2006-12-26 20:25:39 · 9 answers · asked by the devil666 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Holidays ➔ Other - Holidays
it is there emblem and proud of it
2006-12-26 20:27:46 · answer #1 · answered by chav69 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
The earliest recorded used of the red dragon symbolising Wales is in the 'Historia Brittonum' otherwise known as the 'History of Britain'. This was written early in the ninth century. It describes a battle between red and white dragons. Initially the white dragon dominated but finally the red dragon won. The fight was said to symbolise the struggle between the Welsh and English and prophesised that after years of oppression the Welsh would drive the English from their lands.
The great Welsh king, Cadwaladr, carried the dragon standard as a symbol of bravery and fierceness. Welsh princes and warriors continued the tradition. At the Battle of Crecy in 1346 Welsh archers serving in the English army carried the standard. Henry Tudor, who claimed descent from Cadwaladr, carried the dragon banner into battle at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485. When he became Henry VII he decreed that the red dragon should appear on Welsh flag. In 1959 Queen Elizabeth II declared that the red dragon on a green and white field should become the official symbol of Wales.
Today, despite the continued strength of the white dragon, the Welsh people maintain their language, culture and sense of Welsh identity. Welsh Regiments serving overseas proudly fly their flag.
2006-12-27 04:34:39 · answer #2 · answered by bc_is_the_place_to_be 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The national flag of Wales is The Red Dragon (Welsh: Y Ddraig Goch). It consists of a red dragon, passant, on a green and white field. As with any heraldic charge, the exact representation of the dragon is not standardised and many different interpretations exist.
The flag was granted official status in 1959, but the red dragon itself has been associated with Wales for centuries; indeed, the flag is sometimes claimed to be the oldest national flag still in use, though the origin of the adoption of the dragon symbol is now lost in history and myth. A plausible theory is that the Romans brought the emblem to what is now Wales during their occupation of Britain in the form of the Draco standards borne by the Roman cavalry, but it could be even older. The green and white stripes of the flag were additions by the House of Tudor, the Welsh dynasty that held the English throne from 1485 to 1603. Green and white are also the colours of the leek, another national emblem of Wales.
The oldest recorded use of the dragon to symbolise Wales is from the Historia Brittonum, written around 830, but it is popularly supposed to have been the battle standard of Arthur and other ancient Celtic leaders. It is particularly associated in Welsh poetry with Cadwaladr king of Gwynedd from c.655 to 682.
Many legends are associated with the Welsh dragon. The most famous is the prophecy of Myrddin (or Merlin) of a long fight between a red dragon and a white dragon. According to the prophecy, the white dragon would at first dominate but eventually the red dragon would win, this eventual victory and recapturing of Lloegr would be, according to Welsh legend, brought about by Y Mab Darogan. This is believed to represent the conflict in the 5th and 6th centuries between the British Celts (who later became the Welsh) and the invading Saxons.
2006-12-27 04:28:24 · answer #3 · answered by eldad9 6 · 2⤊ 2⤋
The Welsh Dragon that represents Wales as its national Emblem has its roots far back in history.
The poets Aneirin and Taliesin use the Welsh word for dragon - 'draig' in the sense of a warrior or leader. This use is reflected in the Arthurian Legends where the British chiefs in times of extreme danger were conferred the title - 'Pendragon' or head-dragon, investing them with supreme power, such as that granted to Uther Pendragon, King Arthur's father.
The symbol of the dragon seems to have emerged from a combination of folklore and Arthurian Legend. The ancient tales tell of how the wizard Merlin advised the 5th Century Welsh King - Vortigern - of two sleeping dragons, one red and one white, that lay beneath the spot he had chosen to build his fortress which was used to repel Anglo-Saxon invaders. The King ordered the beasts to be awoken and a ferocious battle lasting many years, ensued. The Red Dragon, suffering many injuries at first, triumphed the white. Merlin or 'Myrddin' to the Welsh, interpreted this as a prophecy, showing that the Welsh would ultimately, after suffering for years (like the red dragon) overcome the Anglo-Saxon invaders and keep their land, their language, and their traditions.
We at Welsh Historic Inns have based our logo on this ancient tale - with the intertwined dragons forming the letter 'W'. True to legend, we also have our red dragon triumphing over the white, but only through subtle positions of the overlapping tongues - the red on top of the white's!
The dragon's history in Wales goes back to Roman times, and since then has been used by many Kings and leaders in war. Henry Tudor, a Welshman, incorporated the dragon into his Royal coat of arms when he ascended to the English throne in 1485. Could this have been the fulfilment of Merlin's ancient prophecy? (Note that this was only 37 years before the Black Boy Inn was built!)
In 1901, the dragon officially became the symbol of Wales and in 1959, the present Queen made the red dragon on a green and white background the official flag for Wales.
2006-12-27 04:28:20 · answer #4 · answered by Diarmid 3 · 1⤊ 2⤋
I forgot, but I read a story about Welsh dragons. . .I think they created the idea of dragons but I don't really know. . .
2006-12-27 04:28:16 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
A good likeness of welsh women
2006-12-27 04:34:56 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 3⤋
it goes back to the tales of King Arthur...he was the Red Dragon..
2006-12-27 04:30:07 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
'Coz dragons are cool?
2006-12-27 04:34:40 · answer #8 · answered by Mystikdancer 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
i don't know. look it up on the net.
2006-12-27 04:27:58 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