Anthology of Breton ballads published

The British Academy has published a new anthology of ballads from Brittany, presented for the first time in the original Breton with English translation.

Miracles and Murders: An Introductory Anthology of Breton Ballads is the work of former British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow Mary-Ann Constantine and British Academy Newton International Fellow Éva Guillorel.

It was launched this week with an event in Aberystwyth.

Collected in Western Brittany from the nineteenth century to the present-day, the Breton ballad or gwerz tells dramatic stories based on local events or legends: shipwrecks, abductions, accidents, murders and miracles.

An accompanying CD showcases some of the most famous Breton traditional singers.

The book is part of the British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship monograph series and is published by Oxford University Press.