My last name is Welsh? What do Welsh believe/history?

Question

I know lots about my Scottish, Irish and Native ancestary, but nothing really about the Welsh. What can you tell me?

Answer 1

http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/history/sites...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welsh_langu...

http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~stonerjw/we...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/history/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:We...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welsh_mytho...

http://www.britannia.com/wales/culture1....

http://archaeology.about.com/od/wales/We...

Answer 2

You worship Princess Diana.

Answer 3

I live in Wales.  I went to Taliesin Junior School (Ysgol Taliesin.)  Taliesin was a poet from ancient times.  All kids have a choice as to whether they want to go to an English speaking or Welsh speaking high school or primary school, where lessons are taught through the medium of Welsh.  We speak Welsh in North West Wales.  The Welsh word for Wales is Cymru.  We have a special word in Wales called Hiraeth, it means a longing and fondness for your home country, (nearest translation.)  

In terms of controversy  the Nationalist movement was stronger in the 60s 70s and 80's, nationalsts used to burn down houses that the English had bought in Wales.  They called themselves sons of Glyndwr, (named after Owain Glyndwr, see below.) I know people who belonged to it.  

Some valleys where people lived and farmed have been turned into dams for water supplied to England. (Notably Trweryn.)  

My cousins could not speak English til starting school.  My mothers families first language is Welsh.  But, many parts of wales are anglicised with noone able to speak Welsh.  Welsh is taught in all schools.  There are bi - lingual road signs.  Border signs say croeso i gymru (welcome to wales.)  In supermarkets etc, signage will be in Welsh and English, or just Welsh depending on where you are.  We have our own welsh language telivision channels HTV and S4C.  But the Welsh language is in decline.  There is a welsh language preservation society, which is called Menter Iaith.

I am north walian and i cannot understand what south walian people are saying.

When my grandparents were growing up it was forbidden for them to speak welsh in school, you would be punished for it, you would get your hands tied behind your back in what was known as a welsh knot.

If you visit someones house in welsh wales they are likely to say come in for a panad (cup of tea) and slice of bara brith (a kind of fruit loaf.)

There are a variety of beliefs here......there has been a big change since ive been growing up, we're a secular society largely now.

A recently revived old mythological tradition is Dydd Gwyl Santes Dwynwen, on January 25, (the Welsh Saint Valentines day.)    We celebrate saint Davids Day, (Dydd Gwyl Dewi Sant.)  On this day you will see lots of daffodils everywhere in houses and shops etc and you will see our own flag, a red dragon on a green and white background.  People pin a daffodil to their clothes.  You can look up the stories behind these days. The other national symbol for wales is a leek, i don't know why.

Eisteddfods are annual events, that are like a competitive celebration of the arts.  There is a National Eisteddfod each year.  The locations alternate between  north, mid and south wales.  The international eisteddfod takes place each year in LLangollen, people come from America, China, Africa, India, everywhere to take part and compete.  Every high school will have an eisteddfod where you have to take part.  Eisteddfods incorporate old druidic and bardic traditions into their opening ceromonies etc.  (Learned people dress up as druids.)  Winning the bardic chair is a big deal.  

I don't know who it was that said - To be born Welsh is to be born privileged.  Not with a silver spoon in your mouth,

But music in your heart and poetry in your soul.

Wales most famous poet is Dylan Thomas, whose only poetic line i can remember is 'do not go gently into that good night, rage rage against the dying of the light.'  Thats probably a misquote.



We never learned about welsh history in our school!! But it has to be on the curriculum these days by law.  My cousins covered the slate industry and the hardship caused by the strikes in something like a hundred years ago.

In the 1980's reduncies in coal mining and steel industry led to hardship after a very bitter political struggle to keep mines and steel plants open.  Communities were built around these industries, they still have not recovered, or disappeared.  Welsh minors were interested in educating themselves.  They built welsh minors "institutes" where you could study and discuss things.  The old welsh minors institute near where i live has been turned into a universisty.  The stereotypical image of a south walian man is a coal minor singing songs by Tom Jones.

  

There are lots of castles in wales, the best are built by edward the first of england in the thirteenth century to supress the welsh.  I think that this is when wales was conquered by the english, that is in the 13th century by edward the first.  I dont know an awful lot about the history, must find out.  The celts came here first of course, and wales is still dotted with old celtic crosses and monuments typically showing the celtic knotwork.  I think we must have been a land raised on myths and legends, but i only know of a few.  We were a land of separate principalities, back in the mists of time.  One of the Prince LLewelyns tried to unite wales as one nation with one price.  In the 15 th century i think, there was a good attempt by Owain Glyndwr to overthrow the english rule of wales, but it failed.

If you have any love at all for your country, these names Owain Glyndwr and Llewelyn The Last, i think would at least mean something to you.

In gift shops you will see wooden love spoons that you can buy for your loved one, this comes from an old custom of a man carving a love spoon for his girlfriend instead of giving an engagement ring.  You will also see Welsh flags and lots of things made out of slate, cuddly sheep and dragon toys etc. There is a rather distincive traditional welsh costume for women - a big tall black hat, a black and white check shawl, and a red dress.  Gift shops also sell welsh lady dolls. These things are everywhere and are really common symbols for wales.  The harp is also a symbol for wales, some women learn harp.

We are a land of song.  Its customary for this nation to have lots of Welsh male voice choirs.  The national sport is rugby. We have our own national anthem, Land of my Fathers, ( Mae hen wlad fyn hadau) which is sung at the start of big rugby games etc, its great!! If you are Welsh you are nicknamed "Taffy," , i think after the river Taff. The vast majority of the land is agricultural (sheep farming.)  The highest mountain is Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon), the longest place name is Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwlll... gogogoch.  There are some beautiful places mountains and sea, (mynydd a mor.)

This is taken from the facebook group, you know you're welsh when..........

your last name is

Williams, Bevan, Llewellyn, Morgan, Rees, Powell, Howell, Davies, Lewis, Thomas, Jones, Griffiths, Morris, Evans, James, Roberts, Jenkins or Owen!

When you go abroad you have to explain to people where Wales is, and that it is not part of England.

Youre sick of the Sheep jokes.

At family parties the old people talk in Welsh together.

Apart from supporting Wales you always support whoever is playing against England.

In the summer you used to go to farming shows.

Your mum has pictures of you as a kid dressed in the national costume.

Have to go!