Kerbargain

Kerbargain is the name of the small hamlet in which we live. I promised some time ago that I would provide more information about where I live. Given that I am going to market later, I thought that now was as good a time as any.

As with other languages part of the name can be seen in many names and has a recognised meaning. So if you think about English the suffixes ton and ham both mean an enclosed farm. Here it is the prefix that is the part of the name that is repeated. Interestingly Ker is from Breton not French and has a similar meaning to ham or ton. In Brittany there are two native languages that are spoken; Breton, which is found usually in Finisterre and Gallo is spoken in both Brittany and Normandy. Breton is considered to be similar to Welsh and I hear people saying that if you can speak Welsh then you can get by in Breton. There are a number of bi-lingual schools locally where children learn both French and Breton. These schools are called Diwan, which in Breton means seed. I think that that is a rather lovely description of children. 

So back to Kerbargain. It is a hamlet within the commune of La Feuillée. In France villages and the hamlets around them that are administratively responsible for them are known as communes. La Feuillée does not have a huge number of inhabitants however it is geographically quite large. The hamlet of Kerbargain is approximately 1 or 2 km from La Feuillée so we are relatively close to the village. The hamlet is thought to have not changed particularly since the early part of the 19th century. However we know that the main road has moved since then, probably in the 1960s when the nuclear power station was opened at Lac Mont St Michel. It was the first nuclear power station to open in France. It was decommissioned in 1985 and remains in use as a visitor centre which is used by schools and colleges to learn the processes of nuclear power. 

Our house is number 7 on this plan. It was originally stables. It would seem that there was accommodation for animals on the ground floor and for people on the 1st floor. The fireplace on the ground floor which houses our wood burning cooker, is a later addition and is not tied into the building. However the fireplace, which is in our bedroom, is original. 

There are numerous wells in the locality. They are not in use today, however many of the structures are still in place. In the centre of the small hamlet there are 3. I have included some photographs. 

The last thing to say about Kerbargain is that it is within the Monts D’Arrée. They are a mountain range and are the highest point in Brittany. There are 12 communes within the Monts D’Arrée and La Feuillée is the highest. It is considered to be a land of welcome and legends, home to the Korrigans. Hence our gite d’etape is Gite d’étape des Korrigans. 

Do let me know if there are other aspects of life here that you would like to know about. Until tomorrow.