93-627: The Welsh Dragon ( Welsh : y Ddraig Goch , meaning 'the red dragon'; pronounced [ə ˈðraiɡ ˈɡoːχ] ) is a heraldic symbol that represents Wales and appears on the national flag of Wales . Ancient leaders of the Celtic Britons that are personified as dragons include Maelgwn Gwynedd , Mynyddog Mwynfawr and Urien Rheged . Later Welsh "dragons" include Owain Gwynedd , Llywelyn ap Gruffydd and Owain Glyndŵr . The red dragon appears in
186-613: A Hafren ( Radnorshire ) between the Rivers Wye and Severn , ruled by Lords . Associated with Brycheiniog and Buellt . Ruled the cantrefs of Maelienydd and Elfael . The Lordship of Senghenydd , then a vassal of Lordship of Glamorgan . Lordship of Coleshill , Prestatyn , Rhuddlan , also considered Princes. The late medieval territory of the Principality of Wales and the members of Welsh Royalty who ruled that area or attempted to regain their dynastic inheritances during
279-441: A Welsh Language Scheme, which indicates its commitment to the equality of treatment principle. This is sent out in draft form for public consultation for a three-month period, whereupon comments on it may be incorporated into a final version. It requires the final approval of the now defunct Welsh Language Board ( Bwrdd yr Iaith Gymraeg ). Thereafter, the public body is charged with implementing and fulfilling its obligations under
372-586: A Welsh-language edge inscription was used on pound coins dated 1985, 1990 and 1995, which circulated in all parts of the UK prior to their 2017 withdrawal. The wording is Pleidiol wyf i'm gwlad (Welsh for 'True am I to my country'), and derives from the national anthem of Wales, " Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau ". UK banknotes are in English only. Some shops employ bilingual signage. Welsh sometimes appears on product packaging or instructions. The UK government has ratified
465-647: A census glossary of terms to support the release of results from the census, including their definition of "main language" as referring to "first or preferred language" (though that wording was not in the census questionnaire itself). The wards in England with the most people giving Welsh as their main language were the Liverpool wards of Central and Greenbank ; and Oswestry South in Shropshire . The wards of Oswestry South (1.15%), Oswestry East (0.86%) and St Oswald (0.71%) had
558-509: A court poet to Owain Gwynedd, refers to him in one elegy, personifying him as "The golden dragon of Snowdonia of eagles". In the Mabinogion story Lludd and Llefelys , the red dragon fights with an invading white dragon . A plague is caused by a battle between a red dragon and a foreign white dragon. Lludd must set a trap for them at the exact centre of the island called Oxford , put them to sleep with mead , and then bury them underground in
651-518: A dragon, serpent or snake and the term draconarius (also Latin) denotes "the bearer of the serpent standard". Franz Altheim suggests that the first appearance of the draco used by Romans coincides with Roman recruitment of nomad troops from south and central Asia during the time of Marcus Aurelius . One notable Draco symbol which may have influenced the Welsh dragon is that of the Sarmatians , who contributed to
744-724: A dynasty combining the territories Arwystli and Cedewain . The area was later incorporated into Powys Wenwynwyn. The rulers of Gwynllwg ( Wentloog ) and upper Gwent became the Lords of Carleon . Lordship of Ceredigion , from the House of Dinefwr , Deheubarth . Mechain, Powys. Lord of the Menai commote on Anglesey . The vassal Lordship of Merioneth ( Meirionnydd ) from Gwynedd, also Lords of Eifionydd and Ardudwy . Descendents of King Owain Gwynedd . Descendants of Madog ap Cadwgan ap Bleddyn , Prince of Powys. Lordship c. 1118 until
837-405: A fair amount. 56 per cent of Welsh speakers speak the language daily, and 19 per cent speak the language weekly. The Welsh Government plans to increase the number of Welsh-language speakers to one million by 2050. Since 1980, the number of children attending Welsh-medium schools has increased, while the number going to Welsh bilingual and dual-medium schools has decreased. Welsh is considered
930-534: A modern territory was Gruffydd ap Llywelyn (c. 1010–1063), a Prince of Gwynedd who became King of Wales from 1055 to 1063. However, some Welsh Princes sporadically claimed the medieval title of " Prince of Wales " between the 13th to 15th centuries. The title remains in use but is usually given to heir apparents of English and British monarchs . Wales during the medieval age was a land of kingdoms and dynasties. Petty kingdoms , such as Ceredigion and Gwent, were established some time after Britain ceased to be part of
1023-399: A new language altogether. The argued dates for the period of "Primitive Welsh" are widely debated, with some historians' suggestions differing by hundreds of years. The next main period is Old Welsh ( Hen Gymraeg , 9th to 11th centuries); poetry from both Wales and Scotland has been preserved in this form of the language. As Germanic and Gaelic colonisation of Britain proceeded,
