‍Release of "Popular Songs of Oral Tradition in the Breton Language" by Patrick Malrieu

‍Dastum has published the twelfth volume of the Oral Heritage of Brittany collection, La Chanson Populaire de Tradition Orale en Langue Bretonne. Based on author Patrick Malrieu's 1998 thesis, it is the first catalog of popular songs of oral tradition in the Breton language. Co-published by Dastum and the Rennes University Press, "Popular Songs of Oral Tradition in the Breton Language: A Contribution to the Establishment of a Catalog" by Patrick Malrieu will be officially released on Saturday, September 13th 2025 at 3 p.m. at Ti ar Vro Guingamp. 

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‍About the book 

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‍The analysis of 5,000 songs, taken from more than 300 works, books, journals, and manuscripts, allowed the author to identify nearly 1,700 song types. Each is summarized in French, accompanied by explanatory notes and insights provided by collectors and researchers from different periods. The book proposes a method for analyzing, describing, and classifying the corpus using multiple entries to facilitate access to the collections, particularly for non-specialists in the subject who wish to better understand the repertoire and compare versions. 

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‍To clarify the approach that guided the selection of songs for the collection, an extensive introduction addresses the notions of popular and traditional in the specific context of Lower Brittany and situates the song in its social context, both past and contemporary. Examples demonstrate the vibrant nature of the process of transmitting traditional oral songs in Brittany. After his first submission in 1998, Patrick Malrieu, until his death in 2019, continued to improve this catalog, with the help of a few enthusiasts, particularly Didier Bécam, who continues this work today at www.kan.bzh. This book presents a revised and corrected version. 

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‍The Author 

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‍Patrick Malrieu's (1945-2019) passion for Brittany and its culture began in childhood and would permeate his life. From the early 1960s, he began collecting traditional Breton music and songs and, with other enthusiasts, founded the Dastum association in 1972, of which he was president for 23 years. In 1998, he defended his doctoral thesis in Celtic studies at the University of Rennes 2, from which this work is based. Decorated with the ‘collier de l’Hermine’ in 1999 for his work in support of Breton culture, he chaired the Cultural Council of Brittany from 2003 to 2009, then, from 2011 until his death in 2019, the Cultural Institute of Brittany.

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‍- Fañch