|
Wales is one of those countries that people discount upon first
hearing of them, but in reality, their perseverance and patriotism
has finally started paying off in their long historic struggle
to maintain their national identity.
Here is my trip report where I venture into Wales:
AUGUST 2000
- ENGLAND, SCOTLAND AND WALES (All over)
HISTORY
In the mists of history, Wales has had a national identity, formed
by their gaelic language and their native british genetic stock.
The Romans didn't make a great deal of impact on Wales, and the
people who live there -- and have lived there for thousands of
years -- are at home in the mountains and glens of their beautiful
land.
The actual boundaries of Wales were formed around 780CE (Common
Era), when Offa, King of Mercia, built a dyke to stave off English
attacks. The next centuries saw several attempts at uniting the
kingdom under one ruling family, notably by Rhodri, King of Gwynedd
around 877CE. and Gruffudd ap Llywelyn around 1057CE.
The laws of medieval Wales were very population-oriented, as
it had rules on how to resolve conflicts to the satisfaction of
all involved, rather than laws decreed by a king. This tendancy
to be equitable to all still forms a strong link in today's Welsh.
When the Normans invaded England, they also made incursions into
Wales, but less successfully. Armed with guerrila tactics, when
the Normans appeared to conquer their homes... the Welsh simply
faded into the mountains, taking what they needed with them. They
were on home land, and the invaders couldn't hope to conquer them
in the traditional manner.
Llewellyn the Great, who married King John's illegitimate daugher,
Joan in 1205, managed to unite Wales under the English crown,
and is often hailed as the last true Welsh king.
Faced with this, Edward I started building fortresses and castles
all over Wales, in an attempt to organize the attacks and defenses
of supplies and people. He was reasonably successful, but most
of the countryside was still firmly Welsh in thought and deed.
Most of the conquered territory was divided into six counties:
Flint, Anglesey, Caernarfon, Meirionnydd, Cardigan and Carmarthen.
In 1301, these counties were granted to the king's heir, Edward,
born at Caernarfon in 1283. He was made Prince of Wales; thus
Llywelyn's dream of a Welsh principality survived as an adjunct
of the crown of England.
Wales received some slack when one of their own, Henry Tudor
(King Henry VIII), took the throne of England. Elizabeth I was
also sympathetic to the province's needs, but the Stuart dynasty
that followed hers was more interested in their native Scotland.
During the Industrial Age, coal mines in Wales became a lifeline
for British Industry, resulting in many poor workers dying in
the mines due to shabby work conditions.
Recently, England has granted Wales their own lawmaking body,
a step in the direction of reclaiming their native heritage.
LANGUAGE
The language of the Welsh is in the same family as Irish and
Scottish Gaelic, as well as Manx, Breton and Cornish. However,
it has evolved in a unique way, and is a liquid, musical form
of this language group.
The native language of Welsh was outlawed by it's English overlords,
yet still survived. Some by ancient texts such as the Mabogineon,
also by religious tracts and secret writings. Today, there is
a resurgence of pride in the native language, and several radio
and television stations broadcast in the language.
RELIGION
Most of Wales remained Christian throughout the withdraw of the
Romans in the 5th Century CE, and they then formed their own branch
of Celtic Christianity, separate and different from Roman Christianity.
They have a plethora of local saints, and have subsequently reconciled
with the Anglican Church in their beliefs and practices.
There are strong Protestant and Catholic ties still in the country,
as well, and a wealth of ancient abbeys and monasteries dot the
countryside.
|