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#17328516439931116-582: A part of the Coat of arms of the Prince of Wales by Royal Warrant. In 1953, the red dragon badge was given an augmentation of honour . The augmented badge is blazoned : Within a circular riband Argent fimbriated Or bearing the motto Y DDRAIG GOCH DDYRY CYCHWYN ["the red dragon inspires action"] , in letters Vert, and ensigned with a representation of the Crown proper, an escutcheon per fesse Argent and Vert and thereon
1209-404: A prophecy of the coming of King Arthur . When the later Arthurian legends reached their modern form, Geoffrey of Monmouth , writing in the 12th century for a French and Breton audience, wrote that King Arthur used a golden dragon banner. His standard was also emblazoned with a golden dragon. It is also mentioned in at least four manuscripts that Arthur is associated with the golden dragon, and
1302-445: A red dragon on a white and green background upon entering St Paul's. Henry VII used the dragon motif, but this was used as part of the heraldry of house Tudor rather than of Wales. The red dragon was used as a supporter on the royal arms of all Tudor sovereigns of England and also appeared on the standards of Henry VII and Henry VIII . The red dragon did not become an official royal heraldic badge until 1800, when George III issued
1395-413: A royal warrant confirming the badge, blazoned as: On a mount Vert a dragon passant with wings elevated Gules . T. H. Thomas 's pressure for Welsh dragon symbolism contributed to the inclusion of the red dragon on the Prince of Wales badge in 1901. The red dragon appears on a mount but with a label of three points Argent about the shoulder to difference it from the monarch's badge. The badge became
1488-479: A single discourse (known in linguistics as code-switching ). Welsh speakers are largely concentrated in the north and west of Wales, principally Gwynedd , Conwy County Borough , Denbighshire , Anglesey , Carmarthenshire , north Pembrokeshire , Ceredigion , parts of Glamorgan , and north-west and extreme south-west Powys . However, first-language and other fluent speakers can be found throughout Wales. Welsh-speaking communities persisted well into
1581-486: A stone chest. The third plague is caused by a mighty magician, who casts a spell to make the whole court fall asleep while he raids their stores. Lludd must confront him, keeping himself awake with a vat of cold water. Lludd returns home to Britain. He destroys the Coraniaid with the insect mixture and confines the dragons at Dinas Emrys . Finally he fights the magician, who submits to him to become his loyal servant. The tale
1674-522: A young boy born without a father on the spot to alleviate the curse. The King sent his soldiers out across the land to find such a lad, and discovers such a boy, Emrys ( Ambrosius Aurelianus ), but Emrys reveals the real reason for the collapsing towers: a hidden pool containing two dragons, one red and one white, representing the Britons and the Saxons specifically, are buried beneath the foundation. He explains how
1767-603: Is a list of rulers in Wales ( Welsh : Cymru ; and neighbouring regions ) during the Middle Ages , between c. 400s–1500s . The rulers were monarchs who ruled their respective realms , as well as those who briefly ruled the Principality of Wales . These former territories are now within the boundaries of modern-day Wales and the neighbouring Welsh Marches in England (both in
1860-530: Is a symbol which represents the Welsh Language Society . The Welsh dragon, "the most iconic of Welsh emblems", is also used as the official emblem or logo of the Football Association of Wales which was redesigned in 2019. The motto "Anorchfygol Ddraig Cymru" ("Unconquerable Dragon of Wales') is associated with the red dragon. The motto "Y ddraig goch ddyry cychwyn" ("The red dragon will show
1953-549: Is available throughout Europe on satellite and online throughout the UK. Since the digital switchover was completed in South Wales on 31 March 2010, S4C Digidol became the main broadcasting channel and fully in Welsh. The main evening television news provided by the BBC in Welsh is available for download. There is also a Welsh-language radio station, BBC Radio Cymru , which was launched in 1977. List of rulers of Wales This
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#17328516439932046-471: Is called Owain ben draic, the chief dragon. Although not compiled until later, the main part of Y Gododdin and the heroic poems on Urien Rheged by Taliesin almost certainly date in origin to the sixth century. The Welsh term draig , 'dragon' was used to refer to Welsh leaders including Owain Gwynedd , Llywelyn ap Gruffudd (Llywelyn the Last) and "the dragon" Owain Glyndŵr . Cynddelw Brydydd Mawr ,
2139-420: Is evidenced by the dropping of final syllables from Brittonic: * bardos 'poet' became bardd , and * abona 'river' became afon . Though both Davies and Jackson cite minor changes in syllable structure and sounds as evidence for the creation of Old Welsh, Davies suggests it may be more appropriate to refer to this derivative language as Lingua Britannica rather than characterising it as
