England has 29 battle-sites marked on the map; Wales has just two. Mapmakers and others have ignored the fact of the important sites of Welsh battles in their 1500 year old battle with the invader. For example there is the Battle of Chester 616 AD, the Battle of Mynydd Carn 1081, the Battle of Crug Mawr 1136, the Battle of Maes Gwenllian 1136, the Battle of Coleshill 1150, the Battle of Hawarden 1157, the Battle of Crogan 1165, the Battle of Painscastle 1198, the Battle of Orewin Bridge 1282, the Battle of Campston Hill 1404, the Battle of Craig-y-dorth 1404, the Battle of Pwll Melin 1405, the Battle of Grosmont 1405 and the Battle of Twthill 1461. Most significant of all is the Battle of Bryn Glas (Pilleth) in 1402 where Owain Glyndwr scored a great victory against the English forces and their mercenaries.
Now there is a campaign to remember and recognise the Welsh battle-sites, to include them on the map and to develop the sites as possible tourist destinations. Thus, people from around the world will understand the long-running and bitter feuds which arose from the denial of freedom to the people of Wales, to administer their nation independently of England.
Today there is a different battle raging. As Welsh soldiers are dying on an almost daily basis in foreign wars which are of no concern to Wales, we battle in the debating chambers of Cardiff and London to right the wrongs of the past 1500 years. We fight for recognition of nationhood, and seek to remedy the misdeeds of the past, when Wales was subsumed and incorporated into the state of England. This happened in the reign of King Henry VIII, before EnglandandWales, joined at the hip, were united with Scotland to form the United Kingdom.
If Welsh children are educated in Welsh schools not knowing about these battles they grow up ignorant of their nation's history, and accept the union as taught in the light of English history and not Welsh. Welsh history and culture are therefore obscured and dissolved in the history of Britain and the Union. It is not surprising then that they reach adulthood considering that they are "British", and that Britain is where the action is. So some of them join up to fight "for their country" (as they suppose) in the foreign wars which Britain in its wisdom engages in, those foolhardy ventures, instead of fighting for their native land - the battle for the language, the culture and the heritage, in the light of history and with the correct historical perspective.
See: http://brwydr.blogspot.com/ (I'r Gad - August 4th)
"The Nineteenth century saw a great Springtime of Nations as the revolutions of 1848 saw new countries created the length and breadth of Europe. In our world today we are now seeing our own Spring Awakening with people and cultures that have long been dormant and subdued asserting their right to exist, their right to dream." Adam Price MP
One of the most important battles was the victory at Crug Mawr, Ceredigion in 1136. This battle settled the linguistic frontier in South West Wales until today and led, eventually to the Normans looking to Ireland rather than Wales for further conquests. Totally ignored of course.
ReplyDeleteBy the way I'm proud of the Welsh troops fighting in iraq and Afghanistan and they're fighting against an enemy who wish to destroy Wales and its culture just as much as any other non-Islamic culture
ReplyDeleteThanks. I will add it.
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