Culture of Guernsey
Encyclopedia
Guernsey
Guernsey, officially the Bailiwick of Guernsey is a British Crown dependency in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy.The Bailiwick, as a governing entity, embraces not only all 10 parishes on the Island of Guernsey, but also the islands of Herm, Jethou, Burhou, and Lihou and their islet...
which has been shaped by its indigenous Norman language
Norman language
Norman is a Romance language and one of the Oïl languages. Norman can be classified as one of the northern Oïl languages along with Picard and Walloon...
and traditions as well as French
Culture of France
The culture of France and of the French people has been shaped by geography, by profound historical events, and by foreign and internal forces and groups. France, and in particular Paris, has played an important role as a center of high culture and of decorative arts since the seventeenth...
(especially Norman) and British (especially English
Culture of England
The culture of England refers to the idiosyncratic cultural norms of England and the English people. Because of England's dominant position within the United Kingdom in terms of population, English culture is often difficult to differentiate from the culture of the United Kingdom as a whole...
) cultural influences, to which have been added cultural trends from immigrant communities such as the Portuguese
Culture of Portugal
The culture of Portugal is the result of a complex flow of different civilizations during the past Millennia. From prehistoric cultures, to its Pre-Roman civilizations , passing through its contacts with the Phoenician-Carthaginian world, the Roman period , the...
.
Symbols
The national animals of the island of Guernsey are the donkeyDonkey
The donkey or ass, Equus africanus asinus, is a domesticated member of the Equidae or horse family. The wild ancestor of the donkey is the African Wild Ass, E...
and the Guernsey cow
Guernsey cattle
The Guernsey is a breed of cattle used in dairy farming. It is fawn and white in colour, and is particularly renowned for the rich flavour of its milk, as well as its hardiness and docile disposition.-Milk:...
. The traditional explanation for the donkey (âne in French and Guernésiais) is the steepness of St Peter Port
St Peter Port
Saint Peter Port is the capital of Guernsey as well as the main port. The population in 2001 was 16,488. In Guernésiais and in French, historically the official language of Guernsey, the name of the town and its surrounding parish is St Pierre Port. The "port" distinguishes this parish from...
streets that necessitated beasts of burden for transport (in contrast to the flat terrain of the rival capital of Saint Helier
Saint Helier
Saint Helier is one of the twelve parishes of Jersey, the largest of the Channel Islands in the English Channel. St. Helier has a population of about 28,000, roughly 31.2% of the total population of Jersey, and is the capital of the Island . The urban area of the parish of St...
in Jersey
Jersey
Jersey, officially the Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. As well as the island of Jersey itself, the bailiwick includes two groups of small islands that are no longer permanently inhabited, the Minquiers and Écréhous, and the Pierres de Lecq and...
), although it is also used in reference to Guernsey inhabitants' stubbornness who boast that they are "stubborn as a mule, with a kick like a horse!"
The Guernsey cow is a more internationally famous icon of the island. As well as being prized for its rich creamy milk, which is claimed by some to hold health benefits over milk from other breedshttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/1268481.stm, Guernsey cattle are increasingly being raised for their beef, which has a distinctive flavour and rich yellow fat. Although the number of individual islanders raising these cattle for private supply has diminished significantly since the 1960s, Guernsey steers can still be occasionally seen grazing on L'Ancresse common.
There is also a breed of goat known as the Golden Guernsey, which is distinguished by its golden-coloured coat At the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the Golden Guernsey was almost extinct, due to interbreeding with other varieties on the island. The resurrection of this breed is largely credited to the work of a single woman, Miss Miriam Milbourne. Although no longer considered in a 'critical' status, the breed remains on the "Watch List" of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust
Rare Breeds Survival Trust
The Rare Breeds Survival Trust is a conservation charity, whose purpose is to secure the continued existence and viability of the United Kingdom’s native farm animal genetic resources...
http://www.rbst.org.uk/watch-list/goats/goldenguernsey.php
Guernsey people are traditionally nicknamed donkeys or ânes, especially by Jersey people (who in turn are nicknamed crapauds - toads). Inhabitants of each of the parishes of Guernsey
Parishes of Guernsey
The Bailiwick of Guernsey includes the island of Guernsey and other islands such as Alderney, Sark, Herm, Jethou, Brecqhou, and Lihou.-Parishes:The island of Guernsey is divided into ten parishes The Bailiwick of Guernsey includes the island of Guernsey and other islands such as Alderney, Sark,...
also have traditional nicknames, although these have generally dropped out of use among the English-speaking population.
