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"Cenedl heb iaith, cenedl heb galon"-"A nation without a language is a nation without a heart" Welsh Proverb

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Monday, December 29, 2014

The History of Wales's photo.
The History of Wales added 2 new photos.
29th December
Patagonian settlers building a road to the Andes, near 'Afon y Mynach' in 1888. In the middle wearing a white coat stands Llwyd ap Iwan (son of Michael D Jones, founder of the Welsh settlement in Patagonia), who was murdered on the 29th December, 1909, some say by Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid but more probably by members of their gang. He was shot dead in the co-operative store, of which he was supervisor, close to his home at Nant y Pysgod, about thirty miles from Esquel in the foothills of the Andes.

Friday, December 26, 2014

On the Feast of Steven!!!!

Christmas Customs in Wales. 

Gwyl San Steffan (St. Stephens Day; Boxing Day - December 26th) 

The day after Christmas Day was celebrated in a way unique to Wales and included the tradition of "holly-beating" or "holming." Young men and boys would beat the unprotected arms of young females with holly branches until they bled. In some areas it was the legs that were beaten. In others, it was the custom for the last person to get out of bed in the morning to be beaten with sprigs of holly. These customs, which apparently to bring good luck during the coming year died out before the end of the 19th century (luckily for young girls and those who like a lie-in!)
Christmas Customs in Wales.
Gwyl San Steffan (St. Stephens Day; Boxing Day - December 26th)
The day after Christmas Day was celebrated in a way unique to Wale...s and included the tradition of "holly-beating" or "holming." Young men and boys would beat the unprotected arms of young females with holly branches until they bled. In some areas it was the legs that were beaten. In others, it was the custom for the last person to get out of bed in the morning to be beaten with sprigs of holly. These customs, which apparently to bring good luck during the coming year died out before the end of the 19th century (luckily for young girls and those who like a lie-in!)

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Welsh in Penn.

"Cambria in Pensylvania"
Born on this day 1760 in Llanbradach, near Caerphilly - Morgan John Rhys - radical evangelical Baptist minister who preached the principles of the French Revolution, against slavery and in favour of the reform of parliament. In 1794 he grew tired of the repression in Britain and emigrated to America where he changed his surname to Rhees and established the Welsh colony of Cambria in Pensylvania.
...
Cambria, was the first real Welsh colony , in which the Welsh language, culture and religion was maintained in a community with a distinct Welsh identity. Here Rhys established his own religious denomination and a newspaper, The western sky.
The history of Welsh emigration to Pensylvania, had begun, when Charles II was restored to the English throne in 1660, he instigated a wave of religious intolerance which threatened the rights of several groups including Quakers and Baptists, to worship in the way that they chose. Significant numbers of people - in some cases, whole communities - began to leave Wales. The Court of Great Sessions in Bala, North Wales, threatened to burn Quakers, prompting the Welsh Quakers to acquire land from William Penn, which was known as The Welsh Tract (approximately 40,000 acres) in and around what is now Pennsylvania. The project envisioned as a kind of "Holy Experiment," involved an oral understanding with William Penn and the Society of Friends (a pact made in England before the Welsh sailed to the New World). However this agreement was never put into writing and later became a source of bitter controversy between Penn and the Welsh Quakers.
Then in 1683, Baptists from mid and west Wales also made the journey to Philadelphia, where they settled and acquired 30,000 acres of land on the banks of the Delaware River. But it was Morgan Rhys's Cambria that is considered to be the first real Welsh colony in which the Welsh language, culture and religion was maintained in a community with a distinct Welsh identity.
Many towns in the area are named after places in Wales, such as North Wales, Lower Merion, Upper Merion, Bala Cynwyd, Radnor and Haverford Township, others such as Tredyffrin and Uwchlan, have independent Welsh names.
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Thursday, November 27, 2014

Happy Thanksgiving: Did you know that 20% of those who came on  the Mayflower were of Welsh background?

Monday, October 27, 2014

Happy 100th Birthday to one our most beloved writers, Dylan Thomas.

"Though they sink through the sea they shall rise again; Though lovers be lost love shall not. And death shall have no dominion". 

Happy 100th Birthday to one our most beloved writers, Dylan Thomas.
"Though they sink through the sea they shall rise again; Though lovers be lost love shall not. And death shall have no dominion".
Happy 100th Birthday to one our most beloved writers, Dylan Thomas.


27th October

Today is the 100th anniversary of the birth of Dylan Thomas.

Dylan Marlais Thomas was born on October 27 1914 at 5 Cwmdonkin Drive in Swansea.

