2005 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Comparative Folklore Studies in the Mixture of Folk Beliefs and Advocated Religions : Research and Analysis of the Beliefs of the Saints in Bretagne, France
| Project/Area Number |
15401038
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 海外学術 |
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| Research Field |
Cultural anthropology/Folklore
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| Research Institution | National Museum of Japanese History |
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Principal Investigator |
SHINTANI Takanori National Museum of Japanese History, Folklore and Folklife depart, Prof. (80259986)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
SEKIZAWA Mayumi National Museum of Japanese History, Associate Prof. (00311134)
MITSUHASHI Ken Kokugakuin Univ., Shinto Studies depart., Prof. (30104748)
HIGA Masao Okinawa Univ., Law and Economics depart., Prof. (10045198)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2003 – 2005
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| Keywords | Folk religion / saint veneration / the worship of sacred relic / the Pardon Festival / May pole / carnival / the saint-Eloi Festival / the faith in sainte-Anne |
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| Research Abstract |
This study focuses on the passing down of saint veneration and folk festivals in Brittany and Provence, two regions of France situated on opposite sides of the country. It examines carnivals held in February prior to Easter, the L'arbre de Mai, or Maypole festival held in May to herald the arrival of spring, and a summer festival, the Saint Eloi horse festival.
When A.V. Gennep investigated such festivals at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, Maypole festivals were held throughout the country. However, the author's research has found that today they survive in only in two towns, Locronan in Brittany and Cucuron in Provence. An interesting aspect of the history of this festival in Cucuron is that the veneration of the saints was added to the pre-existing folk custom of the Maypole. As for carnivals, while the urban festival held in Nice is well known, research revealed that carnivals such as the Belles and Ermits carnivals held on Ash Wednesday in February
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in the villages of Cheval Blanc are simpler in form. A distinctive feature of carnivals in Provence is the strong element of entertainment and the lack of elements related to saint veneration, as compared to the pious saint veneration found in Brittany by the author when conducting research under a previous Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research. This more recent research also revealed that summer festivals and folk customs associated with saints, such as the Pardon Festival in Brittany and the Saint Eloi horse festival, are distinctively distributed in specified areas. Sainte-Anne is considered the most important saint in Brittany and the religious festivals held in Sainte-Anne d'Auray, the spiritual capital of Brittany, are notable for their religious fervor. In contrast, festivals held in the town of Apt, the stronghold of Sainte-Anne veneration in Provence, are somewhat secular in form. This research has brought to light aspects concerning the relationship between such festivals containing old folk customs existing in present-day Brittany and Provence that are worthy of further investigation. Less
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