The Guernsey Lily
Guernsey Lily
The Guernsey Lily is a South African plant with handsome lily-like flowers, naturalized on the island of Guernsey....
Nerine sarniensis (Sarnia is the traditional name of the island of Guernsey in Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
) is also used as a symbol of the island.
Sarnia Cherie
Sarnia Cherie
Sarnia Cherie is used as the anthem of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, one of the Channel Islands. 'Sarnia' is a traditional Latin name for the island, hence, the title translates as 'Guernsey Dear'. George Deighton wrote Sarnia Cherie in 1911, with Domenico Santangelo subsequently composing the tune...
is used as the anthem of Guernsey when a distinguishing anthem is required.
Liberation Day on 9 May is the occasion of large celebrations every year to mark the end of the German occupation in 1945.
Gastronomy
Dishes traditional in Guernsey cuisine are the Guernsey gâche, a rich fruit bread, gâche mêlaïe, apple pudding, bean jarGuernsey Bean Jar
Bean Jar is a local dish of the Channel Island of Guernsey. The traditional Guernsey Bean Jar has been around for centuries, and still proves popular today. It is a cassoulet-type bean dish.- History :...
, a type of cassoulet
Cassoulet
Cassoulet is a rich, slow-cooked bean stew or casserole originating in the south of France, containing meat , pork skin and white haricot beans....
of pork and beans, and conger soup.
A local delicacy is the ormer
ORMer
ORMer is a free, open-source object-relational mapping class written in PHP.- Features :The primary goal is to provide ORM functionality while keeping things easy on the developer. It makes no assumptions about table/field naming conventions and requires minimal configuration...
(Haliotis tuberculata) - a variety of abalone harvested from the beach at low spring tides. Other seafood such as spider crab
Spider crab
The term spider crab can refer to various species of crab in the family Majidae. See crab spider for spiders of the Thomisidae family.*Japanese spider crab , the largest living species of crab, found on the bottom of the Pacific Ocean*Libinia emarginata, the portly spider crab, a species of crab...
s, mussels, lobster are popular.
In July 2006 smoking in enclosed public places (including pubs and restaurants) was banned, a law put in place to protect workers' right to a healthy working environment.
Language
Norman language
Norman is a Romance language and one of the Oïl languages. Norman can be classified as one of the northern Oïl languages along with Picard and Walloon...
of the island, is currently spoken fluently by 2% of the population (according to 2001 census). However, 14% of the population claim some understanding of the language and it is taught in a few Island schools. Until the early twentieth century French was the only official language. Family and place names reflect this linguistic heritage. The island's loss of the language reflects a significant anglicisation of its culture and mindset, partly brought on by a large number of tax exile
Tax exile
A tax exile is one who chooses to leave a country with a high tax burden and instead to reside in a foreign nation or jurisdiction which takes a lower portion of earnings. Going into tax exile is a means of tax mitigation or avoidance.-Legal status:...
s from England. Portuguese is taught in a few schools and is spoken by around 2% of the population.
Literature
Victor Hugo
Victor-Marie Hugo was a Frenchpoet, playwright, novelist, essayist, visual artist, statesman, human rights activist and exponent of the Romantic movement in France....
wrote some of his best-known works while in exile in Guernsey, including Les Misérables
Les Misérables
Les Misérables , translated variously from the French as The Miserable Ones, The Wretched, The Poor Ones, The Wretched Poor, or The Victims), is an 1862 French novel by author Victor Hugo and is widely considered one of the greatest novels of the nineteenth century...
. His home in St Peter Port
St Peter Port
Saint Peter Port is the capital of Guernsey as well as the main port. The population in 2001 was 16,488. In Guernésiais and in French, historically the official language of Guernsey, the name of the town and its surrounding parish is St Pierre Port. The "port" distinguishes this parish from...
