Pêr-Jakez Helias, baptised Pierre-Jacques Hélias, ''

nom de plume A pen name, also called a ''nom de plume'' or a literary double, is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name. A pen na ...

'' Pierre-Jakez Hélias (1914–1995) was a Breton stage actor,

journalist A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalis ...

author An author is the writer of a book, article, play, mostly written work. A broader definition of the word "author" states: "''An author is "the person who originated or gave existence to anything" and whose authorship determines responsibility f ...

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems ( oral or wri ...

, and writer for

radio Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmi ...

who worked in the French and Breton languages. For many years he directed a weekly radio programme in the Breton language and co-founded a summer festival at Quimper which became the

Festival de Cornouaille The Festival de Cornouaille (or just Cornouaille Kemper) is an annual festival taking place in Quimper, a city in the south-west of Brittany, a western region of France. The festival begins on the third Sunday of July and lasts for one week. It has ...

Life and work

Helias was born in 1914 in Pouldreuzig, Penn-ar-Bed, Brittany. His father, Pierre-Alain Hélias, was a native of the nearby village of Plozévet. Helias' mother, Marie-Jeanne Le Goff, had grown up in Pouldreuzic, to which her husband moved after their wedding in 1913. Hélias' paternal grandfather, Yann Helias, was a

tenant farmer A tenant farmer is a person (farmer or farmworker) who resides on land owned by a landlord. Tenant farming is an agricultural production system in which landowners contribute their land and often a measure of operating capital and management, ...

, sabot-maker, and storyteller known in Plozévet as ''Yann ar Burzudou'' ("Yann the Wonder-Man"). Pierre-Alain Hélias had previously served at Vannes in an artillery unit of the

French Army The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (french: Armée de Terre, ), is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces. It is responsible to the Government of France, along with the other components of the Armed Force ...

and, upon the outbreak of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

in August 1914, he was recalled to

active service Active may refer to: Music * ''Active'' (album), a 1992 album by Casiopea * Active Records, a record label Ships * ''Active'' (ship), several commercial ships by that name * HMS ''Active'', the name of various ships of the British Royal ...

. Pierre-Jacques Hélias later recalled that, during his father's combat duty as a

Poilu Poilu (; ) is an informal term for a late 18th century–early 20th century French infantryman, meaning, literally, ''the hairy one''. It is still widely used as a term of endearment for the French infantry of World War I. The word carries the se ...

on the Western Front, he and his mother were given, "twenty sous a day... to keep ourselves alive". His father's sickle was wielded during harvest-time by his mother and was sharpened upon a stone moistened with her tears. Hélias further recalled, "When my father returned home from the battlefield, he let his wife keep the sickle. For he thought he was no longer it's master, that mother had truly earned it... In the end,it's blade wasn't much bigger than that of a pocket knife. I rather think that tears are more effective than stone for wearing down a sickle." One of Hélias' maternal uncles, who had been serving before the war as an officer in

French Indochina French Indochina (previously spelled as French Indo-China),; vi, Đông Dương thuộc Pháp, , lit. 'East Ocean under French Control; km, ឥណ្ឌូចិនបារាំង, ; th, อินโดจีนฝรั่งเศส, ...

, was less fortunate, and returned to France only to be killed in action during the First World War. Hélias had a modest upbringing, but this included a good education. During the interwar period, the village was divided between "Reds", who discretely supported the anti-clericalism of the Third French Republic, and "Whites", who supported the Catholic Church in France. Despite the religious devotion of his mother, Pierre-Alain and Marie-Jeanne Hélias were "Reds" and, against the opposition of their parish priest, they chose to enroll their son in a secular and state-run school, in the hopes that he would learn French and move up in the world. After a career in the

French Resistance The French Resistance (french: La Résistance) was a collection of organisations that fought the German occupation of France during World War II, Nazi occupation of France and the Collaborationism, collaborationist Vichy France, Vichy régim ...

during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

, in 1946 Helias was appointed as director of a weekly programme in Breton on Radio Kimerc'h. Working with Pierre Trépos, he created hundreds of dialogues, many of them between two stock characters, Gwilhou Vihan and Jakez Kroc'hen. In 1948 he was the co-founder, with François Bégot and Jo Halleguen, of Les grandes Fêtes de Cornouaille, an

Eisteddfod In Welsh culture, an ''eisteddfod'' is an institution and festival with several ranked competitions, including in poetry and music. The term ''eisteddfod'', which is formed from the Welsh morphemes: , meaning 'sit', and , meaning 'be', means, ac ...

-inspired summer festival celebrating Breton culture.Peter Neary, 'Brittany: Theatre', in ''White Tie and Decorations: Sir John and Lady Hope Simpson in Newfoundland''
pp. 175-177
online The theatre was Helias's favourite ''genre'', as he was convinced that Breton culture was primarily a spoken one, so that it could best be captured by

drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has b ...

