Last Updated: 22 February 2023

C'était Anne de Bretagne (also known as Anne de Bretagne or Les sabots d'Anne de Bretagne) is a traditional French song with lyrics dating from the 18th century.

The story of the song

From the end of the 19th century onwards, the expression "Anne de Bretagne, duchesse en sabots" (Anne of Brittany, duchess in clogs) became widespread, based on the nursery rhyme Les Sabots d'Anne de Bretagne.

French historian Didier Le Fur describes this song as a pastiche of En passant par la Lorraine. Both songs share similar elements:

  • clogs
  • three captains
  • a similar expression: mirlitontaine / dondaine.

This song appeared in 1880, thanks to Adolphe Orain who said he had collected it in the Ille-et-Vilaine département (around Rennes) and added a verse. 

The song was first popularised among children. It was then adopted by the participants of the Celtic banquets in Paris who sang it from 1884 onwards at the end of their meals. The song thus unofficially became the Marseillaise of the Bretons.

Who was Anne of Brittany?

Anne of Brittany (1477-1514) was the eldest daughter of the Duke of Brittany Francis II (1435-1488) and his second wife, the Princess of Navarre Marguerite de Foix (c. 1449-1486).

Young Anne of Brittany

Young Anne of Brittany

She was born in Nantes, in a room in the old dwelling of the castle of the Dukes of Brittany. According to the sources, her birth was on 25 or 26 January 1477.

Anne of Brittany's fate was linked to the policies of her parents, who were sovereigns of the Duchy of Brittany.

Portrait of Anne of Brittany

Portrait of Anne of Brittany

Who will marry Anne of Brittany?

François II promised his daughter to various French and foreign princes in order to obtain military and financial aid and to strengthen his position against the King of France.

The prospect of these princes joining the duchy to their domain thus enabled Duke Francis of Brittany to enter into several marriage negotiations and to form various secret alliances that accompanied the matrimonial project.

Anne of Brittany in Château de Beauregard

Anne of Brittany in Château de Beauregard

Anne becomes the focus of these rival ambitions, and her father, reassured by the signing of these alliances, can afford to refuse various marriage plans and contracts. These political calculations lead to Anne's betrothal to various European princes.

Through her marriages, she becomes successively :

  • Queen of the Romans (1490-1491)
  • Queen of France (from 1491 to 1498, and from 1499 to 1514)
  • Queen of Naples (1501-1503)
  • Duchess of Milan (1499-1500 and 1501-1512).

Was Anne of Brittany a duchess in clogs?

Historically, this image of a duchess in clogs has never been justified. Nor has it ever been presented as a historical truth. Historians have been questioning it since 1976. The expression, which was well known in France at the beginning of the 20th century, is still used today in some history books as well as in children's literature and on tourist brochures.

C'était Anne de Bretagne

Anne de Bretagne

The Union of France and Brittany

The union of Brittany and France was a political process that began in the late 1480s, culminating in the Edict of Union on 13 August 1532, which sealed the annexation of the Duchy of Brittany to the Kingdom of France.

This process continued until the French Revolution, which put an end to the autonomy of the province of Brittany by abolishing its Parliament.

The Union Lady of France and Brittany

The image that Anne of Brittany spreads of herself, through her commissions (portraits, stories), is that of a queen embodying the union between France and Brittany. 

Until Brittany was secured, she was called Queen of the Sure Alliance. She devoted herself, like all the queens of France, to her kingdom.

She appeared as a symbol of peace and union between Brittany and France, especially after her marriage to Louis XII, which earned her the nickname "Dame Union" (Union Lady) after her third marriage.

Anne's last days

Anne of Brittany died in the castle of Blois on 9 January 1514 at the age of 36. The queen is buried in the royal necropolis in the basilica of Saint-Denis. The double-storey mausoleum of Louis XII and Anne of Brittany, carved in Carrara marble, was not installed in the basilica of Saint-Denis until 1830.

C'était Anne de Bretagne

The death of Anne de Bretagne

Europe's grandmother

Through Claude of France, whose eldest daughter Marguerite married the Duke of Savoy, Anne of Brittany is the ancestor of Victor-Emmanuel of Savoy, the current pretender to the Italian throne.

Through her grandson Henry II, Anne is also the ancestor of Charles of Habsburg-Lorraine, the current pretender to the throne of Austria-Hungary.

C'était Anne de Bretagne

Lyrics, music, free download... let's learn more about the popular song:

C'était Anne de Bretagne

The lyrics in French

The original song of C'était Anne de Bretagne has 12 verses.

Couplet 1

C’était Anne de Bretagne, duchesse en sabots (bis)
Revenant de ses domaines en sabots, mirlitontaine,
Ah, Ah, Ah ! Vivent les sabots de bois !

Couplet 2

Revenant de ses domaines, duchesse en sabots (bis)
Entourée de châtelaines en sabots mirlitontaine,
Ah, Ah, Ah ! Vivent les sabots de bois !


