What’s new?

Addition

• All 145 songs from the Kreizenn Sevenadurel Lannuon CDs are now available for listening in MP3 format, and the PDFs of the lyrics with translation, along with excerpts from the booklets, are also available. Thirty-four new song types (from M-03096 to M-03129) have been added.
• The 70 songs by the MORVAN Brothers published in 2002 by Guy and Yvonne BERTHOU in the work Teñzor ar Botkol - Patrimoine chanté are indexed. The addition of these songs has allowed for the identification of 32 new song types (from M-03130 to M-03161). Twelve of them correspond to songs from broadsheets.
• The 57 songs by the MORVAN Brothers on vinyl (Collectif, Breiz, 1965; Metig, 1964) and CDs (Fest-noz à Botcôl, 1999; Un demi-siècle de Kan ha Diskan, 2009) have also been added. The vinyls are available for listening.
• The 156 songs from the work of Bernard LASBLEIZ, DA5TUMAD - Cinq collectes inédites de chansons du Trégor-Goëlo, published by Dastum Bro-Dreger in 2024. The corresponding manuscripts have been taken into account. The addition of these songs allowed for the identification of 47 new song types (from B-03162 to B-03208).
• The 41 songs from the work of Daniel GIRAUDON, La Bretagne à travers chants - Gwerzioù ha sonioù published by Yoran embanner in 2024. The addition of these songs allowed for the identification of 7 new song types (from B-03209 to B-03215).

Audio items
Addition of 180 audio items to the existing standard songs (discs and cassettes) with the corresponding MP3s.

Verification at the Archives of Morbihan of the references of the Manuscripts of Édouard GILLIOUARD and correction.
Addition of about a hundred new summaries of standard songs. Thanks to Laurence BERTHOU-BÉCAM.

The Oral Tradition catalog currently lists 2874 songs-types and 19.373 occurrences of songs, which is 791 more occurrences than in the previous version.

Functional improvements
Improvement of the ergonomics of research by Référence Malrieu.
Added author names for journal articles.

Additions
Addition of the 262 Pdfs of the work of François-Marie LUZEL, Chants et chansons populaires de la Basse-Bretagne, Soniou Breiz-Izel, 2 volumes, published in 1874 and 1890.

Addition of the 113 references and Pdfs from the Manuscript of François-Marie LUZEL, Chansons bretonnes - Sonio ha Gwerzio Brezonek Dastumet gant F.-M. Ann Huël, Anatole Le Braz Collection, Manuscript 4626 kept at the CRBC in Brest.

Addition of 651 Pdf of Mathurin BULÉON's manuscripts. All 856 Pdfs of the BULÉON manuscripts are now available.

In total, 1026 new Pdfs and 72 new summaries of songs-type have been added since the previous version of the site.
The Oral Tradition catalogue currently lists 2758 songs-types and 18583 occurrences of songs.

Maps
For each song-type, an interactive map allows you to visualize the geographical distribution of versions in Brittany.

Additions
Addition of the 155 references from the book by Éva GUILLOREL, Barzaz Bro-Leon - Une expérience inédite de collecte en Bretagne published by the Presses Universitaires de Rennes and the Centre de Recherche Bretonne et Celtique de Brest in 2012. Also added the 167 references of the corresponding manuscripts and their PDFs.
This book allows identifying 80 new songs-types.

Addition of the 54 references from the work of Éva GUILLOREL, La complainte et la plainte - Chansons, justice, cultures en Bretagne (XIe-VIIIe-siècles) published by the Presses Universitaires de Rennes the Breton and Celtic Research Center of Brest and Dastum in 2010. Also added the 22 references of her DEA, the 83 references of her Thesis at the origin of this publication and the corresponding PDFs.

Addition of 51 references from the Thesis of Yvon LE ROL, La langue des « gwerziou » à travers l’étude des manuscrits inédits de Mme de Saint-Prix (1789-1869) defended in 2013.

