Brandenburg, city, Brandenburg Land (state), eastern Germany. The city lies on both banks of the Havel River, west of Berlin. It was founded as Branibor (Brennabor, or Brennaburg) by the West Slavic Havelli tribe and was captured by the German king Henry I the Fowler in 928. A bishopric was first

Christopher Brennan was a poet and scholar whose highly personal verse never was popular with the Australian public but was highly regarded by critics for its vitality and sincerity. For many years much of his work was virtually unobtainable, having originally been produced in small editions or

Christopher Brennan was a poet and scholar whose highly personal verse never was popular with the Australian public but was highly regarded by critics for its vitality and sincerity. For many years much of his work was virtually unobtainable, having originally been produced in small editions or

mutual assured destruction: The evolution of mutual assured destruction (MAD): Military analyst Donald Brennan argued that attempting to preserve an indefinite stalemate did little to secure U.S. defense interests in the long term and that the reality of U.S. and Soviet planning reflected continued efforts by each superpower to gain a clear nuclear advantage over the other.…

John Brennan is an American intelligence officer who served as director (2013–17) of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). He was the first individual to rise through the ranks of the agency to become its director since Robert M. Gates did so in the early 1990s. Brennan was the son of Irish

John Brennan is an American intelligence officer who served as director (2013–17) of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). He was the first individual to rise through the ranks of the agency to become its director since Robert M. Gates did so in the early 1990s. Brennan was the son of Irish

bankruptcy fraud: Bust-out schemes: …States involved the activities of Robert Brennan. Brennan was suspected of numerous financial crimes but was eventually convicted of bankruptcy fraud. During the mid-1990s, Brennan became involved in a scheme where it became apparent that he was going to owe the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approximately $75,000,000. To avoid…

Jack Conroy was a leftist American writer best known for his contributions to “proletarian literature,” fiction and nonfiction about the life of American workers during the early decades of the 20th century. Conroy, who was born in a coal camp, was a migratory worker in the 1920s. He first became

Walter Brennan was an American character actor, best known for his portrayals of western sidekicks and lovable or irascible old codgers. He was the only performer to win three Academy Awards for best supporting actor. During his lifetime Brennan offered so many different versions of his early years

Walter Brennan was an American character actor, best known for his portrayals of western sidekicks and lovable or irascible old codgers. He was the only performer to win three Academy Awards for best supporting actor. During his lifetime Brennan offered so many different versions of his early years

William Brennan was an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (1956–90). Brennan was the son of William Joseph Brennan, an Irish immigrant who was a brewery worker and union organizer, and Agnes McDermott Brennan. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1928 and

Brenner Pass, mountain pass, one of the lowest (4,511 feet [1,375 meters]) and most important through the main chain of the Alps on the Austrian-Italian border. It separates the Ötztal and Zillertal Alps. Brenner Pass, open all year long, has been one of the main entrances to Italy from the north

electroless plating: Brenner and G.E. Riddell, electroless plating involves the deposition of such metals as copper, nickel, silver, gold, or palladium on the surface of a variety of materials by means of a reducing chemical bath. It is also used in mirroring, in which a clean surface…

Hebrew literature: Émigré and Palestinian literature: …of Uri Nissan Gnessin and Joseph Ḥayyim Brenner exemplified. The majority of writers active in Palestine before 1939 were born in the Diaspora (Jewish communities outside Palestine) and were concerned with the past. An exception was Yehuda Burla, who wrote about Jewish communities of Middle Eastern descent. The transition from…

Géza Csáth was a Hungarian short-story writer and music critic. He was a leading figure in the renaissance of Hungarian fiction at the beginning of the 20th century and, as a critic, one of the first to appreciate the work of Béla Bartók, Zoltán Kodály, and Igor Stravinsky. Csáth’s first published

Sydney Brenner was a South African-born biologist who, with John E. Sulston and H. Robert Horvitz, won the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 2002 for their discoveries about how genes regulate tissue and organ development via a key mechanism called programmed cell death, or apoptosis. After

Brenner Pass, mountain pass, one of the lowest (4,511 feet [1,375 meters]) and most important through the main chain of the Alps on the Austrian-Italian border. It separates the Ötztal and Zillertal Alps. Brenner Pass, open all year long, has been one of the main entrances to Italy from the north

Brenner Pass, mountain pass, one of the lowest (4,511 feet [1,375 meters]) and most important through the main chain of the Alps on the Austrian-Italian border. It separates the Ötztal and Zillertal Alps. Brenner Pass, open all year long, has been one of the main entrances to Italy from the north

Dietrich von Choltitz: …officers, he wrote a book, Brennt Paris? (1951), in which he defended his disobedience of a leader who, he felt, had gone mad. His book was the principal source for a best-selling popularization, Is Paris Burning? (1965), by Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre.

