Female archetypes in the Barzaz Breiz and the influence of Théodore Hersart de la Villemarqué’s editing on the portrayal of women

This paper identifies different types of female characters (young girl, daughter, sister, sweetheart, fiancée, wife, mother, stepmother, widow, female saint) featured in the Barzaz Breiz and the connected themes (religion, beauty, violence), examining patterns in characterization. Part Two of this paper includes three case studies of song texts from the Barzaz Breiz (Loiza hag Abalard, Ar Plac’h Dimezet Gand Satan, Ar Breur Mager), comparing them to different versions from other collections and discussing Théodore Hersart de la Villemarqué’s editorial practices and their influence on the portrayal of women.