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Tag Archives: welsh flag

St David’s Day – Dydd Dewi Sant

29 Monday Feb 2016

Posted by theresagreen in coastal walks, Colwyn Bay, Nature of Wales, Saints of Wales, Welsh culture and mythology

≈ 9 Comments

Tags

Patron Saint of Wales, St David, St David's Cathedral, St David's Day, St David's Day celebrations, St David's Day traditions, Tenby daffodil, Welsh, welsh emblems, welsh flag

Happy St David’s Day! Dydd Gwŷl Dewi (Sant) hapus!

welsh_flagVisit Wales on March 1 and you can’t help but notice it’s a special day here with many opportunities to witness displays and celebrations of Welsh national pride. The Red Dragon flags are flying and hosts of golden daffodils adorn shop windows and homes. Folks will pin a felt leek or a daffodil to their lapels while children dress up in traditional costume. Celebratory parades and concerts are held in towns and villages throughout the country.

All is in honour of Dewi Sant – St David – but not much is actually known about the patron saint himself.

St David – Patron Saint of Wales

Dewi Sant or St David lived in the sixth century and died on 1 March 589AD. He was a Celtic monk, abbot and bishop.

Dewi is said to have been of royal lineage. His father, Sant, was the son of Ceredig, who was prince of Ceredigion, a region in South-West Wales. His mother, Non, was the daughter of a local chieftain and legend has it that she was also a niece of King Arthur.

He was born near Capel Non (Non’s chapel) on the South-West Wales coast near the present city of Saint David. He was educated in a monastery called Hen Fynyw, in Cardiganshire, his teacher being Paulinus, a blind monk and stayed there for some years before setting out with a party of followers on his missionary travels, founding religious centres across Wales and England, including one at Glastonbury along the way. He travelled as far as Jerusalem, where he was made an archbishop. During his life, he was the archbishop of Wales, and he was one of many early saints who helped to spread Christianity among the pagan Celtic tribes of western Britain.

He eventually settled at Glyn Rhosyn, now St. Davids, in south west Wales, where he established a religious community. Many miracles have been attributed to him. The most incredible being when he caused the ground to rise beneath him when preaching so that everyone could see and hear him.

It is claimed that Dewi lived for over 100 years, and it is generally accepted that he died in 589.  His last words to his followers were in a sermon on the previous Sunday. Rhigyfarch transcribes these as ‘Be joyful, and keep your faith and your creed. Do the little things that you have seen me do and heard about. I will walk the path that our fathers have trod before us.’

‘Do the little things’ (‘Gwnewch y pethau bychain’) is today a very well-known phrase in Welsh, and has proved an inspiration to many.

KONICA MINOLTA DIGITAL CAMERA

St David’s Cathedral

St David’s remains are buried within the Cathedral of St David in the lovely coastal town of St David’s in Pembrokeshire, south west Wales, which is the smallest city in Britain.  The location became a popular place of pilgrimage and it was said that two pilgrimages to St Davids equalled one to Rome and three equalled one to Jerusalem. The most well-known medieval pilgrimage route begins at Holywell, Flintshire North Wales and ends at St Davids.

National emblems

To mark the Saint’s day, Welsh people around the world wear one or both of our national emblems – a daffodil or leek.

The Leek

The connection between Wales and the leek is obscure.  Most researchers trying to trace the link are met with one or other of the legends that show it was used by the Welsh as a cap badge in battle to show friend from foe.

One version is that on the eve of a battle with the Saxons, St David himself advised the Britons to wear leeks in their caps so that they could easily distinguish friend from foe. This apparently helped to secure a great victory. A variation of that is that the leek is worn to celebrate the battle as it was won in a field of leeks.

Another version has the same thing happening at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415 where Welsh archers fought with Henry V against the French. Again, leeks worn in their caps distinguished them from their enemies.

By 1536, when Henry VIII gave a leek to his daughter on 1 March, the leek was already associated with St David’s Day. It is possible that the green and white family colours adopted by the Tudors were taken from their liking for the leek.

Since the 6th Century Welsh soldiers have worn a leek in their caps to distinguish themselves from their foes in battle. Welsh soldiers today still have cap badges and buttons with leeks on and it is a surviving tradition that soldiers in the Welsh regiments eat a raw leek on St David’s Day.

THE DAFFODIL

If the link between the leek and the Welsh is obscure, then that with the Daffodil is even more so. It is possible that the reason the daffodil is used as an emblem is that the word for daffodil and for leek are the same in Welsh  (Cenhinen = Leek, Cenhinen Pedr =Daffodil ). This confusion means that both have been adopted as national emblems and the use of one over the other is down to personal preference.

In comparison with the ancient Welsh associations of the leek, the daffodil has only recently assumed a position of national importance. It is said by some that the daffodil was encouraged more by the English government, as it does not have the nationalistic overtones that the leek has, with its association with the defeat of Saxons.

