that he had been arrested before the denunciation, a conclusion supported report of the inspectors dated December 5, 1943 and sent to the Commissioner of Police Nationale de Quimper.
It is also believed that the famous Austrian Jewish writer Leo Perutz, a member of the Gorsedd of Brittany, wrote two letters, one addressed to the Attorney General of the Court of Appeal of Rennes on July 16, 1945, (No. 430) the other to General Charles de Gaulle
, (No. 431) of Tel Aviv (Israel), October 1, 1945, to defend Jaffrennou. As a result of international interventions in particular from Great Britain and Israel, Jaffrennou was pardoned, initially in 1945 and then definitively in 1946 by Georges Bidault
, President of the Council of Ministers.
and then to Bergerac, where he died on March 23, 1956. He is buried in Carhaix.
Breton language
Breton is a Celtic language spoken in Brittany , France. Breton is a Brythonic language, descended from the Celtic British language brought from Great Britain to Armorica by migrating Britons during the Early Middle Ages. Like the other Brythonic languages, Welsh and Cornish, it is classified as...
writer and editor. He was a Breton nationalist and a neo-druid bard. He is also known as François Taldir-Jaffrennou, since he also used the Druidic name Taldir ("Wall of Steel"). He was one of the pioneers of the Breton autonomist movement.
Early life
He was born in CarnoëtCarnoët
Carnoët is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department in Bretagne in northwestern France.-Population:-External links:* *...
, the son of a notary. His mother, Anna Ropars, was from Bolazec
Bolazec
Bolazec is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in northwestern France.-Population:Inhabitants of Bolazec are called in French Bolazécois.-References:** ;...
. He went on to study law.
In August 1898, in Morlaix the Breton Regionalist Union
Breton Regionalist Union
The Breton regionalist union , was a Breton cultural and political organisation created August 16 1898. It was a broadly conservative grouping dedicated to preserving Breton cultural identity and regional independence...
was founded by Régis de l'Estourbeillon
Régis de l'Estourbeillon
Régis-Marie-Joseph de l'Estourbeillon de la Garnache was a French aristocrat and politician who was associated with Breton regionalist activism. He is generally known as Régis de l'Estourbeillon, but held the title Marquis de l'Estourbeillon.He was born in Nantes...
under the chairmanship of Anatole le Braz
Anatole Le Braz
Anatole le Braz, the "Bard of Brittany" was a Breton folklore collector and translator. He was highly regarded amongst both European and American scholars, and known for his warmth and charm....
. Jaffrennou became secretary of the section dedicated to Breton language and literature. Between 1898 and 1899, he worked at Morlaix for the newspaper La Resistance, publishing a page about Breton literature.
On 18 July 1899, Jaffrennou visited the Eisteddfod in Cardiff with twenty one other Bretons. He was received at Gorsedd under the name Taldir ab Hernin. At this time he translated the Welsh national anthem Land of my Fathers into Breton as Bro Gozh ma Zadoù
Bro Gozh ma Zadoù
Bro Gozh ma Zadoù is the national anthem of Brittany. It is sung to the same tune as that of the national anthem of Wales, Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau, and has similar words...
, which became the national anthem of Brittany. This hymn is now recognized and accepted by all political and cultural groups in Brittany. It was originally published in 1898 in La Résistance.
In October 1899, he moved to Rennes
Rennes
Rennes is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France. Rennes is the capital of the region of Brittany, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine department.-History:...
. There he met the editor of L’Ouest-Éclair, then in its infancy, in which he went on to publish two columns in Breton. Some time later, he founded the Federation of Breton Students. He completed his military service in Guingamp with the Dispensés platoon.
Breton nationalist activism
In 1901, with Jean Le FustecJean Le Fustec
Jean Le Fustec was a Breton bard, and the first Archdruid of the Goursez Vreizh . He is also known by his Breton language name Yann ab Gwilherm and his Druidic name Lemenik....
, he created the Gorsedd of Brittany on the model of the Welsh Gorsedd. Having finished his law degree, he worked with his father to further his legal studies. He became acquainted with the printer Alexandre Le Goaziou and with him created Ar Vro (The Nation) whose first issue appeared on March 1, 1904. They then decided to unite to create a printshop in Carhaix. It published Ar vro and a bilingual newspaper Ar Bobl (The People), which appeared up to 1914. In 1913, he earned his doctorate from the University of Rennes
University of Rennes
The University of Rennes was a French university located in the city of Rennes. It was established by the union of the 3 faculties of the city in 1885. In 1969, it was divided in two new universities:* the University of Rennes 1...
for a thesis he wrote in Breton on the Breton language writer Prosper Proux.