2232-617: Is spoken by smaller numbers of people in Canada and the United States descended from Welsh immigrants, within their households (especially in Nova Scotia ). Historically, it has also been known in English as "British", "Cambrian", "Cambric" and "Cymric". The Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011 gave the Welsh language official status in Wales. Welsh and English are de jure official languages of
2325-516: Is taken up in the Historia Brittonum , written by Nennius . Historia Brittonum was written c. 828 , and by this point the dragon was no longer just a military symbol but associated with a coming deliverer from the Saxons. It is also the first time that the colour of the dragon is verifiably given as red. Nevertheless there may well be an older attribution of red to the colour of the dragon in Y Gododdin. The story of Lludd and Llefelys in
2418-494: The 2016 Australian census , 1,688 people noted that they spoke Welsh. In the 2011 Canadian census , 3,885 people reported Welsh as their first language . According to the 2021 Canadian census , 1,130 people noted that Welsh was their mother tongue. The 2018 New Zealand census noted that 1,083 people in New Zealand spoke Welsh. The American Community Survey 2009–2013 noted that 2,235 people aged five years and over in
2511-461: The 2021 census , 7,349 people in England recorded Welsh to be their "main language". In the 2011 census, 1,189 people aged three and over in Scotland noted that Welsh was a language (other than English) that they used at home. It is believed that there are as many as 5,000 speakers of Patagonian Welsh . In response to the question 'Does the person speak a language other than English at home?' in
2604-609: The Battle of Dyrham , a military battle between the West Saxons and the Britons in 577 AD, which split the South Western British from direct overland contact with the Welsh. Four periods are identified in the history of Welsh, with rather indistinct boundaries: Primitive Welsh, Old Welsh, Middle Welsh, and Modern Welsh. The period immediately following the language's emergence is sometimes referred to as Primitive Welsh, followed by
2697-525: The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages in respect of Welsh. The language has greatly increased its prominence since the creation of the television channel S4C in November 1982, which until digital switchover in 2010 broadcast 70 per cent of Channel 4's programming along with a majority of Welsh language shows during peak viewing hours. The all-Welsh-language digital station S4C Digidol
2790-866: The Midlands , possibly around the Wrekin , England. Overlord of Wales ( King of Wales ) as a modern territory by 1055. Kings and Princes of the Kingdoms of Gwynedd and Powys. King of an enlarged Gwynedd (also Rhos and Rhufoniog), including Ceredigion ( Deheubarth ), Meirionnydd and Dyffryn Clwyd , making his realm North West and West Wales . Kingdoms in the West and North West of Wales. North and Mid to South West Wales. King of all of Wales, except for Morgannwg and Gwent (south and southeast of Wales). South East of Wales. South and South East of Wales. The three Royal Houses of Wales' regions were first divided by Rhodri
2883-508: The Old Welsh period – which is generally considered to stretch from the beginning of the 9th century to sometime during the 12th century. The Middle Welsh period is considered to have lasted from then until the 14th century, when the Modern Welsh period began, which in turn is divided into Early and Late Modern Welsh. The word Welsh is a descendant, via Old English wealh, wielisc , of
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2976-662: The Proto-Germanic word * Walhaz , which was derived from the name of the Celtic people known to the Romans as Volcae and which came to refer to speakers of Celtic languages, and then indiscriminately to the people of the Western Roman Empire . In Old English the term went through semantic narrowing , coming to refer to either Britons in particular or, in some contexts, slaves. The plural form Wēalas evolved into
3069-684: The United Kingdom ). Before the Conquest of Wales , completed in 1283, Wales consisted of several independent realms, the most important being Gwynedd , Powys , Deheubarth (originally Ceredigion , Seisyllwg and Dyfed ) and Morgannwg ( Glywysing and Gwent ). Boundary changes and the custom of dividing patrimonies between heirs meant that few princes ever came close to ruling the whole of Wales. The names of those known to have ruled over one or more areas are listed below. Boundaries changed frequently. The only person known to have ruled all of Wales as
3162-554: The United States spoke Welsh at home. The highest number of those (255) lived in Florida . Sources: Calls for the Welsh language to be granted official status grew with the establishment of the nationalist political party Plaid Cymru in 1925, the establishment of the Welsh Language Society in 1962 and the rise of Welsh nationalism in the later 20th century. Of the six living Celtic languages (including two revived), Welsh has
3255-525: The "hugely important role", adding, "I look forward to working with the Welsh Government and organisations in Wales in developing the new system of standards. I will look to build on the good work that has been done by the Welsh Language Board and others to strengthen the Welsh language and ensure that it continues to thrive." First Minister Carwyn Jones said that Huws would act as a champion for
