The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1903-06-18
i MEsH1R or Asc1Esr BRITTANY


spots. Seaside resorts are the same the
world over, with their dressing, dane
ing, flirting, gambling, stuffing and
snooZing.
But in the interior, away from the
circle of the fashionable migrants, be.
gins the genuine life of old Brittany
Bretagne, as the French say. And the
province really did get its name from
Britain. AS far back as the third cen
fury certainly, probably much earlier
than that, painted. half naked Britons
sailed from their soggy isle and settled
in sunny western France. They took
with them their weird superstitions
and awful religious rites. Here in Brit.
fany to this day are the menhirs and
doimens OF that prehistoric folk among
whom savage Druid priests made hui
man sacrifice. Here in Brittany are
still the circles Of upright rough stones
inclosing the fat affairs on which the
victims blood was spilled The menhir.
meaning in the Celtic tongue ''long
stone" is a great upright rough stone
slab. These stones are found in Brittany
sometimes solitary. again in groups
They are believed TO be monuments.
Later than the time Of the Druid peo-
pie. SO late as the fifth century, was
another British migration to wester:,
France. The barbarian Saxons had in.
yaded and overrun Britain. and the
aristocratic old families of the island
would not stand for the rule of Hen
gist and Horsa. SO they fed hither and
called the region Brittany. and thus II
stands among English speaking peo-
pies to this day.
There was yet another revolution for
the land. 1t came with the Norman
conquest of tie British isles Filled
with pride, stuffed with the spoils of
Saxon and Saracen, knights who had
shared in the crusades filed northern
and western France with their castles
and estates. The church gave them its
blessing and shared their spoils, for
were not these won from infidel Turks?
Norman knights erected strong and
magnificent castles; churchmen erect
ed cathedral seats and houses Of wor-
ship the most splendid. Feudalism and
ecclesiasticism were alike in their glo.
ry. There remain in Brittany notable
traces of this thriving union Of church
and state. There are old Norman fen.
dial castles still In Brittany, one, the
Chateau de la Hunadaye, being one. of
the finest in Europe. AS for the old
churches of Brittany recent English
writer says truly "Its ecclesiastical
architecture, such as the cathedrals Of
Quimper. Guingamp and st. Pol de
Leon, are all evidences of past glory.
wealth and artistic power which have
now with passing centuries degener-
ated.
Americans. however, do not share
the British propensity for running all
over creation after old churches. No
doubt they are artistic, but your live
American In foreign land cares ten
times more for the people Of today iii
that land than for forty old castles.
That daily life which is most different
from his own interests him most on d
journey. For this reason trip in the
interior of Brittany would suit him to
d &.
The climate at this season is delight
full. Violent winds and storms at all
times of the year mostly come from the
west on the coast of western Europe.
but the shores of Brittany are protect
ed from these by great cliffs high MS
hills. Here and there. embraced nearly
all around BY these great cliffs. lies
beautiful little bay or cove In such
cove are kept the boats of the fisher
men OF Brittany. The sardine fisheries
occupy large number Of the men OF
the province. The bold and dangerous
coast, the high winds and frequent
storms exercise all the strength and