Dylan's father was an English Literature professor at the local grammar school and would often recite Shakespeare to Thomas before he could read. He loved the sounds of nursery rhymes, foreshadowing his love for the rhythmic ballads of Hopkins, Yeats, and Poe. Although both of his parents spoke fluent Welsh, Thomas and his older sister never learned the language, and Thomas wrote exclusively in English. 

Thomas was a neurotic, sickly child who shied away from school and preferred reading on his own. He read all of D. H. Lawrence's poetry, impressed by vivid descriptions of the natural world. Fascinated by language, he excelled in English and reading but neglected other subjects. He dropped out of school at sixteen to become a junior reporter for the South Wales Daily Post.  By December of 1932, he left his job at the Post and decided to concentrate on his poetry full time. It was during this time, in his late teens, that Thomas wrote more than half of his collected poems. 

In 1934, when Thomas was twenty, he moved to London, won the Poet's Corner book prize, and published his first book, 18 Poems, to great acclaim. The book drew from a collection of poetry notebooks that Thomas had written years earlier, as would many of his most popular books. During this period of success, Thomas also began a habit of alcohol abuse.  Unlike his contemporaries, T. S. Eliot and W. H. Auden, Thomas was not concerned with exhibiting themes of social and intellectual issues, and his writing, with its intense lyricism and highly charged emotion, has more in common with the Romantic tradition.  Thomas describes his technique in a letter: "I make one image—though 'make' is not the right word; I let, perhaps, an image be 'made' emotionally in me and then apply to it what intellectual & critical forces I possess—let it breed another, let that image contradict the first, make, of the third image bred out of the other two together, a fourth contradictory image, and let them all, within my imposed formal limits, conflict." 

Two years after the publication of 18 Poems, Thomas met the dancer Caitlin Macnamara at a pub in London. At the time, she was the mistress of painter Augustus John. Macnamara and Thomas engaged in an affair, and married in 1937. Despite the passionate love letters Thomas would write to her, the marriage was turbulent, with rumours of both having multiple affairs.  In 1940, Thomas and his wife moved to London. He had served as an anti-aircraft gunner but was rejected for more active combat due to illness. To avoid the air raids, the couple left London in 1944. They eventually settled at Laugharne, in the Boat House where Thomas would write many of his later poems. 

In January 1950, at the age of thirty-five, Thomas visited America for the first time. His reading tours of the United States, which did much to popularize the poetry reading as a new medium for the art, are famous and notorious, for Thomas was the archetypal Romantic poet of the popular American imagination: he was flamboyantly theatrical, a heavy drinker, engaged in roaring disputes in public, and read his work aloud with tremendous depth of feeling and a singing Welsh lilt.  Thomas toured America four times, with his last public engagement taking place at the City College of New York. A few days later, he collapsed in the Chelsea Hotel after a long drinking bout at the White Horse Tavern. On November 9, 1953, he died at St. Vincent's Hospital in New York City at the age of 39. He had become a legendary figure, both for his work and the boisterousness of his life. He was buried in Laugharne, and almost 30 years later, a plaque to Dylan was unveiled in Poet's Corner, Westminster Abbey.
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Saturday, October 25, 2014

Dafydd Gam and Owain Glyyndwr

25th October
On 25th October 1415, Dafydd Gam was Killed on the field of The Battle of Agincourt, reportedly saving the life of King Henry V
Sir Dafydd ap Llewelyn ap Hywel (c. 1380 – October 25, 1415), better known as Dafydd Gam or Davy Gam, (The name "Gam" is a Welsh word meaining "crooked" or "bent", as it is recorded that Gam had a characteristic squint), was a member of one of the most prominent Welsh families in Breconshire, from Pen-pont on the river Usk, where his fa...mily's power base had developed from their consistent support for the marcher Lords of Brecon of the de Bohun family. So when Henry Bolingbroke (the future Henry IV) married the de Bohun hieress Mary and became Lord of Brecon, Dafydd Gam's family's allegiance transferred to him. Dafydd himself was in Henry's service, being paid the substantial annuity of 40 marks by Henry’s estate in 1399,
Dafydd Gam is regarded as a traitor by many Welsh people as he was a prominent opponent of Owain Glyndwr. When the Glyndwr rebellion broke out in 1400, Gam played a leading role in its opposition in the area and his lands in and around Brecon became a target for Glyndŵr's attacks. In 1404, according to legend Gam tried to assassinate Glyndŵr at his parliament at Machynlleth, but was released soon after the Parliament. If true this generous gesture would come back to haunt Glyndwr, as in 1905, Dafydd is named as a leader in the crushing defeat of Glyndŵr's men at the Battle of Pwll Melyn, near Usk, at which 300 of Glyndŵr's men were executed . His loyalty being rewarded with the gift of some of Glyndŵr's supporters' confiscated estates in Cardiganshire. In 1412 Gam was captured by Glyndŵr’s men and his ransom was paid directly and speedily from the King’s estates in Wales, indicating the esteem in which Gam was held by Henry. Glyndŵr had made Gam swear an oath to never bear arms against him again or oppose him in any other way, but on his release Gam immediately reneged on this oath, which resulted in Glyndŵr having Gam's Brecon estates attacked and burned in retaliation.
When Henry IV died in 1413, Henry V became ruler and Gam again was a loyal servent to the new king. Gam went with Henry V on campaign to France in 1415 and met his death on the field of Agincourt. Many reports of the battle suggest that in the late stages of the battle, with the result in the balance, Henry V was engaged in hand to hand fighting with the Duke of Alençon, who supposedly cut an ornament from Henry’s crown with a sword blow. Gam is said to have personally intervened to save Henry's life, only to have been struck a fatal blow in doing so and that as he lay dying on the field, he was knighted by King Henry.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dafydd_Gam
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Thursday, October 23, 2014