3348-406: The "logo consists of a dragon and Welsh Government name separated by a horizontal line, positioned together in a fixed relationship which must not be altered. These elements are aligned centrally with each other. The logo is always bilingual regardless of the language of the material it appears on." They also mention, "The dragon must always face to the left". Tafod y Ddraig (Tongue of the dragon)
3441-467: The 12th to 14th centuries, of which much more remains than for any earlier period. This is the language of nearly all surviving early manuscripts of the Mabinogion , although the tales themselves are certainly much older. It is also the language of the existing Welsh law manuscripts. Middle Welsh is reasonably intelligible to a modern-day Welsh speaker. The Bible translations into Welsh helped maintain
3534-589: The 1880s identified a small part of Shropshire as still then speaking Welsh, with the "Celtic Border" passing from Llanymynech through Oswestry to Chirk . The number of Welsh-speaking people in the rest of Britain has not yet been counted for statistical purposes. In 1993, the Welsh-language television channel S4C published the results of a survey into the numbers of people who spoke or understood Welsh, which estimated that there were around 133,000 Welsh-speaking people living in England, about 50,000 of them in
3627-553: The 1900s and 1910s. The banner's accession documents included a note from one of the former members "The banner was worked by Mrs Henry Lewis… [she] was also President of the South Wales Federation of Women's Suffrage Societies + she led the S. Wales section of the great Suffrage Procession in London on 17 June 1911, walking in front of her own beautiful banner… It was a great occasion, some 40,000 to 50,000 men + women taking part in
3720-522: The 1993 Act nor secondary legislation made under it covers the private sector, although some organisations, notably banks and some railway companies, provide some of their information in Welsh. On 7 December 2010, the Welsh Assembly unanimously approved a set of measures to develop the use of the Welsh language within Wales. On 9 February 2011 this measure, the Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011 ,
3813-481: The Assembly which confirms the official status of the Welsh language; which creates a strong advocate for Welsh speakers and will improve the quality and quantity of services available through the medium of Welsh. I believe that everyone who wants to access services in the Welsh language should be able to do so, and that is what this government has worked towards. This legislation is an important and historic step forward for
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3906-508: The Brittonic speakers in Wales were split off from those in northern England, speaking Cumbric, and those in the southwest, speaking what would become Cornish , so the languages diverged. Both the works of Aneirin ( Canu Aneirin , c. 600 ) and the Book of Taliesin ( Canu Taliesin ) were written during this era. Middle Welsh ( Cymraeg Canol ) is the label attached to the Welsh of
3999-705: The Celtic language spoken by the ancient Celtic Britons . Classified as Insular Celtic , the British language probably arrived in Britain during the Bronze Age or Iron Age and was probably spoken throughout the island south of the Firth of Forth . During the Early Middle Ages the British language began to fragment due to increased dialect differentiation, thus evolving into Welsh and
4092-519: The English. Glyndŵr chose to fly the standard of a golden dragon on a white background, the traditional standard that, supposedly, Uther Pendragon had flown when the first Celtic Britons had fought the Saxons to a standstill almost 1,000 years before, and passed down to his son King Arthur. Adam of Usk reports that Glyndŵr's golden dragon was the first use of a dragon standard used in war by Welsh troops on 1 November 1401. Historian John Davies adds that
4185-554: The Gallic cohort from the Roman legions. After the Roman withdrawal it has long been suggested that resistance to the Saxon incursion was led either by Romans or Romanised Britons, and this is evident in the names attributed in legend to those who led the opposition, including Ambrosius Aurelianus and perhaps Artorius. This could account for how the Roman terminology came to be adopted by Britons. From
4278-669: The Great in the 9th century. Of his children, two of King's sons began royal dynasties . Anarawd reigned in Gwynedd ( Aberffraw ), and Cadell founded Deheubarth ( Dinefwr ), then another son Merfyn reigned in Powys ( Mathrafal emerged as a cadet branch of Dinefwr in the 11th century). The Kingdom of Deheubarth was formed by the union of the Kingdoms of Ceredigion (also known as Seisyllwg) and Dyfed by Hywel Dda in 910. The Lords of Welsh areas once belonging to monarchies . They were ruled by