, and much of his early work was in the form of plays and scripts for radio. His ''An Isild a-heul'', or ''Yseulte seconde'' (1963), was a three-act tragedy based on the story of

Tristan and Isolde Tristan and Iseult, also known as Tristan and Isolde and other names, is a medieval chivalric romance told in numerous variations since the 12th century. Based on a Celtic legend and possibly other sources, the tale is a tragedy about the illic ...

, but with a focus on Tristan's wife rather than his lover. Written first in Breton, it was published in a dual text, with a French translation on the facing page, and was broadcast on the ''

France Culture France Culture is a French public radio channel and part of Radio France Radio France is the French national public radio broadcaster. Stations Radio France offers seven national networks: * France Inter — Radio France's " generalist" sta ...

'' radio station in 1965. Helias's best-known and most often performed play is ''Mevel ar Gosker'', or 'The Yardman of Kosker'. A ''mevel bras'' ( majordomo) was the most important farm worker, a man who might enjoy many privileges, but who was not of the landowning class and it was inconceivable in traditional Breton culture that he could aspire to marry into it. However, the ''mevel'' of the play, Jakez Mano, contrives by a complicated means to wed his boss's daughter, God Konan. The fact that he can actually achieve this is seen as proof that the old Brittany, in which marriages were always within the same social class, is changing. Helias's poetry includes two collections in Breton, ''Ar men du'' (1974, ''The Black Stone'') and ''An tremen-buhez'' (1979, ''The Pastime''). An important theme in his work was his devotion to the Breton language and its power. One of his lines translates as "Breton speaker that I am, my heritage lies on my tongue, it shall never be yours". His best-selling work is his memoir ''Le cheval d'orgueil'', or '' The Horse of Pride'', rooted in the Bigoudenn area south of Quimper. This was eventually published in Breton as , after its success had turned Helias into an international celebrity.Diarmuid Johnson, 'Helias, Pêr-Jakez (1914–95)', in John T. Koch (ed.), ''Celtic culture: a historical encyclopedia'', Volumes 1-5 (2006)
pp. 900-901
/ref> Helias also collected Breton folk tales and published work on the Breton language and culture. He became a major figure in Breton literature during the last third of the 20th century. For example, the ''

Encyclopædia Britannica The (Latin for "British Encyclopædia") is a general knowledge English-language encyclopaedia. It is published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.; the company has existed since the 18th century, although it has changed ownership various t ...

'' of 1997 says of him, "Per-Jakez Helias as poet, playwright, and radio script writer has been both prolific and popular." Despite his importance to Breton literature, Helias came under fire from far left radicals promoting

language revival Language revitalization, also referred to as language revival or reversing language shift, is an attempt to halt or reverse the decline of a language or to revive an extinct one. Those involved can include linguists, cultural or community groups, o ...

Breton nationalism Breton nationalism (Breton language, Breton: ''roadelouriezh Brezhoneg'', French language, French: ''nationalisme Breton'') is a form of Territorial nationalism, regional nationalism associated with the region of Brittany in France. The politic ...

, and Anti-French sentiment. This was only partly due to Helias' willingness to write in French and his refusal to denounce that language. In ''Le cheval d'orgueil'', Helias was attacked for admitting that his parents chose to enroll him in the village school out of a desire for him to succeed and that, as a child, he enjoyed attending a school which tolerated only French. Furthermore, Hélias did not solely blame the French Government or the coercive

Francization Francization (in American English, Canadian English, and Oxford English) or Francisation (in other British English), Frenchification, or Gallicization is the expansion of French language use—either through willful adoption or coercion—by more ...

of the state schools for the recent collapse of the Breton language and culture. He also had very harsh words for the actions of Breton bishops and clergy during the aftermath of the

Second Vatican Council The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the , or , was the 21st ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church. The council met in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome for four periods (or sessions), each lasting between 8 and ...

. The removal of often centuries old works of

Christian art Christian art is sacred art which uses subjects, themes, and imagery from Christianity. Most Christian groups use or have used art to some extent, including early Christian art and architecture and Christian media. Images of Jesus and narrati ...

and the replacement of the

Tridentine Mass The Tridentine Mass, also known as the Traditional Latin Mass or Traditional Rite, is the liturgy of Mass in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church that appears in typical editions of the Roman Missal published from 1570 to 1962. Celebrated almo ...