Festiniog Railway


    23rd October
    On 23rd October 1863, Festiniog Railway introduced steam locomotives into general service, the first time this has been done anywhere in the world ...on a public narrow gauge railway.
    The line was constructed between 1833 and 1836 to transport slate from the quarries around the inland town of Blaenau Ffestiniog to the coastal town of Porthmadog where it was loaded onto ships. The railway was graded so that loaded wagons could be run by gravity downhill all the way from Blaenau Ffestiniog to the port. The empty wagons were then hauled back up by horses.
    During the late 1850s it became clear that the line was reaching its operational capacity, while the output of the Blaenau Ffestiniog slate quarries continued to rise. In 1860, the board of the company began to investigate the possibility of introducing steam locomotives to increase the carrying capacity of the railway. In 1862 the company advertised for manufacturers to tender to build the line's first locomotives. In February 1863, the bid of George England and Co. was accepted and production of the first locomotives was begun.
    These steam locomotives allowed much longer slate trains to be run and this also enabled the official introduction of passenger trains in 1865: the Ffestiniog was the first narrow gauge railway in Britain to carry passengers.
    Today, the Ffestiniog Railway is a major tourist attraction located mainly within the Snowdonia National Park, travelling through both forested and mountainous scenery.




    23rd October

On 23rd October 1863, Festiniog Railway introduced steam locomotives into general service, the first time this has been done anywhere in the world on a public narrow gauge railway. 

The line was constructed between 1833 and 1836 to transport slate from the quarries around the inland town of Blaenau Ffestiniog to the coastal town of Porthmadog where it was loaded onto ships. The railway was graded so that loaded wagons could be run by gravity downhill all the way from Blaenau Ffestiniog to the port. The empty wagons were then hauled back up by horses.

During the late 1850s it became clear that the line was reaching its operational capacity, while the output of the Blaenau Ffestiniog slate quarries continued to rise. In 1860, the board of the company began to investigate the possibility of introducing steam locomotives to increase the carrying capacity of the railway. In 1862 the company advertised for manufacturers to tender to build the line's first locomotives. In February 1863, the bid of George England and Co. was accepted and production of the first locomotives was begun.

These steam locomotives allowed much longer slate trains to be run and this also enabled the official introduction of passenger trains in 1865: the Ffestiniog was the first narrow gauge railway in Britain to carry passengers.

Today, the Ffestiniog Railway is a major tourist attraction located mainly within the Snowdonia National Park, travelling through both forested and mountainous scenery.

Thursday, October 16, 2014

Goronwy ab Ednyfed (c. 1205 - 17 October 1268)

17th October
Goronwy ab Ednyfed (c. 1205 - 17 October 1268) was seneschal to Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, between 1246 and 1256.
As seneschal, he was in charge of domestic arrangements and the administration of servants and held his lands in Wales free from all dues and services other than military service in time of war.
...
Goronwy's father was Ednyfed Fychan, senechal to Llywelyn the Great and later his son Dafydd ap Llywelyn and his mother, Gwenllian, was daughter of Rhys ap Gruffydd (Lord Rhys). Goronwy's brother Tudur, a leading adviser of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, succeeded him as seneschal to Llywelyn until his death in 1278. He was a direct ancestor of Henry Tudor (King Henry VII of England) and his great grandson also Goronwy was an uncle by marriage of Owain Glyndwr.



Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Iolo Goch

Iolo Goch (c. 1320 – c. 1398), (meaning Iolo the Red in English), was a medieval Welsh poet or bard who composed poems addressed to Owain Glyndŵr, among others.
en.wikipedia.org

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Saunders Lewis

15th October
Born on this day 1893 in Wallasey, England (brought up by his Welsh family, amongst the Welsh community on Merseyside)
Saunders Lewis, poet, dramatist, historian, literary critic and political activist, who in 2005 was voted 10th in a BBC Wales poll to name Wales' greatest-ever person.
...
Saunders Lewis’ legacy is immense, alongside his literary output - he wrote plays, poems and novels and was twice nominated for the Nobel Prize for Literature- he had a profound influence on 20th century Welsh politics. A founder of Plaid Cymru, he was also instrumental to the creation of Cymdeithas Yr Iaith Gymraeg (Welsh Language Society)
At the outbreak of World War I, Lewis was sudying at The University of Liverpool, he enlisted as an officer with the South Wales Borderes and it was this experience, especially fighting alongside Irishmen, seems to have had a significant effect on him. It helped to shape his convictions about the importance of Welsh national identity although - unlike hard line Irish republicans - he stopped short of advocating violence against representatives of the British state.
After the war, he returned to university to graduate in English, then in 1922, he was appointed as a lecturer in Welsh at the University College of Wales, Swansea. During his time at Swansea he produced some of his most exciting works of literary criticism; A School of Welsh Augustans (1924), Williams Pantycelyn (1927), and Braslun o hanes llenyddiaeth Gymraeg (An outline history of Welsh literature) (1932). In 1925 along with H.R. Jones and Lewis Valentine, he founded Plaid Genedlaethol Cymru (National Party of Wales) (which would become Plaid Cymru), with the principal aim of the party, being to foster a Welsh speaking Wales. In 1936 Lewis, together Jones and Valentine, set fire to the new RAF base at Penyberth in Gwynedd. They gave themselves up to the police, claiming justification on nationalist and pacifist grounds. In the aftermath of the Penyberth arson, Lewis lost his university lecturing post and in controversial circumstances went on trial at the Old Bailey in London. He was sentenced to nine months imprisonment.
In 1962 Lewis gave a lecture on BBC radio entitled Tynged Yr Iaith (The Fate of the Language). In this speech Lewis predicted the extinction of the Welsh language and declared that the language would die unless revolutionary methods were used to defend it. The broadcast led to the creation of Cymdeithas Yr Iaith Gymraeg (Welsh Language Society) and inspired its campaigns of direct action over the following decades. Cymdeithas protests undoubtedly played a part in the establishment of S4C, the Welsh language television channel, in 1982 and the Welsh Language Act of 1993.
Saunders Lewis died in September 1985 at the age of 91.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saunders_Lewis
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Monday, October 13, 2014

Madoc

Even Christopher Columbus in his log book at Yale University says I am in the Waters of Madoc of Wales who came before me!

Friday, October 10, 2014

Age of the Saints

Age of the Saints




The History of Wales's photo.




It is thought that the foundations for the Welsh church had already been laid in late Roman Britain and "The Age of the Saints" refers to the 5th and 6th century "Celtic Saints" who journeyed along the western seaways between Brittany, Cornwall, Wales, Ireland and Scotland, spreading the Word.
The Age of Saints began in Wales with Dyfrig (Saint Dubricus), a bishop at Ariconium in the kingdom of Ergyng in the middle of the 5th century,who kept Christianity alive in Wales at a time when Roman introduced Christianity was waning in England and paganism was revived. Dyrfig was followed by Illtud, an abbot, who established a school in Llanilltud Fawr (Llantwit Major), which drew scholars from across the Celtic world. Gildas, author of "De Excidio Britanniae", one of the few historical records we have of Britain at this time, was a scholar at Llanilltud Fawr.
In the early sixth century, many of the Welsh Saints retreated from society and settled in isolated areas to lead lives of prayer and communion with God and unlike the Irish missionaries, made very little attempt to convert the pagan Anglo Saxons. Christianity only reached the English with the coming of St Augustine to Canterbury in 597, on a mission to bring Christianity to Britain As a papal-appointed archbishop, Augustine expected obedience from the bishops of Wales, but they rejected his claims and also refused to conform to Roman practices on matters such as the system for calculating the date of Easter. Wales was the only substantial territory still refusing to conform. and when the English historian Bede was writing his Ecclesiastical History of the English People in 731, he claimed that the Welsh had possessed no desire to Christianize the pagan English and for the most part have a natural hatred for the English and uphold their own bad customs against the true Easter of the Catholic Church.
The Celtic saints of Wales were often men or women of noble rank, including kings, princes, and chieftains, who chose to renounce privilege and live the monastic life, they appear as indivduals of concience in a violent unpredictable age, polar opposites of aggressive kingdom expansionism and they offered a peaceful non violent place of sanctuary.
In Wales sanctity was locally conferred and none of the medieval Welsh saints appears to have been canonized by the Roman Catholic Church. Of the thousand or so parishes of Wales, the names of up to a half begin with Llan. It means an enclosure and was originally applied to a consecrated Christian burial ground rather than to a building, some of the llannau are dedicated to the Celtic saints hence we have Landdewi, Llandeilo, Llangadog, Llanbadarn, Llanfeuno and Llandysilio, while others are dedicated to figures of Christianity such as Mary, Peter and Michael (Llanfair, Llanbedr, Llanfihangel). Over 400 inscribed tombstones and crosses have been found from all parts of Wales, with dates ranging from the 5th century. The earliest examples are quite plain, and generally served as tombstones or grave-markers. Later monuments include the "Samson Cross" at Llantwit, and the fine pillar crosses at Carew and Nevern.

