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THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



AT A PARDON IN CONCARNKAU Photo from Hu S h M - Smith 



The image of the patron saint is carried on a platform by women wearing white dresses and 



bonnets and beautiful lace shawls 



of the dances is the gavotte, which is 

 often participated in by several hundred 

 people and lasts for two hours or longer. 

 Music for the dances is always furnished 

 by a pair of artists, usually perched on 

 barrels, one playing a bagpipe, the other a 

 flageolet. 



THE PARDONS 



The other day a critical friend of mine 

 objected to calling Brittany "The Land 

 of the Sardine" because, as he said, sar- 

 dines do not live on land. This reminded 

 me that a Breton would undoubtedly 

 refer to his native country by another 

 name — he would call it by the expressive 

 and characteristic term of "The Land of 

 the Pardons." 



The significant name of pardons is 

 given to those religious fetes which are 



held on the day devoted to one of the 

 numerous saints in the district where is 

 centered the worship of that particular 

 holy personage. Some of the pardons 

 are very celebrated and are attended by 

 thousands of people, many coming from 

 long distances ; some are observed only in 

 a circumscribed district or parish, and 

 others are confined to the worshippers at 

 a particular chapel or shrine. Those who 

 participate in these fetes expect to receive 

 forgiveness for past sins and indulgence 

 for future ones. It is at the pardons 

 that the Bretons are always seen at their 

 best and frequently at their worst ; for 

 the deep religious feeling and solemn ex- 

 ercises are immediately followed by a 

 sharp reaction, and there is a general 

 yielding to the national vice of drunk- 

 enness. 