The Victorians are reputed to have introduced the alternative daffodils we pin to our lapels instead of leeks on St David’s Day. A common vegetable such as the leek wasn’t considered glamorous enough to be the Welsh national emblem and the daffodil, whose flowering coincides with the Welsh patron saint’s holiday, seemed like a fitting replacement.

An increasingly popular flower during the 19th century, especially among women, its status was elevated by the Welsh-born prime minister David Lloyd George, who wore it on St David’s Day and used it in ceremonies in 1911 to mark the investiture of the then Prince of Wales at Caernarfon.

Welsh and Tenby daffodils

There are types of daffodil unique to Wales – the Welsh daffodil or Lent lily and the Tenby daffodil, although there is still debate as to whether the Tenby Daffodil is naturalised or introduced. The only other true British native daffodil, Narcissus pseudonarcissus, also found mainly in south Wales is known as the Lent Lily because it flowers through February, March and sometimes early April, therefore over the period of lent.

Tenby daffodil-Narcissus pseudonarcissus obvallaris

Tenby daffodil-Narcissus pseudonarcissus obvallaris

The diminuitive  little Tenby daffodil, growing to just 20cm (8″) tall is all one colour. It is so called because it is mostly found growing wild around the Tenby area. It can also be found in other areas of Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion but is scarce.

The Tenby daffodil suffered in Victorian times from being too popular as they were regularly dug up and became quite scarce but replanting has helped and nowadays you’ll see plenty in the spring time around Tenby.

A version of the Tenby Daffodil has been cultivated since medieval times and the Royal Horticultural Society have now given it their prestigious Award of Garden Merit (AGM) in recognition of its outstanding excellence. 

Coed y Bwl wild daffodil woods, near St. Brides Major by Richard Marks

Coed y Bwl wild daffodil woods, near St. Brides Major. photograph by Richard Marks

The Welsh variety is more widespread, but still scarce. The Welsh daffodil or Lenten lily is two toned in colour with a different shade of yellow/ orange on the trumpet to that of the petals.

One of the biggest displays of Welsh daffodils can be seen at Coed y Bwl Wood, at Castle Upon Alun, near Bridgend.

Both species have suffered decline over the years as a result of property development on land where they once thrived.

celebrations of the day

The tradition of celebrating St. David’s day is still much alive throughout Wales and in many parts of the world where there are communities of people with Welsh origins.

Towns all over Wales celebrate with special meetings, parades, concerts and a myriad of other events. The National St David’s Day Parade across the centre of Cardiff, features all sorts of fiery performances from giant dragons and theatrical groups finishing with a rousing mass rendition of the national anthem, Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau outside St David’s Hall. A special gala concert from the BBC National Orchestra of Wales is traditionally held in the evening.  Male voice choirs are flown to all corners of the globe on St. David’s Day, to entertain Welsh communities.

Many of the country’s castles and heritage sites open their doors for free on the day, including  St David’s Bishop’s Palace, and the surrounding streets are the scenes for a fitting mini-festival in honour of their holiest former resident. Led by clergy, the annual Pilgrims’ Walk leads to the illumination of the St David’s Day Stone, ending at the Oriel y Parc, where you can wander around a traditional Welsh market or dance to live bands.

Schools throughout the country celebrate the day. My own children attended Welsh Medium schools in South Wales and St. David’s Day, particulary at their primary school was a looked-forward to special event.

Traditional Welsh Girls Costume

A modern take on the girl’s traditional Welsh costume

Pupils went to school dressed in Welsh costumes. The girls wore variations on the traditional pais a betgwn – a petticoat and overcoat, made of Welsh flannel, and a felt beaver hat, worn over a frilled white bonnet.

Welsh Girls Costume Bonnet

Traditional Girls Costume Bonnet

 

 

Boys Traditional Tweed Dai Cap - Welsh National Costume

Boys Traditional Tweed Dai Cap

Boys were persuaded to wear a white shirt with a a Welsh flannel waistcoat, black breeches, long woollen socks, black shoes and a traditional Dai cap, although in these more modern times others favoured their Welsh rugby shirts.

The day would include a walk to the local chapel for a religious service. Later in the day a mini-Eisteddford (concert) took place, where traditional songs and dances were performed and poems read. A photographer from the local newspaper visited all the local schools took photographs of each class of children which were subsequently printed in the next edition as souvenir supplements. Happy days!

 

 

 

 

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The Welsh Red Dragon

24 Tuesday Jan 2012

Posted by theresagreen in Welsh culture and mythology

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Conwy castle, mabinogion, mametz wood memorial, red dragon of Wales, welsh flag, Welsh Highland Railway

My blog is usually about real everyday nature, in real time, but today at the beginning of this Chinese New Year of the Dragon, I am writing instead about the significance of this mythological creature here in Wales.