4371-539: The Greater London area. The Welsh Language Board , on the basis of an analysis of the Office for National Statistics Longitudinal Study, estimated there were 110,000 Welsh-speaking people in England, and another thousand in Scotland and Northern Ireland. In the 2011 census , 8,248 people in England gave Welsh in answer to the question "What is your main language?" The Office for National Statistics subsequently published
4464-563: The Mabinogion settles the matter, firmly establishing the red dragon of the Celtic Britons being in opposition with the white dragon of the Saxons . In chapters 40–42 there is a narrative in which the tyrant Vortigern flees into Wales to escape the Anglo-Saxon invaders. There he chooses a hill-fort as the site for his royal retreat, and attempts to build a citadel, but the structure collapses repeatedly. His wise men tell him he must sacrifice
4557-447: The Principality. They were titled (official) or claimants (unofficial/ pretender ) as the Prince of Wales . The territory of the Principality included the Kingdoms of Gwynedd, Deheubarth, and Powys, and also the areas of Ceredigion (Cardigan) and Carmarthenshire . There was the exception of Llywelyn I who ruled most of the territory of the Principality and also Montgomeryshire , but not as
4650-651: The Red Dragon passant . Winston Churchill , the then prime minister, despised the badge's design, as is revealed in the following Cabinet minute from 1953: P.M. [Churchill] Odious design expressing nothing but spite, malice, ill-will and monstrosity. Words (Red Dragon takes the lead) are untrue and unduly flattering to Bevan . Ll.G. [ Gwilym Lloyd George ] Wd. rather be on R[oyal] Arms. This (dating from Henry VII) will be something. We get no recognition in Union – badge or flags. In 1959, Government use of this flag
4743-501: The Roman empire in the late 5th century. By the time of the Norman invasion of Wales in the 11th century, most of these realms were combined or incorporated into greater territories, thus making up the four major Kingdoms of Wales. Those Kingdoms were Gwynedd, Powys, Deheubarth, and Morgannwg. Unlike the others, Deheubarth was formed later by the merging of Ceredigion, Dyfed, and Ystrad Tywi . Some minor (petty) kingdoms stayed independent from
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#17328516439934836-489: The Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011, all new signs have Welsh displayed first. There have been incidents of one of the languages being vandalised, which may be considered a hate crime . Since 2000, the teaching of Welsh has been compulsory in all schools in Wales up to age 16; this has had an effect in stabilising and reversing the decline in the language. Text on UK coins tends to be in English and Latin. However,
4929-673: The Welsh Language Scheme. The list of other public bodies which have to prepare Schemes could be added to by initially the Secretary of State for Wales, from 1993 to 1997, by way of statutory instrument . Subsequent to the forming of the National Assembly for Wales in 1997, the Government Minister responsible for the Welsh language can and has passed statutory instruments naming public bodies who have to prepare Schemes. Neither
5022-865: The Welsh Parliament, the Senedd , with Welsh being the only de jure official language in any part of the United Kingdom, with English being merely de facto official. According to the 2021 census , the Welsh-speaking population of Wales aged three or older was 538,300 (17.8%) and nearly three quarters of the population in Wales said they had no Welsh language skills. Other estimates suggest that 862,700 people (28.0%) aged three or older in Wales could speak Welsh in March 2024. Almost half of all Welsh speakers consider themselves fluent, while 20 per cent are able to speak
5115-515: The Welsh language, though some had concerns over her appointment: Plaid Cymru spokeswoman Bethan Jenkins said, "I have concerns about the transition from Meri Huws's role from the Welsh Language Board to the language commissioner, and I will be asking the Welsh government how this will be successfully managed. We must be sure that there is no conflict of interest, and that the Welsh Language Commissioner can demonstrate how she will offer
5208-426: The Welsh of the 16th century, but they are similar enough for a fluent Welsh speaker to have little trouble understanding it. During the Modern Welsh period, there has been a decline in the popularity of the Welsh language: the number of Welsh speakers declined to the point at which there was concern that the language would become extinct. During industrialisation in the late 19th century, immigrants from England led to
5301-429: The Welsh-speaking heartlands, with the number dropping to under 50 per cent in Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire for the first time. However, according to the Welsh Language Use Survey in 2019–20, 22 per cent of people aged three and over were able to speak Welsh. The Annual Population Survey (APS) by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimated that as of March 2024, approximately 862,700, or 28.0 per cent of