He fought for France during the First World War. When he returned to Carhaix, he sold his share of the press.
He continued to be active in the Breton Regionalist Federation, and participated in the journal La Bretagne libertaire in 1923. In 1926 he created An Oaled, a quarterly newsletter promoting regionalism and bardism in French and Breton. He continued to publish this until his death in 1956. He also wrote numerous articles, plays and books, including Buhez Sant Erwan, An Hirvoudou (1899), An Delen Dir (1900), Breiziz (1911).
Political disputes
Throughout the 1930s, he was in open conflict with the extremist wing of the Breton nationalists within the Breton National PartyBreton National Party
The Breton National Party was a nationalist party in Brittany that existed from 1931 to 1944. The party was disbanded after the liberation of France in World War II, because of ties to the Nazi party....
headed by Olier Mordrel
Olier Mordrel
Olier Mordrel is the Breton language version of Olivier Mordrelle, a Breton nationalist and wartime collaborator with the Third Reich who founded the separatist Breton National Party. Before the war he worked as an architect. His architectural work was influenced by Art Deco and the International...
and François Debeauvais
François Debeauvais
François Debeauvais was a Breton nationalist and wartime collaborator with Nazi Germany. His name is also spelled in many "Breton" variants: François Debauvais, Fransez Debeauvais, Fransez Debauvais, Fañch Debeauvais, Fañch Debauvais, Fañch deb.-Breiz Atao:Debeauvais was the son of a gardener from...
. The disputes were over the issue of the Breton flag Gwenn-ha-Du
Flag of Brittany
The flag of Brittany is called the Gwenn-ha-du, pronounced , which means white and black in Breton. It is also unofficially used in the département of Loire-Atlantique, although this now belongs to the Pays de la Loire and not to the région of Brittany, as the territory of Loire-Atlantique is...
, Breton language orthography and, most importantly, the issue of separatism.
These topics were the subject of a long controversy and numerous articles published in his journal An Oaled in which Jaffennou set himself against the BNP, which in turn criticised his regionalist politics and his links to the French establishment.
At this period also became Grand Druid of the Gorsedd of Brittany, being appointed in 1933.
World War II
Jaffrennou's views before the outbreak of war were anti-German and pro-British:- "In our opinion there are only two ways to safeguard our freedom and tranquillity: strengthen the Eastern border with impenetrable defenses and consolidate the alliance with the British"
- "Germany after having secured the complicity of Russia, thought the time come to dismember Poland once more. Great Britain and France, committed to this brave country, have mobilized their forces land, sea and air. "
In 1939, he ceased publication of An Oaled. After the Fall of France Mordrel and Debeauvais set up the pro-German nationalist journal l'Heure Bretonne
L'Heure Bretonne
L'Heure Bretonne was a Breton nationalist weekly newspaper which was published from June 1940 to June 1944. It was the organ of the Breton National Party and was strongly associated with collaborationist politics during World War II....
. On 29 September 1940, l'Heure Bretonne published an article under the title: Taldir veut écarteler la Bretagne (Taldir wants to dismember Brittany), which attacked plans to create the truncated Region of Brittany:
Taldir-Jaffrennou just submitted a report which is a real killer of Brittany. This report contains as its main feature the cutting of Brittany into three parts: The Ille-et-Vilaine is attached to the English Channel to form an economic region. The Loire-Inférieure is part of the Vendee for the same reason. The three departments, Finistere, Cotes-du-Nord and Morbihan, are intended to form a "cultural whole." Pierre Laval has found this "very intelligent". Well, we will not work with this; we will not let them fleece Brittany. Stop! Brittany is one nation with five departments. It is under this unit that its fate should be considered. We will publish in our next issue the protests of our committees and our readers of the Loire-Inférieure and the ille-et-Vilaine. Already, we take a stand against Taldir-Jaffrennou's monstrous project, which singularly corroborates all the evidence that we have from Vichy.
