Erwan Berthou (4 September 1861 – 30 January 1933) was a French and

Breton language Breton (, , ; or in Morbihan) is a Southwestern Brittonic language of the Celtic languages, Celtic language group spoken in Brittany, part of modern-day France. It is the only Celtic language still widely in use on the European mainland, albei ...

poet, writer and neo-Druidic bard. His name is also spelled Erwan Bertou and Yves Berthou. He was born in Pleubian,

Côtes-d'Armor The Côtes-d'Armor ( , ; ; , ), formerly known as Côtes-du-Nord until 1990 (, ), is a department in the north of Brittany, in northwestern France. In 2019, it had a population of 600,582.Tréguier, then at the college of Lannion. He worked as an engineer in

Le Havre Le Havre is a major port city in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy (administrative region), Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the right bank of the estuary of the Seine, river Seine on the English Channel, Channe ...

, later moving in 1892 to Rochefort. On 12 June 1892, he married Elisa Mézeray. He joined the Navy for five years. During his service he visited the Caribbean,

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

and

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

. Berthou returned to Le Havre in 1896. He then began contributing to the journals ''L'Hermine'' and ''Revue des provinces de l'Ouest''. In 1897, he published a magazine ''La Trêve de Dieu'' (The Truce of God), but it folded after a year. He continued to work as an engineer, especially in construction of settlements in 1898 in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

. In the following year was one of twenty-two Bretons who went to

Cardiff Cardiff (; ) is the capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of Wales. Cardiff had a population of in and forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area officially known as the City and County of Ca ...

to establish links with Welsh neo-Druidism, being received at the

Gorsedd Gorsedd Cymru (), or simply the Gorsedd (), is a society of Welsh-language poets, writers, musicians and others who have contributed to the Welsh language and to public life in Wales. Its aim is to honour such individuals and help develop and p ...

. He also joined the Union Régionaliste Bretonne, helping to create the Breton nationalist movement. He participated in all stages of the creation of the Gorsedd of Brittany, of which he was

Archdruid Archdruid () is the title used by the presiding official of Gorsedd Cymru, the Gorsedd. The Archdruid presides over the most important ceremonies at the National Eisteddfod of Wales including the Crowning of the Bard, the award of the and the C ...

from 1903 to 1933, using the bardic name Kaledvoulc'h. He occasionally participated in Emile Masson's journal ''Brug''. Much of his writing is imbued with

pantheist Pantheism can refer to a number of philosophical and religious beliefs, such as the belief that the universe is God, or panentheism, the belief in a non-corporeal divine intelligence or God out of which the universe arisesAnn Thomson; Bodies ...

ideas. In 1906 Berthou and Jean Le Fustec published ''Eur gir d'ar Varzed, Triades des druides de Bretagne'',''Triadon, Eur gir d’ar Varzed, Triades des duides de Bretagne'', Paris, Bib. de l'Occident, 1906), édition bilingue, Iann Ar Fustec et Yves Berthou. a translation into Breton of the 46 theological Triads of the neo-Bards, according to a text first published by Iolo Morganwg with his own Lyric Poems, then in the ''Barddas'' of J. William ab Ithel (1862). The collection, in fact a forgery by Morganwg, was claimed to have been a translation of works by

Llywelyn Siôn Llywelyn Siôn (1540 – c. 1616) was a Welsh language poet and bard. His instructors included Meurig Dafydd and Thomas Llewelyn. Around 1575, he is mentioned under the name Lewelyn John by Sir Edward Mansel in his ''History of the Norman Conque ...

detailing the history of the Welsh bardic system from its ancient origins to the present day. Based on these ideas Berthou also published ''Sous le chêne des druides'' (Under the Druids' Oak), which described a mystical history of human spiritual and cultural evolution culminating in the achievement of "pure whiteness". In 1918, he returned to live in Pleubian, to take over his parents' farm. He found it difficult to keep it solvent, and was reduced to great poverty a result of the inflation after the war. His last years were severely impoverished, leading to his wife's mental breakdown. Members of the Breton national movement organised financial assistance for him. The following is an obituary notice in the Western Mail & South Wales Newspaper, Monday, March 6, 1933

Writings

* ', premières poésies, 1892 * ''La Lande fleurie'', 1894 * ''Les Fontaines miraculeuses'', 1896 * ''Âmes simples'', dramatic poem, 1896 * ''La Semaine des Quatre Jeudis'', ballads, 1898 * ''Le Pays qui Parle'', poem, 1903. * ''Dre an dellen hag ar c'horn-boud. (By the harp and by the horn of war)''.

Saint-Brieuc Saint-Brieuc (, Breton language, Breton: ''Sant-Brieg'' , Gallo language, Gallo: ''Saent-Berioec'') is a city in the Côtes-d'Armor Departments of France, department in Brittany (administrative region), Brittany in northwestern France. History ...

/ Paris René Prud'homme & Moriz an Dault 1904 * ''Triades des Bardes de l’île de Bretagne'', 1906 * ''Istor Breiz'', 1910. * ''Kevrin Barzed Breiz'', treatise of Breton language versification, 1912. * ''Les Vessies pour des Lanternes'', tract, 1913. * ''Lemenik, skouer ar Varzed'', 1914. * ''Ivin ha Lore'', gwerziou, 1914. * ''Dernière Gerbe'', poems, 1914. * ''Avalou Stoup'', rimadellou, 1914. * ''Hostaliri Surat'', 1914. * ''Daouzek Abostol'', 1928. * ''Sous le chêne des druides'' P. Heugel Editeur 1931 * ''En Bro-Dreger a-dreuz parkoù (1910-1911)'', republished * ''Lemenik: skouer ar varzhed''. - Lesneven : " Hor yezh", 2001

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Berthou, Erwan 1861 births 1933 deaths People from Côtes-d'Armor Neo-druids Poets from Brittany Breton-language writers French male poets French modern pagans Modern pagan poets French male non-fiction writers