Addition of 192 new scores from the book of Mathurin BULÉON, Chansons traditionnelles du pays vannetais published by Dastum Bro Ereg and the Departmental Archives of Morbihan in 2012. All 523 scores of this work are now available. Thanks to André LE MEUT and the Departmental Archives of Morbihan for having authorized the online publication of these scores.

Addition of 59 new summaries of songs-types and 156 book covers.
The Oral Tradition catalogue currently lists 2758 standard songs and 18564 occurrences of songs.

Addition of the 132 occurrences from the book of Polig MONJARRET, Kanaouennou Breizh 3 - Musiques et chants populaires de Bretagne published by Bodadeg ar Sonerion, Dastum, Dastum Bro Ereg, Mignoned Polig Monjarret in 2013.
This book identifies 20 new type songs.

Addition of 86 new scores from Mathurin BULÉON's book, Chansons traditionnelles du pays vannetais published by Dastum Bro Ereg and the Departmental Archives of Morbihan in 2012.

The Oral Tradition catalogue currently lists 2667 standard songs and 17840 occurrences of songs.

Mathurin BULÉON

In 2012, Dastum Bro Ereg and the Departmental Archives of Morbihan published the book Mathurin BULÉON, Chansons traditionnelle du pays vannetais resuming the collections of the latter preserved in his manuscripts (Set of 36 notebooks, collections of scores, collected between 1902 and 1929).

All 670 versions of songs from this work are now available on the site with the addition of the 271 versions that were not yet mentioned and which have given rise to the creation of 232 new songs-types (M-02783 to M-03014). Of these new songs-types, 123 correspond to fragments of a single verse. However, it seemed interesting to take them into account. The summaries of these fragments reproduce their text in full.

The 882 occurrences of the songs in the manuscripts have also been added. The 104 Pdfs of the first 6 notebooks are now accessible. This is the first time that these original documents have been made available to the public. Thanks to Nolwenn MONJARRET who authorized their postings. These notebooks were scanned by Loeiz ER BRAZ. Pdfs from other notebooks will be added later.

Addition of 179 scores
Thank you to the Archives of Morbihan in Vannes for allowing us to put the scores of this work online and for having graciously provided us with the computer files. André LE MEUT, who had entered them, took the trouble to revise them in order to adapt them to online listening. BULÉON's book is still available from the Archives of Morbihan. This book includes 542 scores that will gradually be put online on the site.

Édouard GILLIOUARD

Addition of 96 Pdf from the Gilliouard Manuscripts.

Alexandre LÉDAN

Addition of 30 summaries of songs from the Lédan Manuscripts.

Improved search

Searches with accents and special characters have been improved: you can now search with pasted " œ" (like œdipus) or with ñ (like Fañch), for example. Previously, not all results were displayed.

The Oral Tradition catalogue currently lists 2647 songs-types and 7667 occurrences of songs.

Addition of the 120 Pdfs of the Manuscript Collection of Loeiz ER BRAZ. The quality of these scans is not always satisfactory, but since, for several of songs, the Loeiz ER BRAZ version is the only known version, these Pdfs are particularly interesting.

Corrections of the references of the GILLIOUARD Manuscripts to the Departmental Archives of Morbihan.

Addition of 207 Pdfs of songs collected by Yves LE DIBERDER and copied by Édouard GILLIOUARD in his Manuscripts.

Addition of 114 songs-types (between M-02572 and M-02746). These songs-types come from the Manuscripts of Alexandre LÉDAN. Some of the songs are literate and their author is known (Alexandre LÉDAN himself, M. DE LANSALUT, François Guenveur, etc.). Some of the songs were published in Broadsheets.
It is likely that some songs did not circulate in the oral tradition. Since we have chosen to take into account all the songs present in a manuscript or a work containing songs attested in the oral tradition, we have included them in this catalogue.
About forty summaries were made by Laurence BERTHOU-BÉCAM. Other abstracts will be added later.
These 114 songs-types correspond to 422 new occurrences in the catalogue.

The Oral Tradition catalogue currently lists 2415 songs-types and 16498 occurrences of songs.

