🐉 Welsh

Who Are the Welsh?

The Welsh (Cymry) are a Celtic people indigenous to Wales (Cymru), a nation within the United Kingdom on the western peninsula of the island of Britain. The population of Wales is approximately 3.1 million, with a diaspora particularly in England, the United States, and Australia. They speak Welsh (Cymraeg), a Brythonic Celtic language related to Cornish and Breton, descended from the language spoken across Britain before the Anglo-Saxon invasions. Welsh is one of Europe's oldest living languages, with a literary tradition stretching back 1,400 years. The Welsh red dragon (Y Ddraig Goch) symbolizes the nation's continuous existence as a distinct people despite centuries of English domination, making Welsh culture one of the oldest surviving national identities in Europe.

Language and Literature

Welsh (Cymraeg) is the most widely spoken Celtic language, with approximately 900,000 speakers (about 29% of Wales' population). Unlike Irish and Scottish Gaelic, Welsh never faced complete suppression; it remained the majority language until the 20th century. The "Welsh Not"—punishing schoolchildren for speaking Welsh—symbolizes historical linguistic oppression, yet Welsh survived. Ancient Welsh literature includes the Mabinogion (medieval prose tales) and poetry from the 6th century. The bardic tradition produced complex metrical forms; the eisteddfod festival celebrating poetry, music, and arts continues today, with the National Eisteddfod being Europe's largest cultural festival. Since Welsh devolution (1999), Welsh-medium education has expanded dramatically. Welsh is now official alongside English, appearing on road signs, official documents, and television (S4C Welsh-language channel).

Culture and Identity

Wales is called "Gwlad y Gân" (Land of Song)—choral singing, particularly male voice choirs from the coal-mining valleys, is iconic. Rugby union is the national sport, with internationals at Cardiff's Principality Stadium uniting the nation. St. David's Day (March 1) celebrates the patron saint. Symbols include the leek and daffodil, the red dragon, and the triple harp. Traditional dress (for women: tall black hat, red cloak, white apron) is worn on cultural occasions. The industrial revolution transformed Wales—coal mines and steel works attracted workers but also devastated the Welsh-speaking heartland. The 1984-85 miners' strike was particularly traumatic. Post-industrial Wales reinvents itself through tourism, universities, and cultural economy. Welsh identity has strengthened since devolution; the Senedd (Welsh Parliament) has growing powers.

Contemporary Welsh

Modern Welsh identity navigates between cultural renaissance and constitutional uncertainty. Welsh speakers are increasing in absolute numbers, particularly among children in Welsh-medium education. Welsh-language media (television, radio, digital) thrives. Yet Wales remains economically disadvantaged compared to England, with post-industrial areas among the UK's poorest. Support for Welsh independence has grown, though remains minority—most prefer devolution within the UK. Brexit divided Wales, which voted Leave despite benefiting from EU funding. The Welsh diaspora, particularly in Patagonia (Argentina), where a Welsh-speaking community was established in 1865, maintains connections. Y Wladfa (the Welsh Settlement) in Patagonia preserved Welsh when it was declining in Wales itself. Contemporary Welsh identity balances ancient Celtic heritage, industrial working-class history, and bilingual modernity—neither English nor separatist, but distinctively Welsh.

References

• Davies, J. (1993). A History of Wales
• Jenkins, G. H. (ed.) (2007). A Concise History of Wales
• Thomas, N. (1991). The Welsh Extremist: Modern Welsh Politics, Literature and Society