» Sat Feb 19, 2011 10:17 am History of the Breton
The early ages
When the Nords first came to High Rock, the indigenous men of the province had already mixed with the elves enough to produce a race that was, apparently, highly elven-like, being indistinguishable from the elves to the other men. However, their language was either closely related to Nordic and influenced by their overlords, or some basic knowledge of Nordic was widespread in the east, enough for commoners to be able to speak the language, broken but similar enough for the Nords themselves to understand it.
According to popular belief, Bretons are a result of Elven lords mingling with proto-Breton slaves. If they were actually slaves is uncertain, this could merely mean that the proto-Bretons were subjects of Elves; alternatively, it’s still possible that the population was enslaved like the Ayleids did in Cyrodiil. However, when taking into account the human resistance during the Nordic invasion alongside the Elven troops, it would suggest that the Bretons were either a particularly passive race that easily submitted to slavery, or that it wasn’t slavery at all and instead an exaggeration on the Mannish historians’ part.
Portraying the Bretons as a submissive, passive race at first glance might appear to contradict the character of the race – one of fierce resistance to all and any attempts of outsiders influencing them. However, it isn’t implausible to look at this in a different light – the Bretons have been fractured for ages and their resistance seems to be directed at change. Passiveness and unwillingness to change are qualities usually attributed to the Elven races by Men. It is possible to theorize that the Bretons were Elven to such an extent that their overlords’ attitude towards change rubbed off on them, though it is hard to imagine a race that voluntarily chooses slavery instead of freedom, even if it meant serving under Nords.
It is also, however, possible to theorize that the Bretons – who were, after all, Elven enough at least in appearance to be confused with their masters by other Men – had been subjected to Elven propaganda over the ages the two races lived alongside one another and by the time of the invasion of the First Empire had come to view Nords as savage barbarians. It seems rather unlikely, though, considering that the Bretons then couldn’t have been all that different compared to their Nordic cousins, appearance aside, and were most likely more like them than the Elves even then.
It therefore seems prudent to return to the theory that Bretons were not slaves, but subjects. Weaving parts of the other theories into this might also paint a more complete picture – the Elven rulers might have also tried to play on the Bretons’ emerging sense of independence and opposition to others’ intrusion into their matters, although this would be a dangerous game as eventually these qualities would make the Bretons turn on the Elves themselves. It is entirely possible that, if these qualities of the Bretons were emerging, their rulers might’ve miscalculated and tried to use them for their own ends.
In the end, however, the Nordic Empire succeeded in penetrating deep into High Rock. This changed the political balance of power in the region for several hundred years and had far-reaching effects in not only political power, but also the ethnic make-up of High Rock. Previously, it seems likely that Bretons were not a majority – they either numbered close to the Elves or were even a minority. Their Elven-like appearance would not be possible without extensive inter-racial mingling, reaching far deeper into the society than merely some cases of Elven lords and human concubines. Breton-Elf marriages must have been rather common (undoubtedly between lowest class Elves and more privileged humans, or perhaps as a form of showing favour by Elven lords to their more deserving subjects), as well as the official version of concubines in Elven nobles’ households and a far less appealing theory to the Breton race – that humans, being considered second-rate citizens mostly (even if the men of High Rock might’ve been considered better than the Ayleid slaves, being much closer to the ‘civilized’ elves in appearance), would’ve made up the vast majority of prosttutes in the ancient High Rock society.
This situation must’ve changed greatly after the coming of the Nords. It seems very likely that many Nords would seek to establish themselves in High Rock, where there was not only the chance to win glory and recognition by fighting the remaining Direnni, but also much free land that was far more welcoming than the harsh nature of Skyrim. Military outposts set up by the Nordic Empire to support their raids and campaigns as well as secure their hold over the land must’ve formed the basis for later Bretic cities, as was the case with Daggerfall. Though Wayrest was established later – there is no mention of it in the Nordic censuses of High Rock – many modern-day cities probably have their roots in this period of history, for example Evermore, which is likely to have been a fortified supply depot for the Nordic armies marching west into the province’s interior. Such centres had a lot of pull when it comes to attracting populace, since passing armies offered a chance to turn a fair amount of profit for all those involved in the Nordic army structure which, while not as elaborate or effective as the Legions of the present days, penetrated quite deeply into the society of the northmen; echoes of that can be seen today in both Skyrim and its cousin, Colovia.
The fact that the Nordic census seems to register only small hamlets, most of which were founded by the Nords themselves during the conquest, makes the previous settlements of High Rock a mystery. It does seem likely that the Bretons were at least semi-nomadic during the Elven days. Elven settlements might’ve very well been razed to the ground where they could be reached by the conquering Nords. The fact that the Bretons strictly stuck to their tradition of cremating the dead makes it difficult to pinpoint any possible pre-Nordic settlements; it is further complicated by the fact that even if some Bretons were buried, they might’ve been used later by necromancers for their experiments, something that presents a problem to archaeologists everywhere.