Ecclesiastical Latin Latin, also called Church Latin or Liturgical Latin, is a form of Latin developed to discuss Christian thought in Late Antiquity and used in Christian liturgy, theology, and church administration down to the present day, especially in the Ca ...

with the Mass of Paul VI in French was, in Hélias' opinion, far more to blame for the recent

secularization In sociology, secularization (or secularisation) is the transformation of a society from close identification with religious values and institutions toward non-religious values and secular institutions. The ''secularization thesis'' expresses the ...

of the region. He wrote, "There were Reds in the Church, people said. Soon everyone was to go to Mass as they went to school. In other words, some were to be good pupils and others bad pupils. Not so very long ago, everyone understood everything in the same way; each one of them truly partook of the sacraments; and they all knew several

hymn A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hy ...

s by heart, hymns that rang out through the church. Now, the singing rings hollow; indeed, the elderly don't even dare participate. Mass is no longer a joy; it's not even restful. Lukewarm soup without any flavor." Even though Hélias ended his memoir by expressing hope for a Breton,

Basque Basque may refer to: * Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France * Basque language, their language Places * Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque people with parts in both Spain and France * Basque Country (autonomous co ...

, and Provençal

, radical nationalists, like

Xavier Grall Xavier Grall (1930–1981) was a journalist and poet from Brittany, France, who was a strong advocate of Breton nationalism during the Third Emsav. His work glorifies a mystical Brittany. Early career Xavier Grall was born in Landivisiau in Fi ...

, condemned his memoir as

folklore Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging ...

. Furthermore, John Ardagh commented in 1982, "Brittany's two writers most famous in France as a whole, Per-Jakez Helias and Jean-Edern Hallier, are regarded with some scorn by the Breton zealots." Helias died on 13 August 1995 in Quimper,

Brittany Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica during the period ...

In popular culture

* Hélias's memoir was adapted into a film of the same name by director Claude Chabrol in 1980.

Selected publications

*''Biskoaz kemend-all'' (1947) *''Eun ano bras, darvoud en eun arvest'' (1953) *''War eun dachenn foball'' (1955) *''Danses de Bretagne'' (1955) *''Mojennou Breiz I'' (1957) *''Tan ha ludu'' (1957) *''Eun den maro ha ne goll ket e benn'' (1958) *''Mojennou Breiz II'' (1959) *''Mevel ar Gosker'' (play, 1959) *''Kanadenn Penn ar Bed (1959) *''Marvaillou ar votez-tan. Contes du sabot à feu'' (1961) *''Comme on connaît ses saints'' (1961) *''An Izild a-heul; Yseult seconde'' (play, 1963) *''Maner Kuz. Manoir secret'' (1964) *''Divizou eun amzer gollet. Devis d'un temps perdu'' (1966) *''Contes du pays bigouden'' (1967) *''Bretagne aux légendes : la mer'' (1967) *''Costumes de Bretagne'' (1969) *''Contes de la Chantepleure'' (1971) *''Tradition bretonne : le savoir-vivre'' (1973) *''Légendes du Raz de Sein'' (1972) *''Ar men du; la pierre noire'' (poetry, 1974) *''Le cheval d'orgueuil, Mémoires d'un Breton du pays bigouden'' (autobiography, 1975) *''Tradition bretonne : logis et ménages'' (1975) *''Comment un Breton devint roi d'Angleterre'' (1976) *''Les autres et les miens: le trésor du Cheval d'orgueil'' (1977) *''Peziou-c'hoari Jakez Krohen'' (1977) *''Penaoz e teuas eur Breizad da veza roue Bro-Zaoz'' (1977) *''Le Grand valet, La Femme de paille, Le Tracteur - Théâtre I'' (1977) *''Lettres de Bretagne: langues, culture et civilisations bretonnes'' (1978) *''An tremen-buhez; le passe-vie'' (poetry, 1979) *''La sagesse de la terre'' (1980) *''Quimper en Cornouaille'' (1980) *''Au pays du Cheval d'orgueil'' (1980) *''Piou e-neus lazet an hini koz?'' (1981) *''L'esprit du rivage'' (1981) *''L'herbe d'or'' (novel, 1982) *''Images de Bretagne'' (1983) *''La colline des solitudes'' (novel, 1984) *''Les contes du vrai et du semblant'' (1984) * (Breton autobiography, 1986) *''Dictionnaire . Breton-français, français-'' (1986) *''Bugale Berlobi I - Brud an Dreued'' (1987) *''Lisbonne'' (1987) *''Bugale Berlobi II - Marvaillou da veva en ho sav'' (1988) *''Vent de soleil'' (1988) *''Midi à ma porte'' (1988) *''Amsked. Pobl an noz; Clair-obscur. Le peuple de la nuit'' (1990) *''Le quêteur de mémoire: quarante ans de recherche sur les mythes et la civilisation bretonne'' (1990) *''La nuit singulière'' (1990) *''D'un autre monde; A-berz eur bed all (poetry, 1991) *''Katrina Lenn-zu'' (1993) *''Le diable à quatre'' (novel, 1993) *''Le piéton de Quimper'' (1993) *''Ruz-Kov ar foeterez-vro: gand seiteg tresadenn war pri-poaz gand Dodik'' (1996) *''Ventre-à-Terre, l'aventurier'' *''Un pays à deux langues'' (2000)

Life and work

In popular culture

Selected publications

Notes

Further reading