5394-403: The White Dragon of the Saxons, though winning the battle at present, would soon be defeated by the Welsh Red Dragon. After Vortigern's downfall, the fort was given to High-King Ambrosius Aurelianus , known in Welsh as Emrys Wledig, hence its name. The same story of the red and white dragons is repeated in Geoffrey of Monmouth 's History of the Kings of Britain , where the red dragon is also
5487-403: The ancestor of Cumbric as well as Welsh. Jackson, however, believed that the two varieties were already distinct by that time. The earliest Welsh poetry – that attributed to the Cynfeirdd or "Early Poets" – is generally considered to date to the Primitive Welsh period. However, much of this poetry was supposedly composed in the Hen Ogledd , raising further questions about the dating of
5580-404: The ancient Mabinogion story of Lludd and Llefelys where it is confined, battling with an invading white dragon, at Dinas Emrys . The story continues in the Historia Brittonum , written around AD 829, where Gwrtheyrn , King of the Britons is frustrated in attempts to build a fort at Dinas Emrys. He is told by a boy, Emrys, to dig up two dragons fighting beneath the castle. He discovers
5673-431: The big four kingdoms, only to be taken over by the Anglo-Normans in the 13th century, such as Rhwng Gwy a Hafren , and Meirionnydd , and others. Of the major kingdoms, Powys' 13th century division of Wenwynwyn and Fadog were one of the final surviving Welsh dynasties until after the Edwardian conquest of Wales . Later, Owain Glyndŵr became the final Welsh ruler from royalty in Wales, he emerged in Powys Fadog during
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#17328516439935766-420: The cavalry units stationed in Ribchester from the 2nd to 4th centuries. Cohorts were represented by the draco military standard from the third century in the same way that the eagle Aquila standard represented the legions. The standard bearer of the cohort was called draconarius and carried a gilded staff with a dragon at the top. For instance, Gauls are attested to have marched under the dragon to distinguish
5859-408: The census. In terms of usage, ONS also reported that 14.4 per cent (443,800) of people aged three or older in Wales reported that they spoke Welsh daily in March 2024, with 5.4 per cent (165,500) speaking it weekly and 6.5 per cent (201,200) less often. Approximately 1.7 per cent (51,700) reported that they never spoke Welsh despite being able to speak the language, with the remaining 72.0 per cent of
5952-414: The course of the 20th century this monolingual population all but disappeared, but a small percentage remained at the time of the 1981 census. Most Welsh-speaking people in Wales also speak English. However, many Welsh-speaking people are more comfortable expressing themselves in Welsh than in English. A speaker's choice of language can vary according to the subject domain and the social context, even within
6045-408: The decline in Welsh speakers particularly in the South Wales Valleys. Welsh government processes and legislation have worked to increase the proliferation of the Welsh language, for example through education. Welsh has been spoken continuously in Wales throughout history; however, by 1911, it had become a minority language, spoken by 43.5 per cent of the population. While this decline continued over
6138-447: The direct descendants and heirs of Kings in Wales from around the time of the Norman invasion of Wales (1000s), some of which lasted until after the conquest of Wales by Edward I (c. 1300s), and in a few instances, Welsh baronies lasted later into the Principality of Wales. Listed Lords of Nedd-Avan (Avene, Welsh : Afan ), dynasty of Glamorgan , Morgannwg (not the Norman Lordship of Glamorgan ). The regional territories as
6231-454: The dragon raised by Glyndŵr was a symbol of victory for the Celtic Britons . On his seals , Glyndŵr is also depicted with a Welsh dragon on his helmet, his horse's head and his crown. Glyndŵr's Great Seal as Prince of Wales also included a dragon gules on his crest. On Edmund Tudor, 1st Earl of Richmond 's tomb is an effigy detailing him wearing a crown affixed with a dragon. Following his son's victory at Bosworth Field , Henry VII used
6324-537: The early 15th century as a Prince of Wales. Kingdom of Ergyng , in Wales and on the border of what is now Herefordshire , England. Regional Kingdom of Ewyas (Ewias) in Wales and Herefordshire, England. Kings and Lords in the cantref of Gwynllwg , in Glamorgan (Gwent). The Kingdom of Morgannwg was formed by the merging of the two Kingdoms of Morgannwg and Gwent. At times, the kingdoms were separate and independent. Legendary descendants of Vortigern The former petty Kingdom of Pengwern , today located in
6417-402: The final Lord in the 1500s, before the use of the surname Nanney for the family. Lords of Oswestry ( Shropshire , England), from Powys, prior to Baronetcy of Cymmer-yn-Edeirnion ( English feudal barony ). Northern Powys, House of Mathrafal . Southern Powys, House of Mathrafal. The lordship also had lands in Arwystli, Cyfeiliog , Mawddwy , Caereinion . The region of Rhwng Gwy