The Welsh Dragon, in Welsh Y Ddraig Goch, (Red Dragon) is the indisputable and most highly prominent icon of the country. It is employed and proudly displayed in a myriad of ways and places, from  playful car bumper stickers and drinking mugs to more serious applications such as that as the symbol of  the Welsh Assembly Government, but its most significant role is as the centrepiece of  the nation’s flag.

welsh_flag

The Welsh Dragon appears on the national flag of Wales (the flag itself is also called “Y Ddraig Goch”). During the reigns of the Tudor monarchs, the red dragon was used as a supporter in the English crown’s coat of arms (one of two supporters, along with the traditional English lion).

Mythology of the red dragon

The mythology connecting the Red Dragon to Wales begins in the Mabinogion,  a collection of eleven prose stories collated from mediaeval Welsh manuscripts. The tales draw on pre-Christian Celtic mythology, international folktale motifs, and early mediaeval historical traditions.

Mabinogion

The fight between the Red and White Dragons

In the Mabinogion story of Lludd and Llefelys, the Red Dragon fights with an invading White Dragon. His awful pained shrieks bring about mayhem and disaster; women  miscarry, animals  perish and plants become barren. Lludd, the then king of Britain,seeks help from his wise brother Llefelys in France. Llefelys tells him to dig a pit in the centre of Britain, fill it with mead, and cover it with cloth. Lludd does this, and the dragons drink the mead and fall asleep. Lludd imprisons them, still wrapped in their cloth, in Dinas Emrys in Snowdonia (Welsh:Eryri).

Historia Brittonum
The tale is taken up by Nennius in the Historia Brittonum. The dragons remain at Dinas Emrys for centuries until King Vortigern tries to build a castle there. Every night the castle walls and foundations are demolished by unseen forces. Vortigern consults his advisers, who tell him to find a boy with no natural father, and sacrifice him. Vortigern finds such a boy (who is later, in some tellings, to become Merlin) who is supposed to be the wisest wizard to ever live. On hearing that he is to be put to death to solve the demolishing of the walls, the boy dismisses the knowledge of the advisors. The boy tells the king of the two dragons. Vortigern excavates the hill, freeing the dragons. They continue their fight and the red dragon finally defeats the white dragon. The boy tells Vortigern that the white dragon symbolises the Saxons and that the red dragon symbolises the people of Vortigern. If Vortigern is accepted to have lived in the fifth century, then these people are the British whom the Saxons failed to subdue and who became the Welsh.

The same story is repeated in Geoffrey of Monmouth’s History of the Kings of Britain, where the red dragon is also a prophecy of the coming of King Arthur. It is notable that Arthur’s father was Uther Pendragon (“chief dragon”, erroneously translated by Geoffrey as “dragon’s head”).

The dragon has always been a symbol of a people, not an individual. 

In 1400 Owain Glyndwr raised the dragon during his revolt against Henry IV, echoing its role in Welsh mythology as a symbol of struggle and resistance. However, this didn’t confer exclusivity to Wales: the dragon reappeared alongside Henry V at the battle of Agincourt (1415).

The dragon began to roar even louder after the Wars of the Roses in the 15th century. The House of Tudor was the Welsh dynasty who defeated the House of York at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485.

The Tudors’ livery was white and green. As he marched his troops through Wales to Bosworth, Henry Tudor – shortly to be Henry VII – flew the red dragon of Cadwallader, from whom he claimed ancestry, on the white and green Tudor colours. After the battle the flag was carried in state to St. Paul’s Cathedral to be blessed.

It was the beginning of the flag as we know it today.

Welsh flags on a tower of Conwy castle

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A dragon is displayed on the logo of the Welsh government

The dragon is featured on the welsh royal mail 1st class postage stamp

In the town of Newcastle Emlyn, a Heart of the Dragon Festival  is held every two years (the next one is in 2013).  Local legends say that the last dragon was slain there during a village festival.  The Heart of the Dragon Festival aims to resurrect the “spirit of the dragon,” in the form of a baby dragon egg, which ultimately “hatches,” to reveal a miniature dragon.  www.heartofthedragonwales.org

Dragon fire sculpture

The Mametz Wood Memorial

http://www.somme-1916.com/memorial003.htm

38th Division

The 38th (Welsh) Division was recruited from battalions of the Welsh Regiment, South Wales Borderers and Royal Welsh Fusiliers in 1914. Lloyd George had a heavy hand in the raising of the formation; one of his sons being an officer in the division. It crossed to France in late 1915, and came down to fight on the Somme in July 1916. The first attack on Mametz Wood was on 7th July, when the division lost heavily in ‘Death Valley’ during the advance on the ‘Hammer Head’. The next attack went in on the 10th, and by 14th July the wood was cleared – but at the cost of over 5,000 casualties in the 38th (Welsh) Division. A memorial was placed in Mametz Church in the 1920s, but this Red Dragon monument was placed here in the late 1980s on the wishes of a number of Mametz Wood veterans, former Sergeant Tom Price among them.

Not all welsh dragons take themselves seriously. My friends and I discovered this cleverly crafted one in a tree next to a path along the Nevern Estuary, Newport, Pembrokeshire

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