, Hauteville House, is now a museum administered by the city of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. In 1866, he published a novel set in the island, Travailleurs de la Mer (Toilers of the Sea
Toilers of the Sea
Toilers of the Sea , is a novel by Victor Hugo.The book is dedicated to the island of Guernsey, where Hugo spent 15 years in exile.The story concerns a Guernseyman named Gilliatt, a social outcast who falls in love with Deruchette, the niece of a local shipowner, Mess Lethierry...
), which he dedicated to the island of Guernsey.
The best-known novel by a Guernseyman is The Book of Ebenezer Le Page
The Book of Ebenezer Le Page
The Book of Ebenezer Le Page is a novel by Gerald Basil Edwards first published in United Kingdom by Hamish Hamilton in 1981, and in the United States by Alfred A. Knopf in the same year...
, by GB Edwards
Gerald Basil Edwards
Gerald Basil Edwards , was a British author.- Biography :Edwards is known for The Book of Ebenezer Le Page, which was published posthumously in 1981...
which, in addition to being a critically acclaimed work of literature, it also contains a wealth of insights into life in Guernsey during the twentieth century.
George Métivier
George Métivier
George Métivier was a Guernsey poet dubbed the "Guernsey Burns", and sometimes considered the island's national poet. He wrote in Guernésiais, which is the indigenous language of the island. Among his poetical works are Rimes Guernesiaises published in 1831...
, often considered the island's national poet, wrote in Guernésiais. Other important Guernésiais writers are Denys Corbet
Denys Corbet
Denys Corbet was a Channel Islands poet, Naïve painter, and school master. He was the second son of Pierre and Susanne who was born at La Turquie, Vale, Guernsey, Channel Island...
, Tam Lenfestey
Tam Lenfestey
-Works:* Le Chant des Fontaines...
, T. H. Mahy
Thomas Henry Mahy
Thomas Henry Mahy wrote Dires et Pensées du Courtil Poussin, a regular column in Guernésiais in La Gazette Officielle de Guernesey, from 1916. A collection was published in booklet form in 1922...
and Marjorie Ozanne
Marjorie Ozanne
Marjorie Ozanne wrote stories in Guernesiais, published in the Guernsey Evening Press between 1949 and 1965. Some earlier pieces can be found in La Gazette de Guernesey in the 1920s....
.
Sport
Guernsey participates in its own right in the Commonwealth GamesCommonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....
.
Guernsey participates in the Island Games
Island Games
The Island Games are an international multi-sports event organized by the International Island Games Association.- History :The Island Games began in 1985 as the Inter-Island Games, as part of the Isle of Man International Year of Sport, and were intended to be a one-off sporting celebration only...
, which it hosted in 2003. In sporting events in which Guernsey does not have international representation, when the British Home Nations
Home Nations
Home Nations is a collective term with one of two meanings depending on the context. Politically, it means the nations of the constituent countries of the United Kingdom...
are competing separately, islanders that do have high athletic skill may choose to compete for any of the Home Nations - there are, however, restrictions on subsequent transfers to represent another Home Nation. The football player Matt Le Tissier for example, tried out for the Scotland national football team
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
but ended up playing for England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
.
The island's traditional colour (e.g. for sporting events) is green
Green
Green is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 520–570 nanometres. In the subtractive color system, it is not a primary color, but is created out of a mixture of yellow and blue, or yellow and cyan; it is considered...
. The Corbet Football Field
The Corbet Field
The Corbet Field is a multi-use stadium in St Sampson, Guernsey. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home of Vale Recreation FC and serves as the home of the Guernsey national football team.-History:...
donated by Jurat
Jurat
Jurat is the name given to the clause at the foot of an affidavit showing when, where, and before whom the actual oath was sworn or affirmation was made....
Wilfred Corbet OBE in 1932 has fostered the sport greatly over the years. The annual Muratti
Muratti
The Muratti is the only annual men's football competition, inaugurated in 1905, between the Channel Islands of Guernsey, Jersey and Alderney, the prize for winning being a trophy called the Muratti Vase which is only relevant within the Islands. Both Matthew Le Tissier and Graeme Le Saux played in...
match between the Channel Islands gives an airing to the traditional rivalry between Guernsey and Jersey.