6510-430: The first extant written records of the Britons, it became evident that dragons were already associated with military leaders. Gildas, writing in about 540, spoke of the Briton chieftain Maglocunus ( Maelgwn Gwynedd in Welsh) as the "insularis draco". The early Welsh or Brythonic poets, Taliesin and Aneirin both extensively use dragons as an image for military leaders, and for the Britons the word dragon began to take
6603-431: The following decades, the language did not die out. The smallest number of speakers was recorded in 1981 with 503,000 although the lowest percentage was recorded in the most recent census in 2021 at 17.8 per cent. By the start of the 21st century, numbers began to increase once more, at least partly as a result of the increase in Welsh-medium education . The 2004 Welsh Language Use Survey showed that 21.7 per cent of
6696-489: The form of a term for a war leader, prince or ruler. In Y Gododdin , Aneirin describes his patron, Mynyddog Mwynfawr as "the dragon" when he speaks of the "feast of the dragon". He also describes the war leader, Gwernabwy mab Gwen, as the dragon of the battle of Catraeth. Meanwhile Taliesin, on Urien Rheged, described inexperienced and skilful leaders as dreic dylaw , 'inexperienced dragon' and dreic hylaw , 'skillful dragon' respectively. Owain ap Urien
6789-463: The highest number of native speakers who use the language on a daily basis, and it is the Celtic language which is considered the least endangered by UNESCO . The Welsh Language Act 1993 and the Government of Wales Act 1998 provide that the Welsh and English languages be treated equally in the public sector, as far as is reasonable and practicable. Each public body is required to prepare for approval
6882-469: The highest percentage of residents giving Welsh as their main language. The census also revealed that 3,528 wards in England, or 46% of the total number, contained at least one resident whose main language is Welsh. In terms of the regions of England , North West England (1,945), London (1,310) and the West Midlands (1,265) had the highest number of people noting Welsh as their main language. According to
6975-496: The language, its speakers and for the nation." The measure was not welcomed warmly by all supporters: Bethan Williams, chairman of the Welsh Language Society, gave a mixed response to the move, saying, "Through this measure we have won official status for the language and that has been warmly welcomed. But there was a core principle missing in the law passed by the Assembly before Christmas. It doesn't give language rights to
7068-402: The least endangered Celtic language by UNESCO . The language of the Welsh developed from the language of Britons . The emergence of Welsh was not instantaneous and clearly identifiable. Instead, the shift occurred over a long period, with some historians claiming that it had happened by as late as the 9th century , with a watershed moment being that proposed by linguist Kenneth H. Jackson ,
7161-655: The material and language in which it was originally composed. This discretion stems from the fact that Cumbric was widely believed to have been the language used in Hen Ogledd. An 8th-century inscription in Tywyn shows the language already dropping inflections in the declension of nouns. Janet Davies proposed that the origins of the Welsh language were much less definite; in The Welsh Language: A History , she proposes that Welsh may have been around even earlier than 600 AD. This
7254-610: The modern period across the border in England. Archenfield was still Welsh enough in the time of Elizabeth I for the Bishop of Hereford to be made responsible, together with the four Welsh bishops, for the translation of the Bible and the Book of Common Prayer into Welsh. Welsh was still commonly spoken there in the first half of the 19th century, and churchwardens' notices were put up in both Welsh and English until about 1860. Alexander John Ellis in
7347-592: The name for their territory, Wales. The modern names for various Romance-speaking people in Continental Europe (e.g. Walloons , Valaisans , Vlachs / Wallachians , and Włosi , the Polish name for Italians) have a similar etymology. The Welsh term for the language, Cymraeg , descends from the Brythonic word combrogi , meaning 'compatriots' or 'fellow countrymen'. Welsh evolved from Common Brittonic ,
7440-613: The other Brittonic languages. It is not clear when Welsh became distinct. Linguist Kenneth H. Jackson has suggested that the evolution in syllabic structure and sound pattern was complete by around AD 550, and labelled the period between then and about AD 800 "Primitive Welsh". This Primitive Welsh may have been spoken in both Wales and the Hen Ogledd ('Old North') – the Brittonic-speaking areas of what are now northern England and southern Scotland – and therefore may have been
7533-464: The people of Wales in every aspect of their lives. Despite that, an amendment to that effect was supported by 18 Assembly Members from three different parties, and that was a significant step forward." On 5 October 2011, Meri Huws , Chair of the Welsh Language Board , was appointed the new Welsh Language Commissioner. She released a statement that she was "delighted" to have been appointed to
