Y Ddraig Goch (The Red Dragon)

Although Y Ddraig Goch (The Red Dragon) has been associated with Wales for many centuries, it is only since 1959 that it has been officially recognized as the Welsh flag. The Historia Brittonum, written around 830, is the oldest use of the dragon representing Wales. The text describes a battle between the red dragon of Wales and the white dragon that represents the invading Saxons.

During this early period the dragon was not exclusively used as a symbol for Wales, it was used as a symbol of authority the length and breath of Britan. Many English kings fought under the dragon: e.g. Richard I used it as his standard in 1138 during the third Crusade. Henry III used it at The Battle of Lewis, and Edward III made use of it along with Welsh longbow men, (dressed in green and white of the Tudors) at The Battle of Crecy.

1400 Owain Glyndwr used the dragon as his standard during the revolts against the crown, but 15 years later Henry V would use it as his standard at The battle of Agincourt.

In 1807 the red dragon mounted on green became the badge of Wales, and in 1953 the motto Y Ddraig goch ddyry cychwyn (The Red Dragon gives impetus) was added.

Today the Red Dragon can be seen flying from the Welsh Assembly building in Cardiff, and is raised each day at the Wales Office in Whitehall.

Wales also has another flag, The Cross of St. David. This is less well known than the Red Dragon, and is a yellow cross on a black background. In 2007 the Welsh Christian Party took the stance that the dragon was a symbol of the devil and that it was inappropriate in a Christian nation and therefore should be replaced by the cross of St. David.

 

 

Castles Timeline

720 AD	Penrhyn Castle replaces earlier ancient building. Photo from Wikimedia Commons: by Indigo Goat
1086 AD	Ludlow Castle Built Photo by markpeate
1283 AD	Caernarfon Castle Built Photo by Andrew_D_Hurley
1283 AD	Conwy Castle built Photo from Wikimedia Commons: by Grahamec
1292 AD	Photo by lyng883
1298 AD	Built during one of the peak periods for Castle Building in Wales Photo by yearbookmaniac
1626 AD	Built by Sir Thomas Morgan Photo by  John Thorn
	Above is a brief timeline of Castle Building in Wales and sees the main period as    after the arrival of the Norman invaders in 1066, and the history of Castles in Wales goes back in the mists of time with the first stone building around the 8th Century and before that wooden forts were built.
	A lot of these Castles have a very dark history and are said to be haunted by there past. Thiere dungeons holding many dark secrets of torcher and murder.
	During the Main Building period it is fair to say that the people of the time were very superstitious and still worshiped Pagan gods

Soundtrack for the film “King Arthur”

I have previously mentioned my facination with King Arthur and Camelot, so i felt it would be good to include the soundtrack from the film which sheds more light on the possible reality of the charachter and his supposed exploits.

This is a film which oddly does not even feature Camelot, because it suggests that Arthur lived quite some time before the century that tradition puts him in. It does however still feature Lancelot and Guinevere and stars among others:

Clive Owen, Ray winstone and Kiera Knieghtly.

 

 

video on castles of Wales

Having previously featured Swansea castle, I thought it would be good to include in this blog a video which takes us on a tour of castles in Wales in general. Having viewed this extract I feel this will fit well into the subject matter, and it has a very pleasing piece of music tied to it as well.

This video has some beautiful sites and I would love to visit some of them (as many as possible) over the coming years. What would also be nice would be to write personal reflections of those which I do get around to viewing in person.

Turner Painting

I see from a recent report that the Turner Painting of Conway Castle is about to be sold at auction as reported by Wales Online, see link below for more details. It is sad to see that once again Wales loses something of its heritage and treasure because of the lack of funds to keep it in Wales. We know that there is a current financial crises but where does this stop , will Wales ever have anything left to lay claim to. I  think that with all the waste that goes on in various departments around the country that it’s a real shame we have to see our heritage sold. The money squandered by various departments and organisations around Wales could be used to secure our treasures here in Wales where they belong. Once again Wales its to be robbed of something important, Another part of its identity. So what happens when we run out of things to sell. Wales is a wonderful land filled with mysteries and legends, we need to hold onto all that is our land.

“Turner’s painting of Conwy Castle will be sold by Christie’s next month, but it appears financial cutbacks may prevent it being bought by a Welsh institution.” – WalesOnline

Twm Sion Cati – The Welsh Robin Hood

“Despite the efforts of authors like P. Valentine Harris no verifiable Robin Hood emerged from the historical record. Today, most scholars accept Robin as a literary invention, based in part on other figures like Gamelyn and Fouke fitz Waryn, as well as real-life outlaws.” – University of Rochester

Unlike Robin Hood, Twm Sion Cati was a real person. Thomas Jones was born in 1530, in a Tregaron Cardiganshire. The story goes that Thomas was the illegitimate Sir John Wynn of Gwydir, a local squire. The truth being his father was actually Siôn ap Dafydd ap Madog ap Howel Motheu. His mother was Catherine, daughter of Meredydd ap Ieuen. At this time a child would often take on a nickname based on their mothers name, thus the young Thomas Jones becomes Twm (Thomas) Sion (from his father) Cati (from his mother).

