"Rapport sur une mission en Angleterre et dans le pays de Galles"
Name of traveller
J. Loth
Reason for travel
- study of Welsh language culture
Date of travel
July to October 1884
[L]e pays de Galles est la véritable citadelle du celtique et il est impossible de prévoir dans combien de temps l’anglais réussira à l’en déloger, si tant est qu’il y arrive. (Loth 556-557)
Content
- customs:
- religion has changed the national character of Wales
- description of bundling and how the custom has been stamped out by religion
- notes on superstitions despite the contemporary belief in Wales that they have been overcome
- a choir of peasants wins the Liverpool National Eisteddfod
- language:
- Welsh stands out from the other Celtic languages
- provides statistics of geographical disctribution and variation of the Welsh language
- unlike Breton, Welsh is not a minority language as it is spoken by the majority of the population
- notes on anti-Welsh attitudes of the Church, the translation of the Bible into Welsh, Methodism and Sunday schools
- use of Welsh language in primary schools
- points out that French belief in mutual intelligibility between Welsh and Breton speakers is a myth
- literature:
- notes on Welsh language literature, such as the Mabinogion
- likens Welsh poetry to music
- publication of Welsh books and politial newspapers doing well; Brittany lagging behind
- people:
- John Rh?s (1840-1915) supports the author in his research
- had intended to meet with William Robert Maurice Wynne (1840-1909) to inspect his collection of manuscripts
- click here to read the full account
Nationality of traveller
French
Language of publication
French
Gender of traveller
Male
Type of publication
report; study
Citation
Loth, J. "Rapport sur une mission en Angleterre et dans le pays de Galles." Archives des missions scientifiques et littéraires : choix de rapports et instructions publié sous les auspices du Ministère de l'instruction publique et des cultes 14 (1888): 553-65. Print.