Brennus was a Celtic chieftain who, when another tribe had created chaos in Macedonia by killing its king, led his tribe on a plundering expedition through Macedonia into Greece (autumn 279 bc). Held up at the pass of Thermopylae, he drew off the Aetolian contingent by sending a detachment into

Brennus was the chief of the Senones, who in 390 or 387 bc annihilated a Roman army, occupied and plundered Rome, and exacted a heavy ransom before withdrawing. He is famous for his reputed saying, “Vae victis” (“Woe to the vanquished”). The name, which is not found in the best sources, may be

Brennus was a Gallic chieftain who led an unsuccessful invasion of Greece in the autumn of 279. He advanced through Macedonia to Greece shortly after another group of Gauls had overrun Macedonia and killed its king. At the narrow pass of Thermopylae, on the east coast of central Greece, Brennus

Brent, outer borough of London, England, on the northwestern perimeter of the metropolis. It is part of the historic county of Middlesex. Edgware Road, on the line of the Roman Watling Street, forms its eastern margin. The borough includes such areas as (roughly from north to south) Queensbury,

brant, (Branta bernicla), water bird that resembles small, short-necked forms of the Canada goose but is much darker and, though black-necked and black-headed, lacks white cheeks; instead it has a more or less extensive narrow white neck ring and is “bibbed” like the barnacle goose. It breeds in

Miles Franklin was an Australian author of historical fiction who wrote from feminist and nationalist perspectives. Franklin grew up in isolated bush regions of New South Wales that were much like the glum setting of her first novel, My Brilliant Career (1901; filmed 1980), with its discontented,

42nd Street: Cast:

Harriet Jacobs was an American abolitionist and autobiographer who crafted her own experiences into Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Written by Herself (1861), an eloquent and uncompromising slave narrative. Jacobs, who was born into enslavement, was taught to read at an early age. She was

Margaret Brent was a powerful British colonial landowner who, because of her remarkable business and legal acumen, has been called North America’s first feminist. Margaret Brent was the daughter of Richard Brent, Lord of Admington and Lark Stoke. Attracted by the promise of natural abundance in the

Bettina von Arnim was one of the outstanding figures of German Romanticism, memorable not only for her books but also for the personality they reflect. All of her writings, whatever their ostensible themes, are essentially self-portraits. Von Arnim was unconventional to the point of eccentricity;

Clemens Brentano was a poet, novelist, and dramatist, one of the founders of the Heidelberg Romantic school, the second phase of German Romanticism, which emphasized German folklore and history. Brentano’s mother, Maximiliane Brentano, was J.W. von Goethe’s friend in 1772–74, and Brentano’s sister,

Franz Brentano was a German philosopher generally regarded as the founder of act psychology, or intentionalism, which concerns itself with the acts of the mind rather than with the contents of the mind. He was a nephew of the poet Clemens Brentano. Brentano was ordained a Roman Catholic priest

Franz Brentano was a German philosopher generally regarded as the founder of act psychology, or intentionalism, which concerns itself with the acts of the mind rather than with the contents of the mind. He was a nephew of the poet Clemens Brentano. Brentano was ordained a Roman Catholic priest

Heinrich von Brentano was a German politician, founding member, and longtime parliamentary leader of the Christian Democratic Union who, as foreign minister of the Federal Republic of Germany (1955–61), pursued an anti-Communist policy. First entering politics in 1945, Brentano helped found the

Lujo Brentano was a German economist, associated with the historical school of economics, whose research linked modern trade unionism to the medieval guild system. Brentano received his Ph.D. in economics in 1867 from the University of Göttingen and was professor of political theory from 1871 to

Lujo Brentano was a German economist, associated with the historical school of economics, whose research linked modern trade unionism to the medieval guild system. Brentano received his Ph.D. in economics in 1867 from the University of Göttingen and was professor of political theory from 1871 to

Hounslow: In 1016 Brentford was the scene of a battle between the Danish king Canute (reigned in England 1016–35) and the forces of the English Edmund II (reigned 1016). In the late 13th century a bridge was built across the River Brent, and Brentford grew as a market…

