Showing posts with label Wales. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wales. Show all posts

Monday, May 27, 2019

Saint David - Dewi Sant

David or Dewi Sant is the patron saint of Wales. On March 1 every year Welsh children celebrate St David's day with the girls wearing national costume. Leeks and daffodils abound. In Pembrokshire, St David's Cathedral stands in a magical location where David is supposed to have lived his 6th Century Celtic monk's life. But what's known about him? Read:

St David

Sunday, May 26, 2019

The Devil's Bridge - a further placename legend

The Devil's Bridge is another tale connected with a placename.

Gelert - another Welsh Legend

Gelert: The Martyred Hound is one of the best-known (and saddest) of Welsh tales.

Welsh Legends

Tales such as Why the Red Dragon is the Emblem of Wales attempt to explain the events of the post-Roman period.

Later legends show Breton influence and incorporate the elements of courtly love, Arthurian tales and pageantry. Other tales incorporate fairies and the supernatural and relate them to features of the landscape. For example the legend of he 'Meddygon Myddfai' relates that a farmer in the parish of Myddfai, Carmarthenshire, having bought some lambs in a neighbouring fair, led them to graze near Llyn y Fan Fach, on the Black Mountains. Whenever he visited these lambs three beautiful damsels appeared to him from the lake, on whose shores they often made excursions. Sometimes he pursued and tried to catch them, but always failed; the enchanting nymphs ran before him ... read more about the Meddygon Myddfai legend.

The Tale of Elidurus is another typical story of an earthling joining the fairy people dating from the twelfth-century.

Pergrin and the Mermaiden takes contact between man and mermaid as its theme.

Sunday, February 07, 2010

Llandeilo - Postcard Views

Edwardian postcards of Llandeilo bridge and Dryslwyn Castle.

Llandeilo

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Countering Myths About Welsh

A couple of recent blog posts that tackle some myths about the Welsh language:

Silly things people say about Welsh II

Two stupid things people say about Welsh

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Cardiff

Known as ‘Europe’s youngest capital’, Cardiff, in south Wales, has re-invented itself as one of Britain’s most buzzing, young-at-heart and stylish cities. It’s a rapidly-evolving, vibrant and fascinating place for a short break More at:

Cardiff: Europe's youngest capital

Tuesday, May 30, 2006

Wales Book of the Year

The 2006 Wales Book of the Year Shortlist is: (English) To Babel and Back by Robert Minhinnick; ,Body Beautiful by Ifor Evans, Ice Trap by Kitty Sewell; and (Welsh) Gwynfor Rhag Pob Brad by Rhys Evans, Llen Yr Uchelwyr by Dafydd Johnston, Rara Avis by Manon Rhys.

Details at: Wales Book the Year