THE WELSH

There is no other part of the British Isles where national spirit is stronger, national pride more intense or national traditions more cherished than in Wales. The Welsh still proudly wear their national dress on festive occasions; the Welsh language is still very much a living force and is taught side by side with English in schools; and Welshmen, who have a highly developed artistic sense, and are distinguished in poetry, song and drama. The Welsh people are renowned for their good voices and it is rare to find a village without at least one choir competing in an ‘eistedfod’ or arts festival.

Welsh, as distinct from British history, really begins with the Anglo-Saxon victories in the sixth and seventh centuries which isolated the Welsh from the rest of their fellow-Britons. The people of Wales were troubled on two fronts: on the east they were constantly harried by the English chieftains, and until the eleventh century the Vikings made frequent raids on the coasts. Then came the Normans who penetrated into the south of the country and established many strongholds, in spite of strong resistance organised by the Welsh. Eventually, however, the subjection of the people was completed by Edward I, who built many castles and made his son, afterwards Edward II, the first Prince of Wales.

The population of Wales amounts to about two and a quarter million. The Welsh language is a Celtic branch of the Indo-Eropean languages and has some roots in common with them. The Welsh call their country Cymru, and themselves they call Cymru, a word which has the same root as "camrador" (friend, comrade).

Have you noticed the number of Welsh place-names that begin with ‘Llan’ - Llanbers, Llandudno, Llangollen, Llanfair? There are hundreds of them in Wales. Some of them are very long. Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch is the name of a station in Anglesey. The name means: "The church of St. Mary in a wood of hazel trees near a rapid wirlpool and near St Tysilio's cave not far from a red cave." The town is generally known as "Llanfair P.G.".

The Welsh have preserved their language to a remarkable extent. The English generally look upon the Welsh as an emotional people who are, however, somewhat reticent and difficult to get to know easily.

The Welsh people are proud of being Celtic, different from the Anglo-Saxon English, with an ancient language and a heritage of their own.

Date: 2015-01-02; view: 1159