Audio publications (78 rpm, vinyl, cassettes, CDs) are now included in the catalogue.
Their integration will take place gradually. For the moment, only the already identified song types are catalogued, which explains why, sometimes, not all the songs on a record appear. For this version, 436 audio occurrences that can be listened to in Mp3 have been added. They correspond to the discs published by Mouez Breiz and the CDs published by the Kreizenn Sevenadurel Lannuon (KSL).
These occurrences correspond mainly to a cappella interpretations. Musical groups are not taken into account.
However, it seemed interesting to integrate recordings, prior to the revival years (1970), to show the diffusion of traditional songs in modernized forms (choir, piano accompaniment, interpretation of classical singing, ...). These recordings are mainly taken in the 78 rpm and Mouez Breiz vinyls. They are not taken into account in the versions of the standard songs and appear in the catalogue under the heading "Other Interpretations".

Photos of Authors (60), Collectors (82) and Performers (83) have been added.

Addition of 391 songs from the book of BULÉON Mathurin, Traditional songs from the Vannetais area (Early 20th century) published by the Departmental Archives of Morbihan in 2012.

Addition of 66 songs from the book LE MÉRER Constance, A collection of popular songs in the Lannion area, Texts and music presented by Bernard LASBLEIZ & Daniel GIRAUDON published by Dastum Bro-Dreger in 2015.

For these two books, at present only songs corresponding to already identified standard songs are taken into account. The others will be added later.

The catalogue of Oral Tradition currently lists 2302 standard songs and 15960 occurrences of songs.

Addition of the 125 songs from the work of GUILLEVIC Augustin, CADIC Jean-Mathurin, Chants et airs traditionnels du pays vannetais (fin XIXe siècle) published by Dastum Bro Ereg and the Archives départementales du Morbihan in 2007.

Hearable scores:
Addition of 18 MP3 scores from the songs of the Fortoul Inquiry.
Currently 2629 scores are in Mp3 audio form on the site.

Extension of the catalogue of Oral Tradition:
The extension of Patrick MALRIEU's catalogue continues with the addition of 35 new standard songs (References M-02747 to M-02781) from Guillevic's book.
Their summaries were written by Laurence BERTHOU-BÉCAM. Their titles in Breton were reviewed by Pascal LINTANF. Their English titles were reviewed by Mike JAMES.

The catalog of Oral Tradition currently lists 2302 typical songs and 15057 occurrences of songs.

Listenable scores
Addition of 300 MP3 scores from Yves LE DIBERDER's book, Chansons traditionnelles du pays vannetais (1910-1915). All 765 scores of this book are now available thanks to André LE MEUT who took the trouble to review them to adapt them to an online listening. Thanks to the Archives du Morbihan in Vannes who authorized us to put online these scores from the book they published in 2011.
Currently 2611 scores are accessible in Mp3 on the site.

Adding 550 Pdf
These PdFs mainly concern songs present both in the Oral Tradition and in Broadsheets.
Currently, 6270 PDF are available on the site.

Extension of the Oral Tradition Catalogue
The expansion of Patrick MALRIEU's catalog continues with the addition of 106 new standard songs (References M-02516 and following). These songs come mainly from the Lédan Manuscripts. Their summaries were written by Laurence BERTHOU-BÉCAM. Their titles in Breton have been revised by Pascal LINTANF. Their English titles have been reviewed by Mike JAMES.

The catalogue of Oral Tradition currently lists 2255 standard songs and 14698 occurrences of songs.

Addition of 849 Mp3:

• 25 scores from the collections of Maodez GLANNDOUR.
• 41 scores by Joseph CANTELOUBE, Anthologie des chants populaires français.
• 25 scores published in the Revue des Traditions Populaires between 1887 and 1912.
• 5 scores published in the Revue de Bretagne et de Vendée between 1889 and 1903.
• 98 scores published by Loeiz HERRIEU in Chansons de France review between 1910 and 1913.
• LA VILLEMARQUÉ, Barzaz-Breiz:
  41 scores for the 1845 edition
  92 scores for the 1867 edition
• 492 scores by Yves LE DIBERDER, Chansons traditionnelles du pays vannetais (1910-1915).