7626-471: The population not being able to speak it. The National Survey for Wales, conducted by Welsh Government, has also tended to report a higher percentage of Welsh speakers than the census, with the most recent results for 2022–2023 suggesting that 18 per cent of the population aged 3 and over were able to speak Welsh, with an additional 16 per cent noting that they had some Welsh-speaking ability. Historically, large numbers of Welsh people spoke only Welsh. Over
7719-502: The population of Wales aged 3 and over, were able to speak the language. Children and young people aged three to 15 years old were more likely to report that they could speak Welsh than any other age group (48.4 per cent, 241,300). Around 1,001,500 people, or 32.5 per cent, reported that they could understand spoken Welsh. 24.7 per cent (759,200) could read and 22.2 per cent (684,500) could write in Welsh. The APS estimates of Welsh language ability are historically higher than those produced by
7812-407: The population of Wales spoke Welsh, compared with 20.8 per cent in the 2001 census , and 18.5 per cent in the 1991 census . Since 2001, however, the number of Welsh speakers has declined in both the 2011 and 2021 censuses to about 538,300 or 17.8 per cent in 2021, lower than 1991, although it is still higher in absolute terms. The 2011 census also showed a "big drop" in the number of speakers in
7905-469: The red dragon altogether. In the 1909 national pageant of Wales, the Welsh dragon appears upright on a white background. The Welsh dragon that appears on the flag on board Captain Scott's Terra Nova is also an upright dragon (sergeant) on a white and green background. Up until this point, there was no standardised version of the Welsh dragon. The dragon was used on banners during women's suffrage events in Wales in
7998-409: The required fresh approach to this new role." Huws started her role as the Welsh Language Commissioner on 1 April 2012. Local councils and the Senedd use Welsh, issuing Welsh versions of their literature, to varying degrees. Road signs in Wales are in Welsh and English. Prior to 2016, the choice of which language to display first was the responsibility of the local council. Since then, as part of
8091-428: The standard functions as a haven for wounded soldiers in battles. Geoffrey of Monmouth reports that Arthur used the standard within his vicinity at the rear of the battle for the attention of his wounded soldiers. Owain Glyndŵr 's banner was known as Y Ddraig Aur or 'The Golden Dragon' ( Middle English : Gilden Dragoun ). It was famously raised over Caernarfon during the Battle of Tuthill in 1401 against
8184-518: The use of Welsh in daily life, and standardised spelling. The New Testament was translated by William Salesbury in 1567, and the complete Bible by William Morgan in 1588. Modern Welsh is subdivided into Early Modern Welsh and Late Modern Welsh. Early Modern Welsh ran from the 15th century through to the end of the 16th century, and the Late Modern Welsh period roughly dates from the 16th century onwards. Contemporary Welsh differs greatly from
8277-535: The walk from Whitehall through Pall Mall, St James's Street + Piccadilly to the Albert Hall. The dragon attracted much attention – “Here comes the Devil” was the greeting of one group of on lookers." As an emblem, the red dragon of Wales is present on the national flag of Wales, which became an official flag in 1959. The emblem (or logo) used by the Welsh Government is that of the Welsh dragon. According to their guidance,
8370-579: The way"). This motto is in the strict poetic metre of cynghanedd . Welsh language Welsh ( Cymraeg [kəmˈraːiɡ] or y Gymraeg [ə ɡəmˈraːiɡ] ) is a Celtic language of the Brittonic subgroup that is native to the Welsh people . Welsh is spoken natively in Wales , by some in England , and in Y Wladfa (the Welsh colony in Chubut Province , Argentina ). It
8463-685: The white dragon representing the Anglo-Saxons , which is soon to be defeated by the red dragon of Wales. The red dragon is now seen as symbolising Wales , present on the current national flag of Wales, which became an official flag in 1959. The military use of the term "dragon" (in Latin, "draco") dates back to the Roman period and this in turn is likely inspired by the symbols of the Scythians , Indians, Persians , Dacians or Parthians . The term draco can refer to
8556-519: Was dropped in favour of the current flag at the urging of the Gorsedd of Bards . The badge was used by the Wales Office and was printed on Statutory Instruments made by the National Assembly for Wales . The badge was previously used in the corporate logo of the Assembly until the "dynamic dragon" logo was adopted. This Royal badge was supplanted by a new official Royal badge in 2008 , which eliminated
8649-518: Was passed and received Royal Assent, thus making the Welsh language an officially recognised language within Wales. The measure: The measure required public bodies and some private companies to provide services in Welsh. The Welsh government's Minister for Heritage at the time, Alun Ffred Jones , said, "The Welsh language is a source of great pride for the people of Wales, whether they speak it or not, and I am delighted that this measure has now become law. I am very proud to have steered legislation through
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