St. David's Day March 1st
St. David is the Patron Saint of Wales. (Are there any countries with Matron Saints?).
There had never been a Welsh Nation, with national insitutions such as a Parliament, a Monarchy, or well defined borders.
(It was not until my own lifetime that it was decided that the County of Monmouth was part of Wales and not an appendix to England).
So there were no National Institutions, Rather there were the Welsh lands, the Welsh people, and the Welsh Principalities which were absorbed into England by fair means or foul.
But of course the Welsh people "gave" the Tudor dynasty to the English Monarchy.
In recent years the generous U.K. Government (LOL) has granted a measure of home rule to the Welsh people in the form of the Welsh Assembly. We'd be wise to understand it as a regional or provincial Assembly - but with no ability to raise taxes, or to have an independent foreign policy.
The historical English view of Welsh people has not been noble. It was believed that the Welsh were backward (thus there were determined efforts to stamp out the Welsh language), that they were not to be trusted (an English saying was "Taffy was a Welshman, Taffy was a thief"; and that they were unwelcome immigrants (my mother told me that during the great depression many Welsh people migrated to Bristol (my home City - just across the the Bristol Channel from South Wales) and took the best jobs. Oh yes, immigrants are the source of all our problems! (My tongue is in my cheek!)
Despite this, (or in the face of this), Wales has its own flag:
And Wales has a "National? Anthem". It is far more tuneful, harmonious and rich than "God Save the Queen".
Enjoy it on this St. David's Day.
(Click here, then go to link)
https://youtu.be/3kUnCwV3AYE?list=RDUs0oLmNXvwQhttps://youtu.be/3kUnCwV3AYE?list=RDUs0oLmNXvwQ
There had never been a Welsh Nation, with national insitutions such as a Parliament, a Monarchy, or well defined borders.
(It was not until my own lifetime that it was decided that the County of Monmouth was part of Wales and not an appendix to England).
So there were no National Institutions, Rather there were the Welsh lands, the Welsh people, and the Welsh Principalities which were absorbed into England by fair means or foul.
But of course the Welsh people "gave" the Tudor dynasty to the English Monarchy.
In recent years the generous U.K. Government (LOL) has granted a measure of home rule to the Welsh people in the form of the Welsh Assembly. We'd be wise to understand it as a regional or provincial Assembly - but with no ability to raise taxes, or to have an independent foreign policy.
The historical English view of Welsh people has not been noble. It was believed that the Welsh were backward (thus there were determined efforts to stamp out the Welsh language), that they were not to be trusted (an English saying was "Taffy was a Welshman, Taffy was a thief"; and that they were unwelcome immigrants (my mother told me that during the great depression many Welsh people migrated to Bristol (my home City - just across the the Bristol Channel from South Wales) and took the best jobs. Oh yes, immigrants are the source of all our problems! (My tongue is in my cheek!)
Despite this, (or in the face of this), Wales has its own flag:
And Wales has a "National? Anthem". It is far more tuneful, harmonious and rich than "God Save the Queen".
Enjoy it on this St. David's Day.
(Click here, then go to link)
https://youtu.be/3kUnCwV3AYE?list=RDUs0oLmNXvwQhttps://youtu.be/3kUnCwV3AYE?list=RDUs0oLmNXvwQ
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