Nomadic Bretons would not only answer the question posed by the lack of settlements, but also explain the affinity for horses that remains alive and well to this day even in the south west, the most cosmopolitan region of High Rock, where the famous Bretic warhorses are bred. It does, however, make it difficult to explain how the Elves could’ve had such a pronounced influence on Bretic looks, since the Nords would’ve had no reason to raze settlements populated at least partially by humans and it is difficult to imagine Bretons assimilating Elves, resulting in nomad Altmer.
The easy way out would be to stick to the afore-mentioned version of concubines and nobles, however the difficulties faced by completely believing this have already been explored to some extent. Instead, it seems likely that, while some Bretons might’ve been nomadic or semi-nomadic, like the horse-people of the Bjoulsae river (who were likely barely affected by the Elves and instead owe their appearance to later marriages between settled Bretic females and nomad males, either arranged as tribute, concubines gained through raids or attempts to entice the troublemakers to settle down by creating a hearth and home through marriage), many Bretons were settled, however lived in very small groups or even in solitude with only their family, spread out around the countryside or in tiny numbers in Elven cities, where they likely were further assimilated, perhaps to the point of being completely indistinguishable even to other Bretons.
However, while the Nordic conquest changed the ethnic make-up of the province irreversibly, it did not immediately result in the forming of native elite that could help the Nords rule or be independent rulers in their own right. This is made obvious by the Direnni reconquest several centuries later, when the Bretons once more fell into the role of subjects. Despite the Nords claiming to be liberators, the native humans probably had no part in the government of this part of the First Empire; they were, once again, considered inferior to their rulers, although it might not have been as obvious under the Nords as it likely was under the Elves. Their similarity to Elves must’ve resulted in quite a lot of suspicion from the Nordic officials, as well as reluctance to let them attempt to handle their own affairs. The Nordic colonists did, however, mingle extensively with the Bretons, as evident in the modern Breton, who is most likely more man-like than his ancestors (apart from some exceptions, such as the Reachmen).
It is unclear whether this mingling between the two races was an entirely natural process, or if it was encouraged to some extent by the First Empire itself. Unlike the Elves, who aimed only to rule over the Bretons and drew a strict line between themselves and the human subjects, Nords aimed to influence and possibly even assimilate the other races of Man found on Tamriel, while at the same time destroying the old Elven empires. While mistrustful of the Bretons to some extent, it is likely that the Nords exposed them to larger amounts of their culture than the Elves had, since the latter valued exclusivity and their society had a strict structure, while the former were staunchly anti-Elven in their pursuits and aimed to bring all races of Man and eventually the whole of Tamriel under a single banner. Unlike with the proto-Cyrodils and Alessia, who were rebelling against their Ayleid masters, the Nords must’ve seen the Bretons as a passive people; as explained before, this is considered an Elven quality and these new humans were, after all, called ‘Manmer’ by their second masters. It may be that the Bretons were seen as a material which could be moulded to serve the Nords’ ends.
Even with Elf-Breton marriages presumably not being something out of the ordinary, it seems likely that the Elves before the coming of the First Empire to High Rock were far stricter about their human subjects. Elves who married human wives were likely of a very low social standing and even then they likely married only women from richer Breton families (if there were any; the general wealth of Bretons is difficult to make out for this period), while the Bretic men who had Elven wives were likely trusted servants of the Elven lords, this being the greatest way to express how much the ruler valued that particular subject – his children would be more Elven than Breton, after all, so essentially going by the Elven mindset this would be fully granting his family the status of civilized beings. Though it is unlikely that Elves from half-Breton families ever rose high in society, nevertheless they had better chances than Bretons themselves. If this theory is true, this would make High Rock a very unique example of Man and Elf living alongside one another, undoubtedly made possible only by the similarities in appearance between Bretons and their overlords. While it may sound unlikely taking into account the strictness of Altmer when it comes to matters like these, one has to remember that this wasn’t Summerset and the Elves in High Rock were on the ‘outer rim’ of their civilisation much like with the Ayleids in Cyrodiil, so some differentiation between moral norms was probably present.
