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The national symbols of Wales include various official and unofficial images and other symbols.
| Part of a series on the |
| Culture of Wales |
|---|
| |
| People |
| Art |
The national symbols of Wales include various official and unofficial images and other symbols.
| | As an emblem, the red dragon (Welsh : Y Ddraig Goch) of Wales has been used since the reign of Cadwaladr, King of Gwynedd from around 655AD and is present on the national flag of Wales, which became an official flag in 1959. [1] |
 | The flag of the Princely House of Aberffraw, blazoned Quarterly or and gules, four lions passant guardant two and two counterchanged langued and armed Azure . [2] |
 | The banner of Owain Glyndŵr is associated with Welsh nationhood. [3] It was carried into battle by Welsh forces during Glyndŵr's battles against the English, includes four lions on red and gold. The standard is similar to the arms of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd (Llywelyn the Last), the last Prince of Wales before the conquest of Wales by Edward I of England. The design may also be influenced by the arms of Glyndwr's parents, both of whom had lions in their arms. [4] There's no evidence to suggest this was ever used as a flag, but they are used in today on public buildings. |
 | The Flag of Saint David, the patron Saint of Wales is sometimes used as an alternative to the national flag, is flown on St David's Day. [5] |
 | The Red Dragon (Welsh : Y Ddraig Goch) of Wales is a symbol of Wales that appears in "Cyfranc Lludd a Lleuelys", Historia Brittonum , Historia Regnum Britianniae , and the Welsh triads. According to legend, Vortigern (Welsh : Gwrtheyrn) King of the Celtic Britons from Powys is interrupted whilst attempting to build fort at Dinas Emrys. He is told by Merlin/Ambrosius (Welsh : Myrddin) to dig up two dragons beneath the castle. He discovers a red dragon representing the Celtic Britons (now Welsh) and a white dragon representing Anglo-Saxons (now English). Merlin/Ambrosius prophesies that the Celtic Britons will reclaim the island and push the Anglo-Saxons back to the sea. [6] [7] As an emblem, the red dragon has been used since the reign of Cadwaladr, King of Gwynedd from around 655AD and is present on the national flag of Wales, which became an official flag in 1959. [1] |
 | Traditional Arms of the House of Aberffraw, Gwynedd and the personal arms of Llywelyn the Great. [8] |
 | Owain Glyndŵr's shield of arms was adopted by Glyndŵr as Prince of Wales, from 1400. [9] |
 | The Welsh coat of arms, or Royal Badge of Wales, which is based on the arms of the native princes of Wales from the 13th century. [10] |
 | The badge represents the Duke of Cornwall or Heir Apparent of the British monarchy (commonly known as the Prince of Wales's feathers). [11] It consists of three white feathers emerging from a gold coronet and the German motto Ich dien (I serve). Several Welsh representative teams, including the Welsh rugby union, and Welsh regiments in the British Army (the Royal Welsh, for example) use the badge or a stylised version of it. There have been attempts made to curtail the use of the emblem for commercial purposes and restrict its use to those authorised by the Prince of Wales. [12] The use of the emblem to symbolise Wales is controversial, such as its use by the Welsh rugby union. [13] [14] [15] [16] |
 | The leek is the national emblem of Wales. [17] According to legend, King Cadwaldr of Gwynedd ordered Welsh soldiers to identify themselves by wearing the leek on their armour in an ancient battle. [18] |
 | The daffodil is the national flower of Wales, worn on St David's Day (1 March) in Wales. The daffodil may be known as Welsh : cenhinen Bedr (Saint Peter's leek). [19] |
 | The Sessile Oak, also called the Welsh Oak is the national tree of Wales. [20] |
 | The red kite is sometimes named as the national symbol of wildlife in Wales. [21] |
The Welsh language is considered a symbol and icon of Wales and considered a "cornerstone of Welsh identity". Spoken throughout Wales by around 750,000 people, it is present on television, radio, road signs and road markings. [22]
Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau is the traditional national anthem of Wales. [30] The words were written by Evan James and the tune was composed by his son, James James, both residents of Pontypridd, Glamorgan, in January 1856. [30] [31] The earliest written copy survives and is part of the collections of the National Library of Wales. [31]
Male voice choirs are considered a Welsh symbol. Traditional members of the movement include the Treorchy choir and the Morriston choir. More recently, the success Only Men Aloud has also played a part in continuing this tradition. [22]
The Welsh harp, also known as the triple harp is considered to be the national instrument of Wales. [32]
The earliest known dated lovespoon from Wales, displayed in the St Fagans National History Museum near Cardiff, is from 1667, although the tradition is believed to date back long before that. [33]
The unique Welsh hat, which first made its appearance in the 1830s, was used as an icon of Wales from the 1840s. [34]
From the 1880s, when the traditional costume had gone out of general use, selected elements of it became adopted as a National Costume. From then on it was worn by women at events such as Royal visits, by choirs, at church and chapel, for photographs and occasionally at eisteddfodau. It was first worn by girls as a celebration on Saint David's Day just before the First World War. The costume is now recognised as the national dress of Wales. [35]
"Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau" is the unofficial national anthem of Wales. The title, taken from the first words of the song, means "The Old Land of My Fathers" in Welsh, usually rendered in English as simply "Land of My Fathers". The words were written by Evan James and the tune composed by his son, James James, both residents of Pontypridd, Glamorgan, in January 1856. The earliest written copy survives and is part of the collections of the National Library of Wales.