Thanks to the Morbihan Departmental Archives in Vannes for allowing us to upload the LE DIBERDER scores from the work they published in 2010. The computer files of these scores were kindly provided to us. André LE MEUT, who had entered them, took the trouble to review them to adapt them to online listening. LE DIBERDER's work is still available from the Archives du Morbihan. This work includes more than 800 scores which will be gradually put online on the site.

All other scores have been processed by Patrick DUPLENNE.
Currently 2295 scores can be listened to in Mp3 on the site.

Addition of 532 Pdf:

• LA VILLEMARQUÉ, Barzaz-Breiz:
  55 Pdf for the 1839 edition
  84 Pdf for the 1845 edition
  92 Pdf for the 1867 edition
• GOURVIL Francis, Hersart de La Villemarqué et le “Barzaz-Breiz”: 43 Pdf
• Different Broadsheets present in the Oral Tradition.

Currently, 5752 Pdf are available on the site.

Extension of the Oral Tradition catalog
The extension of Patrick MALRIEU's catalog continues with the addition of 65 new song types. Their summaries were written by Laurence BERTHOU-BÉCAM. Their titles in Breton have been reviewed by Pascal LINTANF. Their titles in English have been reviewed by Mike JAMES. Yann-Fañch KEMENER’s book, Carnets de route, added 54 of these new type songs (M-02459 to M- 02515).

The Oral Tradition catalog currently lists 2,151 song types and 13,998 song occurrences.

Extension of the Oral Tradition catalogue
The expansion of Patrick Malrieu's catalogue continues with the addition of 290 new references from M-02110 to M-02428 (58 references are not used). The abstracts were written by Laurence Berthou-Bécam. The Breton titles were reviewed by Pascal Lintanf. The English titles have been reviewed by Mike James.

These references correspond to 1182 items:

• M-02110 to M-02122: LARBOULETTE Jean-Louis, Chants traditionnels vannetais 1902-1905.
• M-02152 to M-02259: BERTHOU-BÉCAM Laurence, L’enquête Fortoul (1852-1876) - Chansons populaires de Haute et Basse-Bretagne, vol.2, Basse-Bretagne.
• M-02260 to M-02300: LAURENT Donatien, Aux sources du Barzaz-Breiz - La mémoire d’un peuple.
• M-02301 to M-02363: LUZEL François-Marie, Manuscrits.
• M-02364 to M-02428: TROADEG Ifig, Carnets de route - Gwerzioù ha sonioù Bro-Dreger.

The Oral Tradition catalogue currently lists 2086 standard songs and 13759 song occurrences.

Referrals between songs
Referrals between songs have been completed and a note specifies the "reasons" for the reference. Example of patterns: "Women coming home, umbrella ripped, headdress in pieces"; "Young people when they get married don't know what they're doing. They believe that gold falls from the trees! They're just yellowed leaves. »; "I met a little white dove, the name of Jesus on his head."...

Added 963 Pdf

• 157 Miscellaneous Pdf;
• 463 Pdf from the Ollivier Manuscripts Ms 974 to 977, copied from the Penguern Manuscripts;
• 273 Pdf from Ollivier Manuscripts Ms 979 and 980, copied from "Gwerziou, chansonniou ha rimou" by Ledan;
• 70 Pdf from the Ledan Manuscripts.

Thanks to the Champs Libres Library in Rennes which authorized the posting on the website of the Ollivier Manuscripts and to the Morlaix Library which authorized the posting on the site of the Ledan Manuscripts. These Pdfs were scanned by Didier Bécam from microfilms.

Currently, 5199 Pdfs are available on the site.

Added occurrences of works

• Daniel GIRAUDON, La clef des chants - Histoires de gwerzioù, recently published.
• ROPARS Loeiz, Kan ha diskan - Gavottes de Bretagne, Texts from the disc Mesaerien Poullaouen, Cercle Celtique de Poullaouen, 1958.
• ROPARZ Loeiz, Kan ha diskan, 1979.