Patrick Ruthven, earl of Forth was the supreme commander of the Royalist forces of Charles I during the early phases of the English Civil Wars. A descendant of the 1st Lord Ruthven (d. 1528) in a collateral line, he distinguished himself in the service of Sweden, which he entered about 1606. As a

primitive weevil, (family Brentidae), any of approximately 2,000 species of beetles related to the weevil family Curculionidae (insect order Coleoptera) that are predominantly tropical, although some species occur in temperate regions. The female uses her long, straight snout to bore holes in trees

Brentwood, town and borough (district), administrative and historic county of Essex, England, just outside the northeastern border of Greater London. The borough of Brentwood is to a considerable extent residential, with some light industry, but it extends into the farmlands of the Essex

Brentwood: Brentwood, town and borough (district), administrative and historic county of Essex, England, just outside the northeastern border of Greater London. The borough of Brentwood is to a considerable extent residential, with some light industry, but it extends into the farmlands of the Essex countryside and…

Johannes Brenz was a German Protestant Reformer, principal leader of the Reformation in Württemberg. He studied at Heidelberg and was ordained a priest in 1520, but by 1523 he had ceased to celebrate mass and had begun to speak in favour of the Reformation. Brenz supported the views of Martin

Tower of Hercules: …to the mythical Celtic chieftain Breogán, founder of Brigantium (the ancient name of A Coruña). From the top of his tower—known as the Farum Brigantium under Roman rule—his son Ith is said to have glimpsed Ireland on the horizon. Ith left to conquer Ireland, but the expedition ended with Ith…

blue butterfly: The pigmy blue (Brephidium exilis), the smallest blue, has a wingspan of less than 12 mm. The tailed blues (Cupido, sometimes Everes) have a tail-like extension on the hindwings.

Louis-Georges-Oudard-Feudrix de Bréquigny was a French scholar who carried out a major compilation of the annals of French history in England. Sent to search English archives at the end of the Seven Years’ War in 1763, Bréquigny returned with copies of 70,000 documents, largely bearing on the

Tar-Baby: …the doll is made by Brer Fox and placed in the roadside to even a score with his archenemy Brer Rabbit. Brer Rabbit speaks to the Tar-Baby, gets angry when it does not answer him, strikes it, and gets stuck. The more he strikes and kicks the figure, the more…

Brer Rabbit, trickster figure originating in African folklore and transmitted by African slaves to the New World, where it acquired attributes of similar native American tricksters (see trickster tale); Brer, or Brother, Rabbit was popularized in the United States in the stories of Joel Chandler

Pinacoteca di Brera, art museum in Milan, founded in 1809 by Napoleon I, and one of Italy’s largest art galleries. Its original collection was that of Milan’s Academy of Fine Arts, though its most important works were acquired later. The museum’s holdings consist mainly of Italian paintings from

Pinacoteca di Brera, art museum in Milan, founded in 1809 by Napoleon I, and one of Italy’s largest art galleries. Its original collection was that of Milan’s Academy of Fine Arts, though its most important works were acquired later. The museum’s holdings consist mainly of Italian paintings from

Pinacoteca di Brera: …gallery is housed in the Palazzo di Brera, an 18th-century Neoclassical structure that was originally built, from plans by Francesco Maria Ricchino, as a Jesuit college. The same building also houses the Academy of Fine Arts, founded in 1776, and the Braidense National Library, founded in 1770.

Pinacoteca di Brera, art museum in Milan, founded in 1809 by Napoleon I, and one of Italy’s largest art galleries. Its original collection was that of Milan’s Academy of Fine Arts, though its most important works were acquired later. The museum’s holdings consist mainly of Italian paintings from

Mag Tuired: Bres, the beautiful son of a goddess and a Fomoire king, was chosen to rule in Nuadu’s stead. Bres’s reign was not successful because of his lack of generosity and kingly qualities. Nuadu was given a functional human hand by Mirach (see Dian Cécht), and…

Belgic Confession: …in 37 articles written by Guido de Brès, a reformer in the southern Low Countries (now Belgium) and northern France. First printed in 1561 at Rouen, it was revised at a synod in Antwerp in 1566, was printed that same year in Geneva, and was subsequently translated into Dutch, German,…