Thursday, October 9, 2014

Llywelyn ap Gruffydd Fychan,





On October 9th 1401 Llywelyn ap Gruffydd Fychan, was gruesomely executed for thwarting the efforts of King Henry IV’s forces to capture Owain Glyndwr.

Owain Glyndwr, had rebelled against English rule and declared himself Princ...e of Wales in 1400. Then in the summer of 1401, on the slopes of Pumlumon, Glyndwr had crushed Henry IV’s army. In reprisal Henry sent a force into Wales to find Glyndwr and they tracked him down to Llandovery. Henry, accompanied by his son (the future Henry V) followed with a huge army and on arriving in Llandovery, looked for local help in locating Glyndwr. Local landowner, Llywelyn ap Gruffydd Fychan volunteered to help, however the 60-year-old Llywelyn, who had two sons in Glyndwr’s army, had no intetions of betraying Glyndwr. For weeks he led the king and his forces on a wild goose chase through the uplands of Deheubarth, which allowed Glyndwr and his men time to make their escape.

The king’s patience became taxed and he began to see that Llywelyn was not taking them to their man. Angrily, Henry ordered that Llywelyn be dragged through the town of Llandovery and there, be executed in the town square, infront of the castle gates. Firstly Llywelyn's stomach was cut out and cooked in front of him. Then, he was hanged, drawn and quartered, with his remains sent to other Welsh towns to deter them from opposing the king. However, Glyndwr remained uncaptured and was never betrayed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Llywelyn_ap_Gruffydd_Fychan
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Photo: 9th October

On October 9th 1401 Llywelyn ap Gruffydd Fychan, was gruesomely executed for thwarting the efforts of King Henry IV’s forces to capture Owain Glyndwr.

Owain Glyndwr, had rebelled against English rule and declared himself Prince of Wales in 1400.  Then in the summer of 1401, on the slopes of Pumlumon, Glyndwr had crushed Henry IV’s army.  In reprisal Henry sent a force into Wales to find Glyndwr and they tracked him down to Llandovery.  Henry, accompanied by his son (the future Henry V) followed with a huge army and on arriving in Llandovery, looked for local help in locating Glyndwr.  Local landowner, Llywelyn ap Gruffydd Fychan volunteered to help, however the 60-year-old  Llywelyn, who had two sons in Glyndwr’s army, had no intetions of betraying Glyndwr.  For weeks he led the king and his forces on a wild goose chase through the uplands of Deheubarth, which allowed Glyndwr and his men time to make their escape.

The king’s patience became taxed and he began to see that Llywelyn was not taking them to their man.  Angrily, Henry ordered that Llywelyn be dragged through the town of Llandovery and there, be executed in the town square, infront of the castle gates.  Firstly Llywelyn's stomach was cut out and cooked in front of him. Then, he was hanged, drawn and quartered, with his remains sent to other Welsh towns to deter them from opposing the king.  However, Glyndwr remained uncaptured and was never betrayed.

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

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Garth Celyn. Former home of our last Prince

Welsh Government should purchase Garth Celyn. Former home of our last Prince-Please Siggn and you can from the USA and Canada, Argentina!
Preservation of Culture and Heritage
thepetitionsite.com

Friday, September 26, 2014

Pennsylvania and the Welsh Tract


In 1681, King Charles II handed over 45,000 square miles of his American land holdings to a wealthy Quaker called William Penn.
The land was originally called New Wales, but later renamed Pennsylvania by the king. Many maintain that the name means Penn’s Woods, but Penn himself modestly explained that ‘pen’ means ‘head’ in Welsh, and suggested a more accurate meaning of the name would be ‘head of the woods’.
Vast numbers of Quakers began to emigrate to Pennsylvania, many of whom were Welsh speakers seeking a home in the New World. They settled just west of Philadelphia, and the area became known as the Welsh Tract.
Many of the original Welsh settlers spoke no English, and a failed attempt was made to establish an independent state whose language of governance would be Welsh.
In 1701, William Penn granted the Welsh a second Welsh Tract of 30,000 acres, which included what is now Pencader Hundred, Delaware and a part of Maryland. By this time, approximately one third of Pennsylvania’s population was Welsh.
Welsh-speaking farmers constituted the majority of early settlers, with a later influx of Welsh miners who were attracted by the coalfields of Pennsylvania.
A strong Welsh presence exists in America to this day – the numerous Welsh place names in Pennsylvania and other regions reveal the formidable influence of the Welsh pioneers, e.g. Bryn Mawr (large hill), Uwchlan (upper bank) and Gwynedd, a county in Wales.
Many streets in Pennsylvania also bear Welsh names – Llandrillo Road, Clwyd Road, Penarth Road and Derwen Road can all be found in the Bala Cynwyd district of the city. Bala and Cynwyd are two separate towns in north Wales.
Today, approximately 200,000 Welsh Americans live in Pennsylvania – more than in any other part of the United States.

