Saint David (? - 589), the most famous of the Welsh Saints
The Romans left Britain in 383, leaving behind a largely Christian
country. Christianity was threatened by the Saxon invaders in eastern
Britain but largely survived in Celtic areas.
The period of the sixth century is known as the "Age of Saints" because
of the influence of a number of figures in the preservation and spreading
of Christianity. The chief of these (at least to have survived in recorded
history) was Dewi Sant (Saint David).
He founded a religious community in the extreme south-west of Wales. This
later became the site of the Cathedral of Saint David.
The presumed date of his death (1 March) is celebrated as Saint David's Day,
the most important day in the Welsh calendar.
Wales has its own version of Valentines Day, known to Welsh speakers as Dydd
Santes Dwynwen (Sainte Dwynwen's Day) on 25 January.
Much of Welsh history is enveloped in folk tale. This is because the early
Celts, unlike their Roman conquerors, had no tradition of writing - indeed,
NOT writing was considered a virtue - a way of preserving their mysteries.
Consequently it is very difficult to distinguish fact from myth in early
Welsh history. One such tale - from the Age of Saints - is that of Santes
Dwynwen.
Dwynwen was in love with a man called Maelon. The feelings were reciprocated
at least to the extent that Maelon was eager to get her into bed. Dwynwen
wished to preserve her virtue, something that Maelon was none too pleased
about, and there followed a fierce argument and Dwynwen prayed to God for
help dealing with her love for Maelon.
Her prayers were answered in the form of a magic drink which cooled her love
for Maelon. Not only that, but Maelon got turned into a lump of ice. This
was something that Dwynwen immediately regretted. Fortunately she was granted
three wishes as well, and she used the first of these to get Maelon unfrozen.
Her second wish was to become the patron saint of lovers and to give comfort
to them in their times of sadness. Her third wish was to remain unmarried
for the rest of her life.
She then retired to a small island off the coast of Anglesey (LLanddwyn
Island) to live in solitude.
Hywel Dda (?-950) Founder of the Welsh Legal System
It was the tradition in Wales for kingdoms to be devided up between sons
on the death of the monarch. This meant that Wales was seldom united against
foreign invaders, but it did mean that kingdoms were conquered, others
survived. One king who stands out as establishing a kingdom covering
much of present-day Wales was Hywel Dda (Hywel the Good, in English).
He is generally perceived as an enlightened king, given that his rule was
(unusually for the time) quite peaceful. He avoided Anglo-Saxon invasion
through paying tribute to Athelstan, king of Wessex. Opinion is divided
as to whether this consituted a betrayal of the Welsh people (who would,
in effect, have to pay taxes to an English king) or whether it was simply
prudent policy given that Hywel would probably lose in any confrontation
with Athelstan.
Hywel's rise to a position of reigning over such a large area came
partly through fortune - his brother Clydog, who inherited part of the
kingdom, died young, partly through marriage - to the daughter of the King
of Dyfed, partly through opportunism - when the King of Gwynedd died, Hywel
moved in, disposessing the legal inheritors of the throne and partly
thorugh his success of protecting Wales from Viking coastal invasions, a
constant threat at that time.
He is most remembered for leaving behind a system of laws which had influence
in Wales for over five centuries.
One of the fundamental differences between Hywel's law and English law was
that there was no death penalty for murder. Instead the perpretator's
(extended) family had to pay blood money (called "galanas") to the family
of the victim. It was seen as way of getting families to restrain their
members because of the financial consequences for all members of the family
and as a way of preventing escalating feuds between families. Hywel's
law did retain hanging for theives, however !
Only men inherited land under Hywel's law and women had no right to
claim on commong property in the case of divorce in the first seven years
of marriage. That women had rights after that (everything was laid down
in detail - the youngest and eldest child went tov the father, those in the
middle to the mother) was probably quited enlightened in comparison to other
laws around at that time.
Llewelyn our last leader (1225?-1282) the last of the Welsh princes
Llewlyn the Second, Prince of Gwynedd (North Wales), known to English
Speakers as Llewelyn the Last and to Welsh speakers as Llewelyn Ein Llew
Olaf (Llewelyn our Last Leader) was the last in a dynasty of Welsh princes
to hold out against English domination.
He was the second son of Llewelyn I, who succeded in taking his father's
place only after defeating his other brothers in battle. (According to
Welsh law, the kingdom was divided between sons - a system which ensured
that Wales remained divided into a number of small kingdoms.) Llewelyn's
influence grew through dominating and exacting tribute (today we would call
it "protection money") from lesser princes.
Initial attempts by the English, under Henry III, to defeat him were
unsuccessful, largely
though a tactic of attacking, then retreating into the mountains, a sort of
guerilla war. Llewelyn later joined rebel English barons in an effort to
overthrow Henry III. This did not succeed. The conflict ended with the
Treaty of Montgomery in 1267, which offered Llewelyn the opportunity to
rule Wales in peace, but only at the cost of paying tribute himself to the
English king, something which required him to levy heavy taxes on his own
people.