Brescia, city, Lombardia (Lombardy) region, in the Alpine foothills of northern Italy at the lower end of the Val (valley) Trompia, east of Milan. It originated as a Celtic stronghold of the Cenomani that was occupied by the Romans c. 200 bce; the emperor Augustus founded a civil colony there in 27

ivory carving: Post-Classical Western carving: …the Common Era is the Brescia casket (4th century ce); this is a small casket bearing relief carvings of scenes from the Old and New Testaments. Several reliefs on diptychs and panels having Christian subjects date from this period, and indeed depictions of Christ, the Virgin Mary, and the Apostles…

Il Romanino was an Italian painter, leading artist of the Brescia school during the Renaissance. Romanino is believed to have spent his early years in Brescia, Trento, and Cremona. The masterpiece of his early career, his Madonna and Child with Saints (1513), reflects the influence of Venetian art

Il Romanino was an Italian painter, leading artist of the Brescia school during the Renaissance. Romanino is believed to have spent his early years in Brescia, Trento, and Cremona. The masterpiece of his early career, his Madonna and Child with Saints (1513), reflects the influence of Venetian art

Giovanni Girolamo Savoldo was a painter of the Brescian school whose style is marked by a quiet lyricism. Although his work was largely forgotten after his death, interest in Savoldo was revived in the 20th century and his work gained a place alongside that of other High Renaissance painters. The

Rodolphe Bresdin was an eccentric and visionary French engraver, lithographer, and etcher noted for his highly detailed and technically precise prints and drawings. Many of his works had elements of the fantastic, the exotic, or the macabre. He pioneered in lithography, producing such unusual works

Catherine Breshkovsky was a Russian revolutionary. After becoming involved with the Narodnik (or Populist) revolutionary group in the 1870s, she was arrested and exiled to Siberia. In 1901 she helped organize the Socialist Revolutionary Party, and her involvement again led to her arrest and exile

Romanian literature: After World War II: …took themes from folklore, and Marcel Breslaşu, a complex writer on a wide range of subjects.

World War I: The Turkish entry: …warships, the Goeben and the Breslau, in the Dardanelles on August 10 turned the scales in favour of Enver’s policy. The ships were ostensibly sold to Turkey, but they retained their German crews. The Turks began detaining British ships, and more anti-British provocations followed, both in the straits and on…

Wrocław, city, capital of Dolnośląskie województwo (province), southwestern Poland. It lies along the Oder River at its confluence with the Oława, Ślęza, Bystrzyca, and Widawa rivers. A large industrial center situated in Dolny Śląsk (Lower Silesia), Wrocław is the fourth largest city in Poland.

Austria: War of the Austrian Succession, 1740–48: …Silesia by the treaties of Breslau and Berlin in June and July 1742. She did so only to focus resistance on the French and Bavarians, who in late November 1741 had occupied Upper Austria and Bohemia, including the Bohemian capital, Prague. In the wake of these conquests by anti-Habsburg forces,…

Ferdinand Cohn: …was named lecturer at the University of Breslau. He became extraordinary professor there in 1859 and finally became ordinary professor of botany at the university in 1871. In 1866 he founded and in 1872 became the director of the Institute of Plant Physiology at the University of Breslau; this was…

mind reading: Philip Breslaw, the first magician of note to feature mind reading, played in 1781 at the Haymarket Theatre in London to appreciative audiences. In 1784 the Pinettis, a husband-and-wife team, advertised Mrs. Pinetti as able to guess the thoughts of the audience. In the 19th…

Jimmy Breslin was an American columnist and novelist who became known as a tough-talking voice of his native Queens, a working-class New York City borough, during his long newspaper career. Breslin started as a copyboy, then established himself as a sportswriter. His book about the 1962 New York

Jimmy Breslin was an American columnist and novelist who became known as a tough-talking voice of his native Queens, a working-class New York City borough, during his long newspaper career. Breslin started as a copyboy, then established himself as a sportswriter. His book about the 1962 New York

Bressanone, town, Trentino–Alto Adige region, northern Italy; it lies at the confluence of the Rienza (Rienz) and Isarco (Eisack) rivers, on the Brenner railway at an altitude of 1,834 ft (559 m), northeast of Bolzano. An episcopal see was transferred to Bressanone from Sabiona in 992. In the 11th

Bresse, natural region of eastern France, embracing parts of the Ain and Saône-et-Loire départements. It extends for 60 miles (100 km) from the Dombes region in the south to the Doubs River in the north, and for 20 miles (32 km) from the Jura in the east to the Saône River (west), toward which it

