Jèrriais literature

Jèrriais literature is literature in Jèrriais, the Norman dialect of Jersey in the Channel Islands.

The literary tradition in Jersey is traced back to Wace, the 12th century Jersey-born poet, although there is little surviving literature in Jèrriais dating to before the introduction of the first printing press in Jersey in the 1780s. The first printed Jèrriais appears in the first newspapers at the end of the 18th century, and the earliest identified dated example of printed poetry is a fragment by Matchi L’Gé (Matthew Le Geyt 1777–1849) dated 1795.

19th century

An astonishing boom in competing newspapers and journals throughout the 19th century provided a platform for poets and writers to publish regularly in the feuilletons - typically, satirical comment on the week's news, elections, politicians and notables. Annual almanacs (up until 1958) reprinted favourite poems and stories that had appeared throughout the year, or specially composed pieces.

The copious Dgèrnésiais poetry published in Guernsey by George Métivier (nicknamed the "Guernsey Burns") from around 1818 inspired similar literary activity in Jersey. The international interest in Robert Burns's Scots poetry provided the background to a conscious effort by Channel Island writers to promote vernacular literature.

Matthew Le Geyt (1777–1849) was the first poet to publish in Jèrriais following the introduction of printing. The earliest dated piece of his writing comes from 1795. He was from St Helier but he must have lived in Trinity as well where he was a Vingtenier. It is suggested that Le Geyt was influenced by the Norman language ''purin'' literature of Rouen.

Satirical playlets were published in newspapers in the 19th century. ''Élection de St. Martin'', a playlet in Jèrriais and French published in the newspaper ''Le Constitutionnel'' on 24 November 1838, was probably never staged, but rather read in company. Henri Luce Manuel's play in rhyming couplets ''Queur de Femme'' (in modern spelling: ''Tchoeu d'Femme'' - "heart of a woman") of 1861 was published in pamphlet form.

The first printed anthology of Jèrriais poetry, ''Rimes Jersiaises'', was published in 1865 by Abraham Mourant. It collected works by Matthew Le Geyt, "Laelius" (Sir Robert Pipon Marett 1820 - 1884, Bailiff of Jersey 1880 - 1884), "L." ( Henri Luce Manuel), Esther Le Hardy, and "L'Anmîn Flip" ( Philippe Asplet). Some Dgèrnésiais is also included in the form of mutual tributes in verse between Laelius and George Métivier. This anthology enjoyed great popularity in continental Normandy. It included dramatic duologues, which may have been performed at traditional ''veil'yes'' (social neighbourhood gatherings) or read as closet dramas.

Sir Robert Pipon Marett's prestige and influence also helped to reinforce the movement towards standardisation of the writing system based on French orthography, a trend which was also helped by the nascent Norman literary revival in the neighbouring Cotentin area of mainland Normandy where writers, inspired by the example of the Norman writers of Jersey and Guernsey, began their own production of literary works.

François-Victor Hugo reproduced an extract from Laelius's "La Fille Malade" in his "''La Normandie inconnue''", which spread awareness of Jèrriais literature far beyond Jersey but which overstated Laelius's literary influence in Jersey since Sir Robert Pipon Marett's literary production dwindled as he took on high office. Laelius is the most quoted poet from this period and the most popular in mainland Normandy, most probably because of his familiarity with and fidelity to French classical models, as well as the fact that his writing is generally less satirical than his contemporaries and therefore requires less knowledge of Jersey institutions, events and personalities.

Other influential writers include "A.A.L.G." ( Augustus Asplet Le Gros 1840 - 1877) and "St.-Luorenchais" ( Philippe Langlois 1817 - 1884).

Le Gros was among the first generation to be educated at Victoria College, the school founded by the States of Jersey on the model of English public schools. Although he trained for the law, he became a farmer by profession, and moved into politics, being elected Constable of St. Peter and eventually Jurat. He was a founder of the Société Jersiaise. He wrote poetry in English, two volumes of which were published in London in 1863 and 1868, but was most devoted to poetry in Jèrriais. He edited an annual literary anthology called "''La Nouvelle Année''", dedicated to the Norman literature of Jersey and Guernsey, between 1868 and 1875.

Philippe Langlois came from a St. Lawrence family, hence his pen name. He studied medicine in Paris and Dublin, qualifying as a doctor. He served as Deputy in the States of Jersey and on 27 June 1876 he was elected Jurat. He was president of La Société Jersiaise, and started work on a dictionary of Jèrriais - in the ''Glossaire du Patois Jersiais'' published by the Société in 1924 and based partly on Langlois' lexicographic foundations, his poem ''Lé Jèrriais'' was reprinted (from ''La Nouvelle Année'' of 1875) as a frontispiece. This poem describes features of the various dialects of the language around the Island.

Philippe Asplet (1818–1893) wrote under the name of ''Flip'' or ''L'Anmin Flippe''. He was a Trinity man, although he was born in St. Martin and died in Grouville. His spelling shows the typical ''z'' instead of ''th'' that was typical of the now-disappeared Faldouet dialect. He was a Centenier and often wrote verses on parish elections. His work appeared in the satirical newspaper ''La Voix des Îles'', frequently as captions to caricatures. He was a supporter of Victor Hugo and the French proscrits, and attacked the decision to force Hugo to leave Jersey. The Lieutenant-Governor tried to force Asplet to resign as Centenier because of his links with the proscrits, but L'Anmin Flippe refused and made public the correspondence. He spent a number of years in Paris and was clearly influenced by French poetry.

Jean Sullivan (or John Sullivan, 1813–1899) wrote under the pen-names ''Oméga'' or ''J.S.'' and is the only author known to have claimed to write in the now-disappeared St. Helier dialect, although his spelling is so idiosyncratic that it is difficult to identify which features might be typical of that dialect and which represented his personal fancies. Victor Hugo described him as "un vrai Poëte" (a true poet), although his highly coloured style full of classical allusions and antiquarianism mean that his popularity is restricted nowadays. He was a devoted monarchist, writing many poems on royal subjects, and in 1884 received permission from Buckingham Palace to translate Queen Victoria's ''More leaves from the Highlands'' into Jèrriais. This project, like many others announced by Sullivan, remained unpublished or unfinished.

Esther Le Hardy's three-act play in rhyming couplets ''L'Enchorchelai, ou les très Paires'' (in modern spelling: ''L'Enchorchélé, ou les Trais Paithes'' - "The Bewitched, or the Three Pears") was published in 1880.

Into the 20th century

The de Faye sisters, Mathilda (born 1846, who wrote under the pen name ''Georgie'') and Alice (1849–1925, who wrote under the pen name ''Livonia''), wrote mostly about the social scene, with an interest in fashion, novelties and social events.

Philippe Le Sueur Mourant (1848–1918) wrote under several pseudonyms. His first great success was with the character ''Bram Bilo'', a self-important but naïve countryside notable. Having eventually killed off his best-known character, in 1911 he launched, under the name of ''Piteur Pain'', a new series of articles in newspapers relating the adventures and opinions of the Pain family, newly moved to Saint Helier and its anglicized society and fashionable entertainments. The Bram Bilo stories remained more popular, being reprinted a number of times since. They were also translated into Dgèrnésiais by Thomas Grut in the 1920s and published in ''La Gazette de Guernesey''. It has also been suggested that the ''Bram Bilo'' stories influenced the writing of the Orne

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