When Edward I came to the throne of England, Llewelyn's fortunes went into
decline. His younger brother Dafydd turned against him and his prospective
bride, Elinor de Montfort was imprisoned. For his part, Llewelyn stopped
paying tribute. In the subsequent confrontation, he was defeated when the
English troops harvested the grain his army needed for survival. The peace
treaty which followed left him stripped of much of his land and power.
In 1282 he joined his younger brother Dafydd in a rebellion against Edward I.
It was when travelling from the North to Central Wales that he was killed
by two ordinary soldiers, probably as part of a plot.
After his death, his head was cut off to be paraded around the streets of
London at the end of a pike. With Llewelyn's death a way of life -
particularly for bards and others dependent on the patronage of the princes
of Wales - came to an end.
The site of his death, Cilmery near Bulith Wells is a place of pilgrimage
by Welsh nationalists. On the anniversary of his death, 11 December, a
regular gathering takes place - watched discretely by representatives of
the present English monarch.
Owain Glyndwr (1354?-1416?) the great rebel against English rule
No name is more frequently associated with the struggle for Welsh
independence than Owain Glyndwr. His name is remebered by most people
as having been borrowed by some modern Welsh nationalist activists who
waged a campaign of direct action, including burning holiday homes owned
by English people. They called themselves "Meibion Glyndwr" (the sons of
Glyndwr).
But anyone seeking comparisons with Fidel Castro or Che Guevara will be
very mistaken. Owain Glyndwr was a wealthy landowner with a lengthy pedigree
of Welsh nobility. There is no evidence that he treated his serfs any better
than did English squires.
Why Owain Glyndwr revolted agains the English is not entirely clear. It
could have been the imprisonment and subsequent murder of the the young
King of England, Richard II, with whom Glyndwr's family enjoyed good
relations. He was imprisoned and presumbably murdered by Henry Bolingbroke,
who proclaimed himself King of England (Henry IV) and even worse, he
proclaimed his son Prince of Wales. A plausible alternative explaination
was mundane boundary disputes with his English neighbours.
Owain Glyndwr's great achievement was to form a wide-ranging aliance against
the English. There was widespread resentment against the Normans who,
having set up a network of castles, alowed the development of towns around
the castles, from which the native Welsh were largely excluded. He received
naval support from Brittany and Charles Vi of France. He managed to turn
some of the Engish landlords of Wales and the Welsh borders against the
English.
At the height of his success Owain Glyndwr managed to capture the castles
at Aberystwyth, Cydweli and Harlech, the last being a triumph marvelled at
by military historians. To keep his alliance together Glyndwr called two
parliaments, the most famous being in Machynlleth in 1404. Consideration
was given to reforms such as the establishment of two universities in Wales.
Glyndwr's alliance was based more on opportunism than conviction, hence when
the tide began to turn, it fell apart. Faced with certain defeat, Owain
Glyndwr went into hiding, motivated no doubt by a well-founded sense of
self-preservation. There is some speculation that he may have taken on a
new identity as a wandering bard.
The site of Owain Glyndwr's final resting place is not known for certain.
Locating and commemorating it is one of the objectives of the Cymdeithas
Owain Glyndwr (Owain Glyndwr Society) which is dedicated to developing
interest in Welsh history generally.
Rowland Lee (? - 1543) The Bishop who may have hung 5000 Welshmen
The two acts of union - in 1536 and 1543 - are considered by many as the
point at which Wales ceased to be a separate entity and became assimilated
as part of England.
Making Wales disappear on paper is one thing. Making it disappear in the
minds and hearts of people is another matter. Unification is much more a
process than a matter of passing laws. Rowland Lee played a central role in
that process.
Henry VIII (perhaps at the instigation of his Chief Administrator, Thomas
Cromwell) was eager to see uniformity throughout his relm. The Welsh were
seen as beyond normal means of control and bringing the Welsh into the Union
would require strong measures.
Rowland Lee, a bishop, but to all accounts a mediocre theologan, was given
the task of taming the Welsh, something he proceded to do with great energy
and enthusiasm. During the period between the two Acts he conducted a
rein of terror in Wales.
His entusiasm for hanging was legendary. He acted according to the principle
that its better to hang a hundred too many than one too few. The number he
hung is a matter of disupute, but according to one contemporary account it was
five thousand. There is even one account of him hanging a dead body, such
was his anger at the opportunity missed.
It is said that parents at that time would frighten their children by telling
them "Rowland Lee will get you".
He died in the same year as the that the second of the Acts was passed, marking
a new and more peaceful period for Wales.
Edward Llwyd (1660?-1709) Welsh naturalist and scholar
Edward Llwyd was a scholar and assiduous observer and notetaker of almost
everything he encountered, making his mark in a number of fields - the study
of fossils, plants, history and comparative languages.
Although he spent most of his early life in England, Edward Llwyd was
thoroughly Welsh. He travelled extensively in the Celtic world (at one
point being imprisoned as a spy in Brittany) and noted the common origins
and differences between the various Celtic languages (Welsh, Gaelic, Breton).