Bibliography
The bibliography has been completed. Addition of links to the referenced books.

Extension of the Oral Tradition catalogue
The catalogue developed by Patrick Malrieu dates from 1998, the year he submitted his doctoral thesis in Celtic Studies entitled "La chanson populaire de tradition orale en langue bretonne - Contribution à l’établissement d’un catalogue". This catalogue included 1688 standard songs (M-00001 to M-01790) and 5000 occurrences. Since then, Didier Bécam’s analysis of new works or manuscripts has made it possible to identify new song types and add new occurrences to the catalogue.
Together with Patrick Malrieu, we decided that when analysing new works or manuscripts, all songs will be taken into account. Those deemed to be of scholarly origins and not falling within the oral tradition are classified in the theme "Literate Songs".
Patrick Malrieu had begun to validate the new type songs identified by Didier Bécam, unfortunately he could not complete this verification. We are therefore required to assume the extension of the catalogue developed by Patrick Malrieu. The new references start at M-02001. Currently nearly 700 new song-types have been identified. The summaries were made by Laurence Berthou-Bécam.
For this new version of the site, 109 references have been added. References M-02001 to M-02026 correspond to songs collected by Cadic and references M-02027 to M-02109 to songs collected by Le Diberder.
These references correspond to 297 occurrences, 175 versions. The other references will be added gradually.

Correspondence between Songs of Oral Tradition and Broadsheet
Some songs collected in the Oral Tradition have also been published in Broadsheet. Example: Ar filouter fin / Le fin filou (M-00179 and C-00530). For now, the correspondence has been established for 69 songs, but others will be gradually processed on the site.
For these songs, the Breton and French critical titles, as well as the summaries have been harmonized.
An example of a Broadsheet published by a printer has been added to the list of occurrences of singing in Oral Tradition. To see the different editions of Broadsheet, we will refer to the Broadsheet section of the site.
A link at the end of the song, allows you to move from the Oral Tradition part of the site to the Broadsheet part.

Added 1062 Pdf:

• 592 Pdf of manuscrits De Penguern, Manuscrits 89, 90, 91, 92, 94, 95, 111, 112.
• 140 Pdf of the book "Dastumad Penwern".
• 272 Pdf of Broadsheet.
• 41 Pdf of the Gwerin Review, Volume 6, published in 1965.
• 13 Pdf of the book "Gourvil, La Chanson Bretonne au Front ", 2 booklets.
• 4 Pdf of the book "Pipi Talon, Kanaouenou brudet e Breiz-Izel kanet gant ar barz "Pipi Talon"".

Currently, 3832 Pdfs are available on the site.

Added 201 scores listenable in Mp3:

• 35 scores from the book "LATERRE Hippolyte, GOURVIL Francis, Kanaouennou Breiz-Vihan - Mélodies d’Armorique.
• 33 scores from the Review Melusine, 1878-1912.
Thanks to Patrick Duplenne who created the Mp3 to listen to these scores.
• Added for Yann-Fanch Kemener’s 1996 book "Carnets de route":
  • 113 scores played on clarinet by Dominique JOUVE;
  • 20 tracks of the CD accompanying this book. Thanks to Coop Breizh who authorized their availability on the site.

Currently, it is possible to listen to 1347 Mp3 scores on the site.

Site improvements

• The translation of the TO site into Breton is now almost complete thanks to the work of Pascal Lintanf.
• It is now easier for members to connect (pop-up) and the graphics have been slightly improved

Added 495 Mp3:

• 205 scores: CADIC, Chansons publiées dans la Paroisse Bretonne de Paris (Songs published and collected in the Breton parish of Paris).
• 205 scores: Paroisse Bretonne de Paris.
• 27 scores: GUILLERM Henri, Recueil de chants populaires bretons du pays de Cornouaille.
• 24 scores: GUILLERM Henri, HERRIEU Loeiz, Recueil de mélodies bretonnes recueillies dans la campagne.
• 34 scores: HERRIEU Loeiz, DUHAMEL Maurice, Guerzenneu ha sonnenneu Bro-Guened, Chansons populaires du pays de Vannes, Vol. 3.