Thursday, September 25, 2014

Saint Cadog (Cadoc) Born 497.

The History of Wales's photo.

25th September
Today is the feast day of Saint Cadog (Cadoc) Born 497.
St. Cadoc is one of the most important early Welsh saints. He was a contemporary of Dewi... Sant (St. David), St. Patrick of Ireland, St. Columba of lona, and tutor of St Illtyd. It is said that he rivaled St David as Wales' patron saint.
Cadoc was the son of Gwynllyw, ruler of the Kingdom of Gwynllwg and Gwladys, daughter of King Brychan of Brycheiniog. After the birth of his son, Gwynllyw went on a wild celebratory raid with a new band of fearless warriors. Among other livestock, he stole the cow of an Irish monk, St. Tathyw of Caerwent. St Tathyw was not afraid of Gwynllyw and boldly went to confront him, demanding the return of the cow. Gwynllyw would not let Tathyw leave with his cow until he baptized his newborn son into the Christian faith. On a sudden impulse, or perhaps guided by divine inspiration, Gwynllyw decided Cadoc would go to live under the monk's care and he was sent away to be educated at Tathyw's monastery in Caerwent.
In adulthood Cadoc refused to take charge of his father's army, "preferring to fight for Christ", he undertook a pilgrimage to Rome and Jerusalem and was reportedly distressed that the Synod of Llanddewi Brefi was held during one of these absences.
Legend says that once whilst hiding in a wood from enemies, he surprised a wild boar, that charged him, but dissapeared before striking him. Cadoc took this as a sign, and the location became the site of the great church and monastry at Llancarfan, near Cowbridge. Legend also says he once saved his brother monks in a famine by tying a white thread to the foot of a mouse; he then followed the thread to an abandoned, well-stocked, underground granary.
It is probable that in his later years he returned to the area around Abergavenny, where he was killed by Saxons in 570 when celebrating Mass
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadoc

Monday, September 22, 2014

John Paul Jones (Scottish born, of Welsh descent)

23rd September
A battle between "Bon Homme Richard" of the Continental Navy of the American Revolution and the British "HMS Serepis", was fought on September 23rd 1779. It was a a bitter engagement of The American Revolutionary War, which cost the lives of nearly half the American and British crews.
The captain of the "Bon Homme Richard" that day, was John Paul Jones (Scottish born, of Welsh descent) and when the Bonhomme Richard began taking on water and fires broke out... on board, British victory seemed inevitable. The British commander asked Jones if he wanted to surrender , to which Jones gave his famous reply, "I have not yet begun to fight!" In the end, it was the British commander who surrendered and Jones is remembered for his indomitable will, his unwillingness to consider surrender when the slightest hope of victory still survived
John Paul Jones was born in a humble gardener's cottage in Kirkbean, Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland and went to sea as a youth . Having taken up residence in Virginia, he volunteered early in the War of Independence to serve in his adopted country's infant navy and raised with his own hands the Continental ensign on board the flagship of the Navy's first fleet and is therefore seen by many as "The father of the US Navy.
He later took the war to Briain, where he was considered a pirate, with daring raids along the British coast. He was active in the waters around Tenby, where one of his officers by the name of Leekie Porridge came from. There is a beach named Jones on Caldey Island and his ghost is said to haunt the island.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Paul_Jones
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Sunday, September 14, 2014

Dafydd ap Gwilym

15th September

On Saturday 15th September 1984 a memorial stone was unveiled by a Prifardd to mark the site in the churchyard at Talley where a deeply-rooted tradition asserts that the poet Dafydd ap Gwilym (ca.1315-ca.1350) lies buried. For many centuries the rival claims of Talley and Ystrad Fflur have been debated as the burialplace of Wales’ foremost poet. 

