Goursez Vreizh

Goursez Vreizh is the national gorsedd of Brittany. It often has delegates from the Welsh gorsedd and Gorsedh Kernow in Cornwall. The Breton organisation is itself based on the Welsh-based Gorsedd, which was founded by Iolo Morganwg in 1792.

History

Théodore Hersart de la Villemarqué was the first Breton to be made an initiate by the Gorsedd of Wales. He took the bardic name Hersart Kervarker. He created a "Fraternity of the Bards of Brittany" but this did not lead to the creation of a Gorsedd.

1838: La Villemarqué, Auguste Brizeux and Jean-François Le Gonidec are adopted as honorary members of the Cymdeithas Cymreigyddion y Fenny.
1843 : La Villemarqué founds the Breuriez-Breiz, whose activity is restricted to arts and linguistics, is founded.
1867: A small Welsh delegation goes to the international Celtic Congress.
August 16, 1898: The Breton Regionalist Union is founded.
1899: A Breton delegation of twenty people is received at the Gorsedd of Wales in order to constitute the core of a Breton group. The Breton guests are made ovates, but not fully initiated. This year is regarded as the founding year of the Goursez.
September 1, 1900: The new constitutive assembly meets in an inn at Guingamp. Jean Le Fustec becomes the first Grand Druid of the "Gorsedd of Lesser Britain".
November 23, 1908: The Gorsedd Barzed Gourenez Breiz Izel is officially proclaimed.
1936: A split in the Goursez causes the formation of the explicitly neo-pagan Kredenn Geltiek Hollvedel.