In his early years the young protestant Cati had to make a living under the ouster catholic rule of Mary I of England. He chose to be a highwayman, this along with his religious beliefs marked him out as a Rebel. After a short but illustrious career he gained a reputation for being an “expert and dexterous robber”, who was “a clever and crafty trickster who was capable of deceiving farmers and lords alike.”

Around 1557 Twm fled to Geneva to escape the law, returning to Wales in 1559 after gaining a pardon from the new Protestant Queen Elizabeth I. It is now Twm embarks upon his second career.

“Thomas Jones secured a more respectable reputation as a Justice of the Peace, landlord, poet and historian, noted for his knowledge of genealogy and heraldry, and was described by his contemporary, Dr John Davies Rhys, as, “the most celebrated, accomplished and accurate herald-bard of the day” (Rhys, ‘Welsh Grammar’ 1592).” – BBC – Legacies.

Today a number of his poems, works on heraldry and family pedigrees of Cardiganshire still survive and a few are held at the British Library, forming a good insight in to Welsh Tudor history.

Twm died in 1609 at the ripe old age of 79.

Welsh Revival 1904

“During the spring of 1904 a young Welshman named Evan Roberts was repeatedly awakened at 1:00 a.m. He met with God until 5:00 a.m. The Welsh revival followed. Churches were packed for prayer meetings. In a prayer meeting for young people, Pastor Joseph Jenkins asked for testimonies. A young girl named Florrie Evans, who had only been a believer a few days, rose and with a trembling voice said simply, “I love Jesus with all my heart.” The other young people’s hearts were melted. A powerful spiritual awakening that brought 100,000 people to Christ was under way.” – openheaven.com

Photograph of Evan Roberts:
Public Domain Wikimedia Commons

The Welsh Revival is something that amazed me when I first heard about it a few years ago. It was a supernatural event.  I believe that God answered the prayers of Evan Roberts and others who had been praying for years for a revival of Christianity in Wales.  The changes that took place were phenomenal.  I’ve been to Moriah Chapel in Lougher where it all began and it’s a really special place to be.  I know many people who come from all over the world to this place they call the Land of Revival.  Also many people went out from Wales to other countries where revival then also spread.   I think that revival can happen again in Wales or anywhere.

I think Wales needs revival now just as much as it did then because our lives can be changed for the better. When I look at the effects of what happened in 1904 only good came out of it.  Families benefited from it as people changed their ways because of their experiences with God.  It was a move by God that transformed 100 000 people. A lot of hymns were written at this time too. The hymn ‘Here is Love Vast as the Ocean’ though not written at the time became known as the love song of the Welsh Revival is one of my favourites.

Swansea castle

Whilst researching information about the castles in South Wales (there are Mega-loads), I found this  very interesting and all-inclusive quote on Swansea Castle

“Swansea Castle is now so hemmed in by modern buildings and roads that it is hard to imagine its original surroundings, or indeed its original form. It stands on a clifftop, below which the river Tawe originally flowed, and its position was strategic: it commanded the lowest crossing of the river, the main east-west route in south Wales, and a good harbour.” – quoted from Castleswales.com

Having had a keen interest in history, in particular the legend of King Arthur (which obviously features Camelot, and less frequently Tintagel) I have been fascinated with castles in general and their strategic importance when for instance a foreign army wanted to usurp the existing monarch, for example, it is almost impossible to win a battle when marching uphill to attack a fortified structure… PLEASE BE ADVISED, a castle is not a fort, a Fort is a different structure with a different specific purpose.

It is my personal feeling that it is a shame that time and the elements have eroded so much of the original framework of the nations castles and left them looking rather bedraggled. It would have been lovely to have lived in an era when they were at their grandest.

Photo by Mags D

Colliery Conundrum

Underground mining began in Wales over 400 years ago. Being such a dangerous occupation many superstations grew up around the industry, especially in the south, where the daily struggle with the dark and danger, fed the belief in the supernatural. But is it superstition or something else?

During the first few months of 1890 miners at the Morfa Colliery in Margam were subjected to a string of supernatural occurrences. There were reports of fierce hounds, known as the Red Dogs of Morfa, running through the district at night, the colliery it self was said to be filled with a sweet rose-like perfume, the source, invisible ‘death flowers’. Cries for help and the sound of falling earth were heard, flickering lights called corps candles appeared and disappeared in the tunnels and the ghosts of long dead miners were seen, working with phantom white horses, pulling the coal trams. For some reason on the 10^th of March nearly half the morning shift stayed home. Later that day 87 miners were buried alive and died in an explosion that ripped through the mine. To this day no one can say why only half of the morning shift went in to the mine, but if it wasn’t for the superstitious nature of the miners, many more lives would have been lost.

It is said that in on the 14^th October 1913 439 miners lost there life at Senghennydd Colliery, even though there was “corps birds” (robins, pigeons or doves) seen flying around the pit head.

Hello world!

Helo a croeso I ein blog. (Hi and welcome to our blog). We are a group of students from different backgrounds studying IT at Swansea Itec. With our blog we hope to inform and entertain you.

Wales a land of valleys and mountings, lakes and rivers, where dragons sleep and heroic deeds abound. A land of song, of chapels and castles, of ruins and mysteries.

THIS IS WALES