- Guernsey national football teamGuernsey national football teamThe Guernsey official football team is the official football team for the Bailiwick of Guernsey, which is not part of the United Kingdom but is a possession of the crown. They are not affiliated with FIFA or UEFA, and therefore cannot compete for the FIFA World Cup or UEFA European Football...
Guernsey has recently been declared an affiliate member by the International Cricket Council
International Cricket Council
The International Cricket Council is the international governing body of cricket. It was founded as the Imperial Cricket Conference in 1909 by representatives from England, Australia and South Africa, renamed the International Cricket Conference in 1965, and took up its current name in 1989.The...
(ICC).
Media
Guernsey together with the other Channel Islands
Channel Islands
The Channel Islands are an archipelago of British Crown Dependencies in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two separate bailiwicks: the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey...
has Channel Television
Channel Television
Channel Television is a British television station which has served as an Independent Television contractor to the Channel Islands since 1962. It is based in Jersey...
, an ITV regional franchise. A lot of the content of Channel TV is from/based on Jersey
Jersey
Jersey, officially the Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. As well as the island of Jersey itself, the bailiwick includes two groups of small islands that are no longer permanently inhabited, the Minquiers and Écréhous, and the Pierres de Lecq and...
. It produces a daily news programme Channel Report
Channel Report
Channel Report is the flagship news programme on ITV's Channel Islands regional station Channel Television, co-produced with the independent production company, Newsline. Channel Report airs every weeknight at 6pm, with all other bulletins branded as Channel News. Channel Report was first broadcast...
. From the point of view of television coverage, the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
has always treated the islands as an extension of their South West England region, relaying programmes from Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
to the islands. (The BBC does now broadcast an opt-out of the regional news bulletin, Spotlight, for the Channel Islands.) This posed a problem to the Independent Television Authority
Independent Television Authority
The Independent Television Authority was an agency created by the Television Act 1954 to supervise the creation of "Independent Television" , the first commercial television network in the United Kingdom...
as, constitutionally, the Television Act 1954
Television Act 1954
The Television Act 1954 was a British law which permitted the creation of the first commercial television network in the United Kingdom, ITV....
did not apply to the islands, so the ITA's ability to operate there had to be permitted by means of extending the Act to the islands by means of an Order in Council. Due to a technicality that prevented the Channel Islands from receiving colour television, Channel could only broadcast in black and white until 1976. However, Channel TV does not use a Channel Island website - http://www.channeltv.co.uk/ Due to the proximity to France, French television is fairly easily received as well.
The Guernsey Evening Press is the daily newspaper.
Music
The ReformationProtestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
brought Calvinism
Calvinism
Calvinism is a Protestant theological system and an approach to the Christian life...
to the islands and the later strong influence of Methodism
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
suppressed dancing and secular music. A number of traditional songs and dances have been recorded, and some gentrified dances were collected in the 19th century in Guernsey. "La Bébée" ("the Baby Polka" or "Klatschtanz") is a 19th century novelty dance which also remains popular with costumed folklore
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
groups in various parts of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. Some traditional folk songs such as Jean, Gros Jean and J'ai perdu ma faumme have survived. Groups such as La Guaine du Vouêt and Les Dànsaeurs dé L'Assembllaïe D'Guernésiais perform at events such as Lé Viaer Marchi.
According to Edith Carey (1903), the traditional chifournie had disappeared from Guernsey by the mid-nineteenth century.
John Ireland
John Ireland
John Ireland may refer to:* John Ireland , Anglican priest and philanthropist* John Ireland , American politician...
settled for a time in Guernsey.
Recently, Guernsey has hosted a live music event called Guernsey Live. This music festival has been one of the biggest events in the Channel Islands
Channel Islands
The Channel Islands are an archipelago of British Crown Dependencies in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two separate bailiwicks: the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey...
and sister festival of Jersey Live
Jersey Live
Jersey Live is an indie/dance music festival held annually at The Royal Jersey Showground in the parish of Trinity, Jersey. The festival has grown in popularity and size each year and has drawn interest from people outside the Channel Islands with overseas visitors making up approximately 25% of...
.
The Music Service in Guernsey is renowned for its high quality of teaching and the effects of this can be seen in the standard of performance of many young people in the island.