Tradition has it that he was born at Brogynin, Penrhyn-coch (at the time Llanbadarn Fawr parish), Ceredigion. His father, Gwilym Gam, and mother, Ardudfyl, were both from noble families. As one of noble birth it seems Dafydd did not belong to the guild of professional poets in medieval Wales, and yet the poetic tradition had been strong in his family for generations.  It is believed that about one hundred and seventy of his poems have survived, though many others have been attributed to him over the centuries. His main themes were love and nature. The influence of wider European ideas of courtly love, as exemplified in the troubadour poetry of Provençal, is seen as a significant influence on Dafydd's poetry.

He was an innovative poet who was responsible for popularising the metre known as the "cywydd" and first to use it for praise. But perhaps his greatest innovation was to make himself the main focus of his poetry. By its very nature, most of the work of the traditional Welsh court poets kept their own personalities far from their poetry. Dafydd's work is full of his own feelings and experiences. His main theme is love, and many of his poems are addressed to women, but particularly to two of them, Morfudd and Dyddgu. He is also recognised as very fine nature poet.
15th September
On Saturday 15th September 1984 a memorial stone was unveiled by a Prifardd to mark the site in the churchyard at Talley where a deeply-rooted tradition asserts that the poet Dafydd ap Gwilym (ca.1315-ca.1350) lies buried. For many centuries the rival claims of Talley and Ystrad Fflur have been debated as the burialplace of Wales’ foremost poet.
Tradition has it that he was born at Brogynin, Penrhyn-coch (at the time Llanbadarn Fawr parish), Ceredigion. His father, Gwilym Gam, and mother, Ardudfyl, were both from noble families. As one of noble birth it seems Dafydd did not belong to the guild of professional poets in medieval Wales, and yet the poetic tradition had been strong in his family for generations. It is believed that about one hundred and seventy of his poems have survived, though many others have been attributed to him over the centuries. His main themes were love and nature. The influence of wider European ideas of courtly love, as exemplified in the troubadour poetry of Provençal, is seen as a significant influence on Dafydd's poetry.
He was an innovative poet who was responsible for popularising the metre known as the "cywydd" and first to use it for praise. But perhaps his greatest innovation was to make himself the main focus of his poetry. By its very nature, most of the work of the traditional Welsh court poets kept their own personalities far from their poetry. Dafydd's work is full of his own feelings and experiences. His main theme is love, and many of his poems are addressed to women, but particularly to two of them, Morfudd and Dyddgu. He is also recognised as very fine nature poet.

Oliver Evans - inventor of the automobile

13th September
Born on this day 1755 in Newport, Delaware, to a family of Welsh settlers
Oliver Evans - inventor of the automobile
...
At the end of the 18th century Philadelphia had become a very busy port, but the harbour was prone to silting up, so Evans was Evans was commissioned by the Philadelphia Board of Health to help dredge out the city's dockyards. In 1804, he designed and built the Oruktor Amphibolos (Amphibious Digger), but at 15 tons and 30 feet long, it was a challenge in itself to get it to the dockyards. On the first attempt it had collapsed in Philadelphia's Centre Square, proving too heavy to be pulled by horses, so Evans, who had and had built steam engines for the flour industry previously used one of his steam engines to transport the monstrous digger to the docks. In so doing he had created the first automobile. He was however unable to capitalise on his invention, due to difficulty in getting financial support and patents and it was left to men such as richard Trevithick, to further the development of steam powered transport.
Evans also designed a refrigeration machine which ran on vapor in 1805 and as such is often called the inventor of the refrigerator, although he never built one and his design was modified by Jacob Perkins, who obtained the first patent for a refrigerating machine in 1834.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oliver_Evans

Monday, September 8, 2014

On 9th September 1953, Welsh poet and playwright Dylan Thomas handed the barely completed script for the play for voices Under Milk Wood to the BBC before embarking on a reading tour of the United States. His intention was to revise the script before its first broadcast. However, Dylan died during the American tour and was never able to edit the play.
An omniscient narrator invites the audience to listen to the dreams and innermost thoughts of the inhabitants ...of a fictional small Welsh fishing village Llareggub ("bugger all" backwards). They include Mrs Ogmore-Pritchard, relentlessly nagging her two dead husbands; Captain Cat, reliving his seafaring times; the two Mrs Dai Breads; Organ Morgan, obsessed with his music; and Polly Garter, pining for her dead lover. Later, the town awakens and, aware now of how their feelings affect whatever they do, we watch them go about their daily business.
There is no doubt that Dylan based many of these characters on the inhabitants of Laugharne, a small seaside town in Carmarthenshire where Dylan had lived for several years. It is the author of this post's small claim to fame that the character of Captain Cat was based on Great Uncle Johnny, a retired sea Captain who was almost blind, and who spent many hours conversing with Dylan Thomas in Laugharne.
 