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic Sea to the south-west. As of the 2021 census, it had a population of 3,107,494. It has a total area of 21,218 square kilometres (8,192 sq mi) and over 2,700 kilometres (1,680 mi) of coastline. It is largely mountainous with its higher peaks in the north and central areas, including Snowdon, its highest summit. The country lies within the north temperate zone and has a changeable, maritime climate. The capital and largest city is Cardiff.
The culture of Wales is distinct, with its own language, customs, festivals, music, art, mythology, history, and politics. Wales is primarily represented by the symbol of the red Welsh Dragon, but other national emblems include the leek and the daffodil.
Pontypridd is a town and a community in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales.
Evan James, was a Welsh weaver and poet from Pontypridd, originally from Caerphilly, Wales, who wrote the lyrics of "Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau", the national anthem of Wales.
The flag of Wales consists of a red dragon passant on a green and white field. As with many heraldic charges, the exact representation of the dragon is not standardised in law and many renderings exist. It is not represented in the Union Flag.
James James (1832–1902) was a Welsh harpist and musician from Hollybush, Blackwood, Wales. He composed the tune of the Welsh national anthem Hen Wlad fy Nhadau. Today, the same tune is also used for the Breton anthem, Bro Gozh ma Zadoù, and the Cornish anthem, Bro Goth agan Tasow.
The Welsh Dragon is a heraldic symbol that represents Wales and appears on the national flag of Wales.
A Royal Badge for Wales was approved in May 2008. It is based on the arms borne by the thirteenth-century Welsh prince Llywelyn the Great, with the addition of St Edward's Crown atop a continuous scroll which, together with a wreath consisting of the plant emblems of the four countries of the United Kingdom, surrounds the shield. The motto which appears on the scroll, PLEIDIOL WYF I'M GWLAD, is taken from the National Anthem of Wales and is also found on the Welsh designs for £1 coins minted from 1985 until 2000. The badge formerly appeared on the covers of Assembly Measures; since the 2011 referendum, it now appears on the cover of Acts passed by the Senedd and its escutcheon, ribbon and motto are depicted on the Welsh Seal.
Maldwyn "Mal" Pope is a Welsh musician and composer, who is notable for his contribution to music theatre portraying Welsh national identities and themes. He lives in the village of Mumbles, Swansea. He is known for singing both the Welsh and English language versions of the Fireman Sam theme.
Wales is one of six countries to have competed in every Commonwealth Games since 1930, the others being Australia, Canada, England, New Zealand and Scotland. At the Commonwealth Games, Wales takes part as a separate entity, as in the Six Nations Rugby Championship, Rugby World Cup and international association football competitions. In other events, such as the Olympic Games, they compete under the banner of the United Kingdom.
Jim Rowlands is a Welsh singer, who lives near Ploermel, Brittany, France. He toured France over the last 30 years almost non-stop, promoting Wales and its music and culture in countless festivals, such as L'interceltique de lorient and Printemps de Bourges, and concerts, such as at Stade de France and Cirque Bouglione.
John Owen, also known by his bardic name Owain Alaw Pencerdd, was a Welsh-language poet and also a musician.
Côr Meibion Pontypridd is a male voice choir from the Pontypridd area of the Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. It was formed in 1949 as a traditional Welsh singing choir and is based in Pwllgwaun, a suburb of Pontypridd.
Cardiff Arms Park Male Choir is a Welsh Male choir based at Cardiff Arms Park in Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom.
Tich Gwilym, born Robert Gwilliam, was a Welsh rock guitarist who was most notable for his Hendrix inspired version of the Welsh national anthem, Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau, considered one of the most famous renditions of the song.
Robert Rees was a Welsh tenor and musician. He was a successful competitor at eisteddfodau for which he adopted the pseudonym Eos Morlais, and in 1867 he won the main prize as a vocalist at the National Eisteddfod of Wales. He was recognised as one of the leading Welsh soloists of his time.
The Welsh National Memorial Park is a war memorial in Langemark near Ypres (Belgium) for soldiers of World War I, located near the Pilkem Ridge in the former Ypres Salient. It commemorates the service of men and women of Welsh origin, wherever they served during the Great War as part of the Allied Powers, as well as the non-Welsh soldiers serving in Welsh formations.
The Match of the Century is the unofficial name of a rugby union Test match played between Wales and New Zealand at Cardiff Arms Park on 16th December 1905 in front of a crowd of 47,000. The game was billed as the "Match of the Century" or "The World Championship" as it was a first meeting of the top two international teams.
Ynysangharad War Memorial Park is located in the town of Pontypridd, Wales. The area that now makes up the park was bought by the people of Pontypridd in 1919 after workers raised the money to have the park established. It was originally designed for those who lived in the surrounding area to have somewhere to relax from their work lives. The park is designated Grade II on the Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales.
Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau gradually became accepted as Wales' national anthem – though to this day, it has no official status as such.
