This book is based in large part on fieldwork that I conducted in
Brittany and Wales in 1983 and 1985. I am thankful for a Fulbright Award
for Research in Western Europe and a Faculty Development Award from the
University of North Carolina that funded that fieldwork. lowe a less
tangible, but no less real, debt to Steve Anderson, G. M. Awbery, Steve
Harlow and Jim McCloskey whose work initially sparked my interest, and
led me to undertake this project. I want to thank Joe Emonds and Alec
Marantz who read portions of Chapter 3 and 5. I am particularly grateful
though to Kathleen Flanagan, Frank Heny and two anonymous referees who
read a dyslexic and schizophrenic manuscript, providing me with
criticisms that improved this final version considerably. The Welsh
nationalist community in Aberstwyth and its Breton coun- terpart in
Quimper helped make the time I spent in Wales and Brittany productive. I
am indebted to Thomas Davies, Partick Favreau, Lukian Kergoat, Sue Rhys,
John Williams and Beatrice among others for sharing their knowledge of
their languages with me. Catrin Davies and Martial Menard were
especially patient and helpful. Without their assistance this work would
have been infinitely poorer. I am hopeful that this book will help
stimulate more interest in the Celtic languages and culture, and assist,
even in a small way, those in Wales and Brittany who struggle to keep
their language and culture strong.