Couplet 3

Entourée de châtelaines, avec ses sabots (bis)
Voilà qu’aux portes de Rennes en sabots, mirlitontaine,
Ah, Ah, Ah ! Vivent les sabots de bois !


Couplet 4

Voilà qu’aux portes de Rennes, duchesse en sabots (bis)
L’on vit trois beaux capitaines en sabots, mirlitontaine,
Ah, Ah, Ah ! Vivent les sabots de bois !


Couplet 5

L’on vit trois beaux capitaines, duchesse en sabots (bis)
Offrir à leur souveraine en sabots, mirlitontaine,
Ah, Ah, Ah ! Vive les sabots de bois !


Couplet 6

Offrir à leur souveraine, duchesse en sabots (bis)
Un joli pied de verveine en sabots, mirlitontaine,
Ah, Ah, Ah ! Vivent les sabots de bois !


Couplet 7

Un joli pied de verveine, duchesse en sabots (bis)
S’il fleurit, tu seras reine en sabots, mirlitontaine,
Ah, Ah, Ah ! Vivent les sabots de bois !


Couplet 8

S’il fleurit tu seras reine, duchesse en sabots (bis)
Elle a fleuri la verveine en sabots, mirlitontaine,
Ah, Ah, Ah ! Vivent les sabots de bois !


Couplet 9

Elle a fleuri la verveine, duchesse en sabots (bis)
Anne de Bretagn’ fut reine en sabots, mirlitontaine,
Ah, Ah, Ah ! Vivent les sabots de bois !


Couplet 10

Anne de Bretagn’ fut reine, duchesse en sabots (bis)
Les bretons sont dans la peine en sabots, mirlitontaine,
Ah, Ah, Ah ! Vivent les sabots de bois !


Couplet 11

Les Bretons sont dans la peine, duchesse en sabots (bis)
Ils n’ont plus de souveraine en sabots, mirlitontaine,
Ah, Ah, Ah ! Vivent les sabots de bois !


Couplet 12

Ils n'ont plus de souveraine, duchesse en sabot (bis)
En France ils suivront leur reine en sabots, mirlititontaine
Ah ! Ah ! Ah ! Vivent les sabots de bois !

Translation of the lyrics into English

Here is an approximative translation into English:

Verse 1

It was Anne of Brittany, duchess in clogs (bis)
Returning from her domains, with her clogs, mirlitontaine,
Ah, Ah, Ah! Long live the wooden clogs!


Verse 2

Returning from her domains, duchess in clogs (bis)
Surrounded by chatelaines, with her clogs, mirlitontaine,
Ah, Ah, Ah! Long live the wooden clogs!


Verse 3

Surrounded by chatelaines, duchess in clogs (bis)
Here at the gates of Rennes with her clogs, mirlitontaine,
Ah, Ah, Ah! Long live the wooden clogs!


Verse 4

Here at the gates of Rennes, duchess in clogs (bis)
We saw three beautiful captains with her clogs, mirlitontaine,
Ah, Ah, Ah! Long live the wooden clogs!


Verse 5

We saw three beautiful captains, duchess in clogs (bis)
To offer their sovereign, with her clogs, mirlitontaine,
Ah, Ah, Ah! Long live wooden clogs!


Verse 6

To offer to their sovereign, duchess in clogs (bis)
A pretty verbena stem, with her clogs, mirlitontaine,
Ah, Ah, Ah! Long live the wooden clogs!


Verse 7

A pretty verbena stem, duchess in clogs (bis)
If it blooms you'll be queen, with her clogs, mirlitontaine
Ah, Ah, Ah! Long live the wooden clogs!


Verse 8

If it blooms you will be queen, duchess in clogs (bis)
The verbena bloomed, with her clogs, mirlitontaine,
Ah, Ah, Ah! Long live the wooden clogs!


Verse 9

The verbena bloomed, duchess in clogs (bis)
Anne de Bretagne was queen, with her clogs, mirlitontaine,
Ah, Ah, Ah! Long live the wooden clogs!


Verse 10

Anne de Bretagne was queen, duchess in clogs (bis)
The Bretons are in pain, with her clogs, mirlitontaine,
Ah, Ah, Ah! Long live the wooden clogs!


Verse 11

The Bretons are in pain, duchess in clogs (bis)
They no longer have a sovereign, with her clogs, mirlitontaine,
Ah, Ah, Ah! Long live the wooden clogs!


Verse 12

They no longer have a sovereign, duchess in clogs (bis)
In France, they will follow their queen, with her clogs, mirlititontaine
Ah! Ah! Ah! Long live the wooden clogs!


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C'était Anne de Bretagne © French Moments

French Nursery Rhymes

My challenge for the year 2023 is to publish 80 French Nursery Rhymes lyrics and descriptions (list below). Come back as time goes by to discover the new articles:

About the author

Pierre is a French/Australian who is passionate about France and its culture. He grew up in France and Germany and has also lived in Australia and England. He has a background teaching French, Economics and Current Affairs, and holds a Master of Translating and Interpreting English-French with the degree of Master of International Relations, and a degree of Economics and Management. Pierre is the author of Discovery Courses and books about France.

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