I have to look further to answer the question of Graham about the hunting
rights in Broceliande (Brechelient) forest. Ploermel was a "ducal city"
since long time before duke Jean II has founded there the Carmes' monastery : in
a chart given by Conan III (regnat 1112-1148), the Duke called the inhabitants
of Ploermel "his burghers" ("burgenses mei") and we have the name of
the ducal officer who was the warden of the castel at the same period
("Arsmel de Ploiarsmel").The proeminent and strategical position of Ploermel in
the middle of the Porhoet (Poutrocoet), which was a powerful "princedom"
covering something like 15 % of total Brittany, explains why this
small city has been choosen to be the seat of one of the 8 baillies of
Brittany during the Plantegenet administration.
At the end of the 13th century and at the beginning of the 14th, Ploermel
can be considered as a sort of political capitale of Brittany : in
1294, Duke Jean II asked Breton nobility meeting there, to list
all the knights who have to serve the ducal "ost" ; in 1309 and 1314, Dukes
Arthur II and Jean III summoned the "Etats de Bretagne" to meet in
Ploermel and both Jean II and Jean III have been buried in the
church of the local Carmes' monastery.
Graham's hypothesis, about the role played by the local traditions of
Broceliande, is very interesting : I remember that an Anglo-Saxon scholar (a
lady, but I have forgotten her name) made the demonstration that the medieval
novel "Artus de Bretaigne" could have been written around 1300, at the ducal
court ; and I ask : why not in Ploermel ?
ANDRE-YVES BOURGES
PS : Dukes of Brittany were either called "dux" or "comes", even by their
own secretaries.
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