Rhône River: Physiography: ) A body of water, Lake Bresse, spread over the Saône basin. Into this lake drained a river—the present Rhine—which then flowed south through the valley and into the Saône basin. Later tectonic movements caused the Rhine to reverse its flow, and the Doubs, a tributary of the Saône, now…

Robert Bresson was a French writer-director who, despite his limited output, has been rightly celebrated as one of the cinema’s few authentic geniuses. Details of Bresson’s early years are sketchy, though it is known that he began painting in high school, where he excelled in languages and

Brest, city and administrative centre of Brest oblast (region), southwestern Belarus, on the right bank of the western Bug River. First mentioned in 1019 as Berestye, it passed to Lithuania in 1319 and later to Poland. In 1795 Russia acquired Brest, although it reverted to Poland from 1919 to 1939.

Brest, port city, Finistère département, Bretagne région, western France, on two hills divided by the Penfeld River. Its magnificent roadstead, the Rade de Brest, is 14 miles (23 km) long; it is protected from the sea by the Quélern Peninsula, and the Goulet Passage (about 1–2 miles wide [1.5–3

Brest, voblasts (province), southwestern Belarus, in the basin of the upper Pripet River and its tributaries. Centred on Brest city, it was formed in 1939 from areas held by Poland from 1919. Except in the north, where the land rises to the morainic hills of the Belarusian Ridge, the province is

biblical literature: Slavic versions: The “Brest Bible” of 1563, sponsored by Prince Radziwiłł, was a Protestant production made from the original languages. A version of this edition for the use of Socinians (Unitarians) was prepared by the Hebraist Szymon Budny (Nieswicz, 1570–82), and another revision, primarily executed by Daniel Mikołajewski…

Brest, city and administrative centre of Brest oblast (region), southwestern Belarus, on the right bank of the western Bug River. First mentioned in 1019 as Berestye, it passed to Lithuania in 1319 and later to Poland. In 1795 Russia acquired Brest, although it reverted to Poland from 1919 to 1939.

treaties of Brest-Litovsk, peace treaties signed at Brest-Litovsk (now in Belarus) by the Central Powers with the Ukrainian Republic (Feb. 9, 1918) and with Soviet Russia (March 3, 1918), which concluded hostilities between those countries during World War I. Peace negotiations, which the Soviet

Union of Brest-Litovsk, an agreement in 1596 that united with the Roman Catholic Church several million Ukrainian and Belorussian Orthodox Christians living under Polish rule in Lithuania. Inspired by the Council of Florence (1438–39), which sought the reunion of all Eastern churches with Rome, the

Brest, voblasts (province), southwestern Belarus, in the basin of the upper Pripet River and its tributaries. Centred on Brest city, it was formed in 1939 from areas held by Poland from 1919. Except in the north, where the land rises to the morainic hills of the Belarusian Ridge, the province is

Pierre II de Brézé was a trusted soldier and statesman of Charles VII of France. Brézé made his name in the Hundred Years’ War when in 1433 he joined with Yolande (the queen of Sicily), the Constable de Richemont, and others in chasing from power Charles VII’s minister, Georges de La Trémoille.

Bret Hanover, (foaled 1962), U.S. harness racehorse (Standardbred), selected as Harness Horse of the Year in each of his three racing seasons (1964–66). In 1971 the membership of the Hall of the Trotter named him outstanding pacer of the 20th century. In 68 starts he scored 62 victories (35

Icelandic literature: Translations from Latin: …Kings of Britain) and titled Breta sǫgur (“Stories of the Britons”). In one 14th-century manuscript this was preceded by the Trójumanna saga (“Story of the Trojans”), translated from a supposed eyewitness account of the Trojan War attributed to the Trojan priest Dares Phrygius. A Norwegian translation of the Bible was…

Brittany, région of France encompassing the northwestern départements of Ille-et-Vilaine, Morbihan, Côtes-d’Armor, and Finistère. Brittany is bounded by the régions of Basse-Normandie to the northeast and Pays de la Loire to the east. It protrudes westward into the Atlantic Ocean as a peninsula;

comic strip: Women and minorities: from minor characters to creators: …to women artists and writers, Claire Bretécher specializes in cruel, Feifferish (non)communication. Active since the early 1960s, she has appeared in the elite political magazine Le Nouvel Observateur since 1973. A number of other women, including the radically political Annie Goetzinger and Chantal Montellier in her strip Julie Bristol (begun…