Thanks to Patrick Duplenne for continuing to work on the scores.
Thanks to Dastum who provided the files to create Cadic’s Mp3s.

Added 334 Pdf:

• 27 Pdf: BOURGAULT-DUCOUDRAY Louis-Albert, Trente mélodies populaires de Basse-Bretagne, Paris, Henry Lemoine, 1973, 115 pp., Original Edition 1885.
• 31 Pdf: Ar Soner Review, Bodadeg Ar Sonerion, 1949-[ongoing], 399 issues in 2018. Taken into account from 1949 to 1970.
• 78 Pdf: Melusine Review, 1878-1912, 11 volumes. Director Henri Gaidoz.
• 25 Pdf: GUILLERM Henri, HERRIEU Loeiz, Recueil de chants populaires bretons du pays de Cornouaille, Quimper, David, 1904-1905, 43 pp.
• 28 Pdf: GUILLERM Henri, Recueil de chants populaires bretons du pays de Cornouaille, Rennes, Rennes, Imprimerie Francis Simon, 1905, VI + 191 p.
• 16 Pdf:Brittia Review, Lorient, 1912-1914, Monthly, 10 issues. Director Yves LE DIBERDER.
• 129 Pdf: Revue Les Chansons de France, Slatkine, Geneva - Paris, 1980, 668 p. Original edition, Quarterly, 1907-1913, 28 issues. Director Maurice DUHAMEL.

The English translation of the site is now complete.

Added 216 new PDF and 103 MP3 files:

• 88 studies of the songs of the manuscripts Lédan of the thesis of PEAUDECERF Hervé, Alexandre-Louis-Marie Lédan (1777-1855) - Un imprimeur breton au XIXe siècle (1805-1855).
• 128 Songs of the work of LARBOULETTE Jean-Louis, Chants traditionnels vannetais 1902-1905, Pontivy, Dastum Bro-Ereg, 2005, 278 p.
• 103 Audio CDs MP3 files accompanying this book.

Thanks to Hervé PEAUDECERF, Loeiz le BRAS, Sophie le HUNSEC and Dastum Bro-Ereg for having allowed us to publish these documents on the site.

Translation of the site into English (90%) and Breton (50%)

Added 540 new occurrences corresponding to the songs:
-From the work of KEMENER Yann-Fañch, Carnets de route.
-The 8 volumes of the manuscripts of LÉDAN Alexandre, Guerziou, Chansoniou, ha Rimou Brezoneg.

Added 176 new PDF:
-79 Songs of the work of BOURGEOIS Alfred, Kanaouennou pobl.
-102 Songs of the work of HERRIEU Loeiz, DUHAMEL Maurice, Guerzenneu ha sonnenneu Bro-Guened, Chansons populaires du pays de Vannes.
-39 songs from the Comptes rendus de mission de QUELLIEN Narcisse.
-58 songs from Narcisse QUELLIEN’s book, Chansons et danses des Bretons.

First public release of the site! The search is accessible without having to log in.
It adds the "Carnets de route - Gwerzioù ha sonioù Bro-Dreger" from Ifig TROADEC’s book, as well as the PDF of Gwerin tomes 1 to 5.
Interpretive cards are improved and now display an associated place (which may be of origin or collection), as well as the different names (birth/marriage, French/Breton) of the interpreter.

This release is the first version of the site, open only to registered members.
It references 1687 song-types. These types of songs gave rise to 11103 occurrences published or appearing in manuscripts. These occurrences correspond to 5627 different versions. For 1992 versions, the interpreter and the place of collection are unknown. For the others, they were collected from 982 interpreters, in 328 communes by 291 collectors.
The online consultation of 1440 PDF is available. For about fifty song-types, a sound illustration is listened to.