Edward Llwyd was the inspiration for the Cymdeithas Edward Llwyd (Edward Llwyd
Society) a Welsh language organsiation dedicated to the preservation and
promotion of the natural world. They organise an annual program of walks
in various parts of Wales.
Wiliam Price managed in his life the strange combination of medical practice
and druidism. He is seen by some as a man whose thinking was in advace of
his time and by others as a complete excentric.
After leaving school he worked as an apprentice to a doctor in Caerphilly
before going to London to study medicne. He returned to Pontypridd to
practice medicine, but also became known for his strange rituals and
clothing, consisting of green trousers, red waistcoat and white overcoat.
he carried a staff marked with Greek insignia and topped with a crescent
moon. On his head he wore the skin of a fox - head and all!
William Price is best known for starting the practice of cremation. He
cremated his father and his son (whom he gave the name Iesu Grist (= Jesus
Christ). He was arrested and tried for the practice of cremation, but he
was not convicted and he continued to advocate the practice of cremation.
After his death he himself was cremated, according to his wishes. A statue
of William Price stands outside Model House in Llantrisant.
David Lloyd George (1863-1945) Wales's Liberal Prime Minister
Today we take the take the state pension for old people for granted. It
is difficult to believe that a century ago there was no such thing. The
welfare state was nonexistant, and people lived in fear of the poorhouse,
a place where people were made to work hard just for food and shelter.
David Lloyd George was the person mainly responsible for changing that.
Although born in Manchester, he moved to North Wales at an early age and
was a fluent Welsh speaker. Early in his political career he tried to form
a nationalist party, but made his career in the Liberal Party. (The time
of the Labour Party was yet to come.)
In 1908 he became Chancellor of the Exchequer (Minister of Finance) where
he is mainly remembered for introducing the old age pension. His attempts
to introduce the National Insurance to protect people from the extremes of
poverty met with constant rejection by the House of Lords, although in 1911
he was successful in getting it introduced.
During the First World War he was responsible for recruiting Welsh soldiers.
He became Minister of War and then Prime Minister. Although largely supported
for his conduct of the war, the coalition with the Conservatives and the
cruelty employed by the British in attempts to suppress the nationalist
uprising in Ireland mad him many enemies. He agreed to the division of
Ireland, a situation which led to 30 years of unrest at the end of the 20th
Century.
He lost power as the result of a by-election in Newport in 1922. it was
won by Conservative who opposed the coalition and who forced an election
amongst ordinary members. The opponents of the coalition won and the
Government fell. The memory of the by-election lives on today as the
1922 committee of the Conservative party.
Aneurin Bevan (1897-1960) Architect of the National Health Service
The National Health Service offers free medical treatment for all, a
system unique to Britain. It was conceived by the Labour politician,
Aneurin Bevan, who introduced it as Minister of Health in 1948.
It was strongly opposed by the medical profession and Bevan was forced
to win their support with measures which were distasteful to him such
as offering high salaries to doctors in the NHS and allowing them to
earn additional sums through having their private patients in beds in
NHS hospitals.
His idealism brought him into conflict with the leadership of the Labour
Party and his ministerial career ended just three years after the founding
of the NHS.
Dylan Thomas is Wales's best-known English-language poet.
Much of his work describes his boyhood in Swansea, which he called an
"ugly, lovely town".
Much of Thomas's work is irreverant - "about death and copulation", as one
observer put it. An example of Thomas's humour is "Under Milk Wood"
describing life in a seaside town called "Llareggub" - a Welsh looking name,
until you spell it backwards!
His life was marked by a turbulent love life and heavy drinking. He
travelled extensively and died during a lecture trip to America, preumably
as a result of over-consumption of alcohol.
Dylan Thomas is probably more widely admired outside Wales than within
Wales and he is a particular favourite of the former American president,
Jimmy Carter. Apparently Bill Clinton intended to visit his birthplace
whilst studying in Oxford, but he ran out of petrol on the way.
George Thomas is probably Tonypandy's most famous son. After a career
as a teacher, spent partly in London, he entered politics and became elected
Member of Parliament for a Cardiff constituency.
He was Speaker of the House of Commons at the time that the radio
broadcasting of parliamentary sessions began. He may best be remembered
for the sound of his deep Welsh voice shouting "Order! Order!"
He was a strict Methodist and is reputed never to have touched a drop of
alcohol in his life.
Shortly after he died in 1997, a new pub was opened up on the bypass road
just outside of Tonypandy, which was given the name "The Lord Tonypandy".
Some claim that he would have approved of having a pub being named after
him, but many people believe that he would probably turn in his grave at
the thought!
A more appropriate tribute to him is the naming of a new hospital in
Treorchy Ysbyty George Thomas (George Thomas Hospital).
His father was from North Wales and spoke Welsh, but his mother, who grew
up locally, spoke only English. As in many mixed marriages, the Welsh
language was simply not used, and he was never able to speak the language
very well, something he always regretted. He is nevertheless someone whom
many Welsh language activists regard as their opponent, particularly for his
involvment in the investiture of Prince Charles in 1969.
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