illustration from L’Histoire de Notre Bretagne, 1922 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
As an amendment to my previous post, Gregory of Tours (538–594) mentions the Bretons several times in his Historia Francorum.
I came across this while researching for the next post and was at first mortified. How can I say of writers who get the facts wrong, and then on my very first post for crimsons history I do exactly the same thing.
But, in taking a step back and applying perspective, I see this as a perfect example of what I’ve been saying. I had blindly followed the author of a book, several years old, on the History of Brittany. See, we writers need to check back to source.
So here is the source: Historia Francorum Book II
18.
Now Childeric fought at Orleans and Odoacer came with the Saxons to Angers. At that time a great plague destroyed the people. Egidius died and left a son, Syagrius by name. On his death Odoacer received hostages from Angers and other places. The Britanni were driven from Bourges by the Goths, and many were slain at the village of Déols. Count Paul with the Romans and Franks made war on the Goths and took booty. When Odoacer came to Angers, king Childeric came on the following day, and slew count Paul, and took the city. In a great fire on that day the house of the bishop was burned.
And for those who want it in the orginal Latin, here it is from the Latin Library:
18. Quod Childericus Aurilianus et Andecavo venit Odovacrius.
Igitur Childericus Aurilianis pugnas egit, Adovacrius vero cum Saxonibus Andecavo venit. Magna tunc lues populum devastavit. Mortuus est autem Egidius et reliquit filium Syagrium nomine. Quo defuncto, Adovacrius de Andecavo vel aliis locis obsedes accepit. Brittani de Bituricas a Gothis expulsi sunt, multis apud Dolensim vicum peremptis. Paulos vero comes cum Romanis ac Francis Gothis bella intulit et praedas egit. Veniente vero Adovacrio Andecavus, Childericus rex sequenti die advenit, interemptoque Paulo comite, civitatem obtinuit. Magnum ea die incendio domus aeclesiae concremata est.
And more in Book IV:
4.
Chanao, count of the Bretons, killed three of his brothers He wished to kill Macliavus also, and seized him and kept him in prison loaded with chains. But he was freed from death by Felix, bishop of Nantes. After this he swore he would be faithful to his brother, but from some reason or other he became inclined to break his oath. Chanao was aware of this and began to attack him again and when Macliavus saw that he could not escape, he fled to another count of that district, Chonomor by name. When Chonomor learned that Macliavus’ pursuers were near at hand, he hid him in a box underground and heaped a mound over it in the regular way leaving a small airhole so that he could breathe And when his pursuers came, they said: ” Behold here lies Macliavus dead and buried.” On hearing this they were glad and drank on his tomb and reported to his brother that he was dead And his brother took the whole of his kingdom. For since Clovis’s death the Bretons have always been under the dominion of the Franks and [their rulers have been called counts, not kings Macliavus rose from underground and went to the city of Vannes and there received the tonsure and was ordained bishop. But when Chanao died he left the priesthood, let his hair grow long, and took back not only his brother’s kingdom but also the wife whom he had abandoned when he became a priest. However he was excommunicated by the bishops. What his end was I shall describe later. Now bishop Baudinus died in the sixth year of his episco pate, and the abbot Gunthar was appointed in his place, the seventeenth after the passing of the blessed Martin.
And again in Latin, from the Latin Library:
4. De Brinctanorum comitibus.
Chanao quoque Brittanorum comes tres fratres suos interfecit. Volens autem adhuc Macliavum interfecere, conpraehensum atque catenis oneratum in carcere retinebat. Qui per Filicem Namneticum episcopum a morte liberatus est. Post haec iuravit fratri suo, ut ei fidelis esset; sed nescio quo casu sacramentum inrumpere voluit. Quod Chanao sentiens, iterum eum persequebatur. At ille, cum se evadere non posse videret, post alium comitem regiones illius fugit, nomen Chonomorem. His cum sentiret persecutores eius adpropinquare, sub terra eum in loculo abscondit, conponens desuper ex more tumulum parvumque ei spiraculum reservans, unde alitum resumere possit. Advenientibus autem persecutoribus eius, dixerunt: ‘Ecce! hic Macliavus mortuos atque sepultus iacet’. Quod illi audientes atque gaudentes et super tumulum illum bibentes, renuntiaverunt fratri, eum mortuum esse. Quod ille audiens, regnum eius integrum accepit. Nam semper Brittani sub Francorum potestatem post obitum regis Chlodovechi fuerunt, et comites, non regis appellati sunt. Macliavus autem de sub terra consurgens, Veneticam urbem expetiit ibique tonsoratus et episcopus ordinatus est. Mortuo autem Chanaone, hic apostatavit, et dimissis capillis, uxorem, quam post clericatum reliquerat, cum regno fratris simul accepit, sed ab episcopis excommunicatus est. Cui qualis fuerit interitus, sequenter scribemus. Obiit autem Baudinus episcopus anno sexto episcopatus sui. In cuius loco Guntharius abba subrogatur, XVII. post transitum sancti Martini.
There are several more mentions of the Bretons, but the point is made. At least by late 6th century the former Roman province of Armorica was known as Brittany. And I apologise for saying the name wasn’t applied until later.
crimsons history 