Sunday, September 7, 2014

Today is the feast day of Saint Dunod

7th September

Today is the feast day of Saint Dunod

Saint Dunod - was a late 6th - early 7th century Abbot of Bangor on Dee, who attended the meeting of Welsh Bishops with Saint Augustine of Canterbury at 'Augustine's Oak' and is the only... Welsh ecclesiastic mentioned by name by Bede.

Saint Augustine and the meeting at Augustine's Oak;

Before the withdrawal of the Roman legions Britannia had already converted to Christianity and had been in regular contact with Rome, however after the pagan Anglo Saxons invaded c449 and the subsequent expansion of their Kingdoms in England, Christianity was mainly restricted to Wales and Cornwall and the Christian church developed in relative isolation from Rome, it was centred on monasteries instead of bishoprics, it had a different calculation for the date of Easter and the style of the tonsure haircut that clerics wore was different.

In 595 Pope St. Gregory the Great decided to send missionaries to Britain (known as the Gregorian mission), to try and bring the Christian Britains back into the fold and also to try and convert the pagan Anglo Saxons. He chose Augustine, a respected prior of a monastery in Rome, along with thirty monks to carry out his mission and in 597 Augustine arrived in Britain and held a meeting with the Anglo Saxon King Ethelbert, who although did not convert immediately, was impressed enough to let them continue to preach, however Ethelbert did convert later that year along with thousands during a christmas day mass,

Augustine was consecrated Bishop of Cantebury, he is considered the "Apostle to the English" and a founder of the English Church. As Augustine mission continued succesfully and more missionaries arrived from Rome, they consecrated pagan temples for Christian worship and turned pagan festivals into feast days of saints.

However Augustine failed to extend his authority to the Christians in Wales and Cornwall and as Pope Gregory had decreed that these Christians should also submit to Augustine, in 603, Augustine and Ethelberht summoned all the British bishops to a meeting, at Augustines's oak on the border between Somerset and Gloucestershire.

These bishops retired early to confer with their people, who, according to Bede, advised them to judge Augustine based upon the respect he displayed at their next meeting. When Augustine failed to rise from his seat on the entrance of the British bishops, they refused to recognise him as archbishop and the old Church chose isolation over reconciliation. But perhaps the more significant factors preventing an agreement,were the deep differences between Augustine and the British church and the fact that Augustine's efforts were sponsored by an Anlgo Saxon king, whose Kingdoms were aggressively expanding to the west.

Photo: 7th September

Today is the feast day of Saint Dunod

Saint Dunod - was a late 6th - early 7th century Abbot of Bangor on Dee, who attended the meeting of Welsh Bishops with Saint Augustine of Canterbury at 'Augustine's Oak' and is the only Welsh ecclesiastic mentioned by name by Bede.

Saint Augustine and the meeting at Augustine's Oak;

Before the withdrawal of the Roman legions Britannia had already converted to Christianity and had been in regular contact with Rome, however after the pagan Anglo Saxons invaded c449 and the subsequent expansion of their Kingdoms in England, Christianity was mainly restricted to Wales and Cornwall and the Christian church developed in relative isolation from Rome, it was centred on monasteries instead of bishoprics, it had a different calculation for the date of Easter and the style of the tonsure haircut that clerics wore was different.

In 595 Pope St. Gregory the Great decided  to send missionaries to Britain (known as the Gregorian mission), to try and  bring the Christian Britains back into the fold and also to try and convert the pagan Anglo Saxons. He chose Augustine, a respected prior of a monastery in Rome, along with thirty monks to carry out his mission and in 597 Augustine arrived in Britain and held a meeting with the Anglo Saxon King Ethelbert, who although did not convert immediately, was impressed enough to let them continue to preach, however Ethelbert did convert later that year along with thousands during a christmas day mass,

Augustine was consecrated Bishop of Cantebury, he is considered the "Apostle to the English" and a founder of the English Church.  As  Augustine mission continued succesfully and more missionaries arrived from Rome, they consecrated pagan temples for Christian worship and turned pagan festivals into feast days of saints.

However Augustine failed to extend his authority to the Christians in Wales and Cornwall and as Pope Gregory had decreed that these Christians should also submit to Augustine, in 603, Augustine and Ethelberht summoned all the British bishops to a meeting, at Augustines's oak on the border between Somerset and Gloucestershire.

These bishops retired early to confer with their people, who, according to Bede, advised them to judge Augustine based upon the respect he displayed at their next meeting. When Augustine failed to rise from his seat on the entrance of the British bishops, they refused to recognise him as archbishop and the old Church  chose isolation over reconciliation.  But perhaps the more significant factors preventing an agreement,were the deep differences between Augustine and the British church and the fact that Augustine's efforts were sponsored by an Anlgo Saxon king, whose Kingdoms were aggressively expanding to the west.