Vichy Regime
He signed an agreement with Marshal Philippe PétainPhilippe Pétain
Henri Philippe Benoni Omer Joseph Pétain , generally known as Philippe Pétain or Marshal Pétain , was a French general who reached the distinction of Marshal of France, and was later Chief of State of Vichy France , from 1940 to 1944...
in December 1940 and participated in the Breton Advisory Committee (1942), seeking ro promote Breton political, economic and cultural rights in the difficult war years.
In 1941 on the occasion of the thirtieth anniversary of the Breton Nationalist Party
Breton Nationalist Party
The Breton Nationalist Party was a French political party that advocated independence for Brittany. It existed from 1911 to 1914.-Origins:...
, Mordrel and Debeauvais organised a heartfelt tribute to Camille Le Mercier d'Erm
Camille Le Mercier d'Erm
Camille Le Mercier d'Erm was a French poet, historian and Breton nationalist. He later adopted the neo-Bardic name Kammermor. He is also known as Kamil Ar Merser 'Erm, the Breton language form of his name...
, who founded the party in 1911. At this point, Jaffrennou abandoned his previous moderate regionalist position, which he declared "obsolete and outdated", and now advocated complete independence for Brittany. Rejecting his earlier decision to cease publishing during the war, he now wrote for L'Heure Bretonne and completely broke with his past views.
Arrest
On 7 August 1944, Jaffrennou was arrested by members of the French resistance on charges of having served the enemy and supported Pétain. He was also accused of wanting to make Brittany an independent country within a Nazi dominated Europe. He was acquitted and released. On 10 August 1944, he was arrested again. After a brief incarceration at the Chateau Lancien in Carhaix, he was taken to the St Charles prison in Quimper. In early June 1945, he was transferred to Mesgloaguen, another prison. He was charged with acts which might harm the national defense, association with the Germans and denunciation of patriots. He was put on trial before the Court of Justice.Trial
After the Liberation, the French police found a list of denunciations that had been sent to the Germans. None were written by Jaffrennou. However, M. Baudet-Germain, a Vichy official, (Secretary General of the Prefecture Regional Rennes), said he had received a letter from Jaffrennou denouncing the Resistance leader Adolphe Le GoaziouAdolphe Le Goaziou
Adolphe Yves Marie Le Goaziou was a bookseller, publisher and member of the French Resistance in wartime Brittany.-Early life:...
. Baudet-Germain affirmed he had copied the original before burning it. Requested to produce his copy of the original denunciation M. Baudet-Germain said he had destroyed his copies as well. There was no physical evidence against Jaffrennou. However the testimony was sufficient to convict Jaffrennou to 5 years imprisonment, confiscation of a quarter of his property and national indignity.
Le Goaziou, who had been made President of the Finistère Departmental Liberation Committee, said he has always maintained a good relationship with Jaffrennou, never doubted his sincerity, and shared his regionalist political beliefs, but he regretted that he had sullied his reputation by dealing with Vichy. He said that he had been arrested before the denunciation, a conclusion supported report of the inspectors dated December 5, 1943 and sent to the Commissioner of Police Nationale de Quimper.
It is also believed that the famous Austrian Jewish writer Leo Perutz, a member of the Gorsedd of Brittany, wrote two letters, one addressed to the Attorney General of the Court of Appeal of Rennes on July 16, 1945, (No. 430) the other to General Charles de Gaulle
Charles de Gaulle
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969....
, (No. 431) of Tel Aviv (Israel), October 1, 1945, to defend Jaffrennou. As a result of international interventions in particular from Great Britain and Israel, Jaffrennou was pardoned, initially in 1945 and then definitively in 1946 by Georges Bidault
Georges Bidault
Georges-Augustin Bidault was a French politician. During World War II, he was active in the French Resistance. After the war, he served as foreign minister and prime minister on several occasions before he joined the Organisation armée secrète.-Early life:...
, President of the Council of Ministers.
Exile
Released in 1946 he never returned to Brittany. In 1947 he resumed the leadership of the Gorsedd. He retired to Le MansLe Mans
Le Mans is a city in France, located on the Sarthe River. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Mans. Le Mans is a part of the Pays de la Loire region.Its inhabitants are called Manceaux...
and then to Bergerac, where he died on March 23, 1956. He is buried in Carhaix.