Bretwalda, any of several Anglo-Saxon kings said to have had overlordship of kingdoms beyond their own. The word is used in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle in its account of the events of 829 and also in a charter of Aethelstan, king of the English, and probably means “ruler of the Britons” or “ruler of

William Keighley: …year Keighley also codirected (with Howard Bretherton) his first feature, The Match King. An effective fable for the Great Depression, it was based on the life of Swiss financier Ivar Kreuger. Another collaboration with Bretherton, Ladies They Talk About (1933), featured Barbara Stanwyck as a convicted bank robber sent to…

Brethren, group of Protestant churches that trace their origin to Schwarzenau, Hesse, where in 1708 a group of seven persons under the leadership of Alexander Mack (1679–1735) formed a brotherhood dedicated to following the commandments of Jesus Christ. The brotherhood was shaped by three

Brethren in Christ, Christian church in the United States and Canada. It developed among European settlers along the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania who came to America about 1750 and who were primarily Anabaptists and Pietists. Known for many years as River Brethren, the church was not

Ikhwān aṣ-Ṣafāʾ, (Arabic: Brethren of Purity), a secret Arab confraternity, founded at Basra, Iraq, that produced a philosophical and religious encyclopaedia, Rasāʾil ikhwān aṣ-ṣafāʾ wa khillān al-wafāʾ (“Epistles of the Brethren of Purity and Loyal Friends”), sometime in the second half of the

James De Mille: …young readers included the “B.O.W.C.” (“Brethren of the White Cross”) series, the first popular boys’ adventure stories produced in Canada. De Mille’s imagination ranged furthest in A Strange Manuscript Found in a Copper Cylinder (1888), a fantasy travel narrative that satirizes Western notions of progress through an account of…

Brethren, group of Protestant churches that trace their origin to Schwarzenau, Hesse, where in 1708 a group of seven persons under the leadership of Alexander Mack (1679–1735) formed a brotherhood dedicated to following the commandments of Jesus Christ. The brotherhood was shaped by three

Unitas Fratrum, (Latin: “Unity of Brethren”), Protestant religious group inspired by Hussite spiritual ideals in Bohemia in the mid-15th century. They followed a simple, humble life of nonviolence, using the Bible as their sole rule of faith. They denied transubstantiation but received the

Treaty of Brétigny, (1360) Treaty between England and France that ended the first phase of the Hundred Years’ War. Marking a serious setback for the French, the treaty was signed after Edward the Black Prince defeated and captured John II of France at the Battle of Poitiers (1356). The French ceded

Břetislav I was the prince of Bohemia from 1034 to 1055, who permanently attached the province of Moravia to Bohemia. Břetislav succeeded his father, Oldřich, to the Bohemian throne after a period of dynastic struggles. He proceeded to win back lands that earlier had been lost to Poland, regaining

Břetislav I was the prince of Bohemia from 1034 to 1055, who permanently attached the province of Moravia to Bohemia. Břetislav succeeded his father, Oldřich, to the Bohemian throne after a period of dynastic struggles. He proceeded to win back lands that earlier had been lost to Poland, regaining

Břetislav I was the prince of Bohemia from 1034 to 1055, who permanently attached the province of Moravia to Bohemia. Břetislav succeeded his father, Oldřich, to the Bohemian throne after a period of dynastic struggles. He proceeded to win back lands that earlier had been lost to Poland, regaining

France: The shrinking of the frontiers and peripheral areas: …cope with raids by the Bretons, who had established heavily populated settlements in the western part of the peninsula. To the southwest the Gascons, a highland people from the Pyrenees, had been driven northward by the Visigoths in 578 and settled in Novempopulana; in spite of several Frankish expeditions, this…

Manuel Bretón de los Herreros was a Spanish poet and one of the most important and prolific comic playwrights of the 19th century in Spain. Bretón began his education in Madrid, where his family moved in 1806, later serving in the army from 1812 to 1822. He held various governmental positions

Breton language, one of the six extant Celtic languages (the others being Cornish, Welsh, Irish, Scottish Gaelic, and Manx). Breton is spoken in Brittany in northwestern France. It shares with Welsh and Cornish an identical basic vocabulary and with all other Celtic languages the grammatical use of

Breton lay, poetic form so called because Breton professional storytellers supposedly recited similar poems, though none are extant. A short, rhymed romance recounting a love story, it includes supernatural elements, mythology transformed by medieval chivalry, and the Celtic idea of faerie, the