Nords would have probably taken a rather similar view to interracial marriages, however Bretons themselves likely had a better chance of achieving at least some recognition by their rulers, since the line between them and Nords wouldn’t have been as clear cut as between them and Elves previously. Most likely they were not, however, considered to be of pure human blood, so the Bretons were again in the position of the conqueror’s ‘little brother’. Nordic wives would probably marry into more prestigious Breton families quite often, perhaps as recognition of a Breton’s skill in arms, since this was always highly valued by the Nords. Bretic brides were probably taken by lower and middle class Nordic military settlers who received land as gift for military campaigns and could not afford to bring a Nordic wife all the way from Skyrim. This must’ve lead to a fair amount of cultural as well as racial mingling, signs of which can be seen in modern Bretons, in some families more than others. However, Bretons are a highly distinct culture, so the Nordic conquest is probably not where one should look for the cradle of modern Breton civilization; rather, this period serves as an introduction of Bretons to the world of Men. Their real entrance into it, on their own, would come later.
It is likely, then, that the modern Breton culture began forming after the Nordic conquest. However, considering that modern day High Rock is a world distinctly different to Skyrim or Summerset Isles, we can further pinpoint the break in the civilization, shifting from their earlier passive semi-nomadic spread out existence as subjects of other countries and towards a modern society, to have happened towards the second half of the Direnni Hegemony. Upon their return, the Direnni most likely found their old subjects to be quite different after the several centuries of Nordic rule, as well as more numerous and similar to their other Mannish cousins. Perhaps the shift during the start of the Hegemony wasn’t immense, however the rift between Elves and Bretons only grew, especially as the Direnni involved themselves in the wars against the Alessian Order and couldn’t afford to keep as close an eye on High Rock as before.
The Direnni Hegemony, in fact, was distinctly different from the previous Elven rulers. Instead of outnumbering or matching the Breton populace, the Elves now found themselves to be a minority. Settlements were beginning to grow around fortified centres where the populace could seek shelter during wars and the Bretons were, even with their returned Elven overlords, most likely building on the First Empire’s infrastructure rather than relying completely on the Direnni to provide protection and organize construction and settling in the province. This changed situation must have brought about a change in how the Elves ruled, I believe culminating in the appearance of those who were later, after the fall of the Hegemony, known as ‘witch-kings’. Similar men and women still exist in the more primitive Wrothgarian societies and the Reach, people who use magick to impress the uneducated masses, gaining and maintaining considerable influence.
Being a minority, the Direnni inevitably found themselves unable to fill every position that needed to be filled. Therefore, they had to have reliable allies among the Bretons who could help maintain the Hegemony. Thus, selected individuals or perhaps families were taught magick – which must’ve been very scarce among the Mannish races, or at least the Bretons, then – that guaranteed they were held in higher esteem by the commoners; in return, they would help the Direnni control these same commoners and fill lower positions of power, while the Elves themselves could keep ruling their empire from the top of the social triangle.
This laid down the foundation of the modern day Bretic nobility as we know it today. These ‘witch-kings’ could be compared to the Nibenese battlemage aristocrats, however the two groups’ origins are nearly opposite – one formed to aid the Cyrodils in their struggle against the Elves, the other was formed by Elves to aid them in controlling the human populace. At some later point in history, the witch-king split into two people – a mage and a king, as a response to the changing society of High Rock and the new role of nobility in it.
As cities and towns grew and new hamlets appeared, Bretons started assimilating the remnants of the Nordic administration. Despite an Elven reconquest, for some time after there were still quite a few Nords left in the province. Cities founded by the Nords became Bretic fairly soon after the political influence of the First Empire had faded, however; as the native humans of High Rock began awaking and creating their own culture, previous invaders and colonists cut off from their homeland were unable to resist it and became Bretons as well, resulting in some more Nordic Breton families. A similar process happened after the downfall of the Hegemony with the few remaining Elves, although in several places the fall was far more violent than in others, resulting in wiping out of pure-blooded Elves, although still leaving some Altmer blood in quite a few families, particularly among the Reachmen.
The downfall of the Direnni Hegemony was parallel with the rise of the Bretons. Though their subjects’ emerging distinct culture isn’t considered to be the main reason for the Hegemony’s fall – and it certainly wasn’t the only reason – it can be said with some certainty that sooner or later the Bretons would’ve overthrown the Elves, with or without the crippling victory the Direnni achieved in the war against the Alessians. This is made clear by the fact that when the Elves found themselves weak, it wasn’t Skyrim or any other external enemy that took advantage of this, but the local lords, who rebelled without coordinating their actions at roughly the same time. By then the Direnni were already making use of Bretic fortifications and cities instead of setting up their own (for example the base of operations in castle Daggerfall). Even though the Elves left their mark in Bretic society, whatever influence the remaining lords, Direnni or otherwise, had over their human subjects at the time of the reconquest was long gone.
Thus with the fall of the Hegemony concluded the centuries of foreign rule in High Rock; the long age of the Bretons would begin.
Bretons, for the win. I don't know much of Breton lore, but is this your own lore? I like it. 
