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Welsh Flag
The flag of Wales ( or , meaning 'the red dragon') 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. The colours of green and white are the colours of the Tudor family; a standard featuring the red dragon was used by Henry VII at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, after which it was carried in state to St Paul's Cathedral, and a dragon added as a supporter of the Tudor royal arms. It was officially recognised as the Welsh national flag in 1959. Several cities include a dragon in their flag design, including Cardiff, the Welsh capital. Symbolism In the Historia Brittonum, there is a narrative in which Vortigern (), King of the Celtic Britons from Powys is interrupted whilst attempting to build a fort at Dinas Emrys. He is told by Merlin/Ambrosius () to dig up two dragons beneath the castle. He discovers a red dragon representing the Celtic Britons (now Welsh) an ...
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Welsh Dragon
The Welsh Dragon (, meaning 'the red dragon'; ) is a heraldic symbol that represents Wales and appears on the national flag of Wales. Ancient leaders of the Celtic Britons that are personified as dragons include Maelgwn Gwynedd, Mynyddog Mwynfawr and Urien, Urien Rheged. Later Welsh people, Welsh "dragons" include Owain Gwynedd, Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, Llywelyn ap Gruffydd and Owain Glyndŵr. The red dragon appears in the ancient ''Mabinogion'' story of Lludd and Llefelys where it is confined, battling with an invading white dragon, at Dinas Emrys. The story continues in the , written around AD 829, where Vortigern, Gwrtheyrn, King of the Britons is frustrated in attempts to build a fort at Dinas Emrys. He is told by a boy, Emrys, to dig up two dragons fighting beneath the castle. He discovers the white dragon representing the Anglo-Saxons, which is soon to be defeated by the red dragon of Wales. The red dragon is now seen as National symbols of Wales, symbolising Wales, present ...
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White Dragon
The white dragon () is a symbol associated in Welsh mythology with the Anglo-Saxons. Origin of tradition The earliest usage of the white dragon as a symbol of the Anglo-Saxons is found in the ''Historia Brittonum''. The relevant story takes place at Dinas Emrys when Vortigern tries to build a castle there. Every night, unseen forces demolish the castle walls and foundations. Vortigern consults his advisers, who tell him to find a boy with no natural father, and to sacrifice him. Vortigern finds such a boy, but on hearing that he is to be put to death to solve the demolishing of the walls, the boy dismisses the knowledge of the advisors. The boy tells the king of the two dragons. Vortigern excavates the hill, freeing the dragons. They continue their fight and the red dragon finally defeats the white dragon. The boy tells Vortigern that the white dragon symbolises the Saxons and that the red dragon symbolises the people of Vortigern. The story is repeated in Geoffrey of Monmouth ...
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Banner Of Llywelyn (Square)
A banner can be a flag or another piece of cloth bearing a symbol, logo, slogan or another message. A flag whose design is the same as the shield in a coat of arms (but usually in a square or rectangular shape) is called a banner of arms. Also, a bar-shaped piece of non-cloth advertising material sporting a name, slogan, or other marketing message is also a banner. Banner-making is an ancient craft. Church banners commonly portray the saint to whom the church is dedicated. The word derives from Old French ''baniere'' (modern ), from Late Latin ''bandum'', which was borrowed from a Germanic source (compare ). Cognates include Italian language">Italian ''bandiera'', Portuguese ''bandeira'', and Spanish language">Spanish ''bandera''. Vexillum The vexillum was a flag-like object used as a military standard by units in the Ancient Roman army. The word ''vexillum'' itself is a diminutive of the Latin ''velum'', meaning a sail, which confirms the historical evidence (from coins a ...
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United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The UK includes the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland, and most of List of islands of the United Kingdom, the smaller islands within the British Isles, covering . Northern Ireland shares Republic of Ireland–United Kingdom border, a land border with the Republic of Ireland; otherwise, the UK is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the English Channel, the Celtic Sea and the Irish Sea. It maintains sovereignty over the British Overseas Territories, which are located across various oceans and seas globally. The UK had an estimated population of over 68.2 million people in 2023. The capital and largest city of both England and the UK is London. The cities o ...
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Battle Of Bosworth Field
The Battle of Bosworth or Bosworth Field ( ) was the last significant battle of the Wars of the Roses, the civil war between the houses of House of Lancaster, Lancaster and House of York, York that extended across England in the latter half of the 15th century. Fought on 22 August 1485, the battle was won by an alliance of Lancastrians and disaffected Yorkists. Their leader Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, became the first English monarch of the Tudor dynasty by his victory and subsequent marriage to a Yorkist princess. His opponent Richard III, the last king of the House of York, was killed during the battle, the last English monarch to fall in battle. Historians consider Bosworth Field to mark the end of the Plantagenet dynasty, making it one of the defining moments of English history. Richard's reign began in 1483 when he ascended the throne after his twelve-year-old nephew, Edward V, was declared illegitimate. The boy and his younger brother Richard of Shrewsbury, Richard ...
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Cynddelw Brydydd Mawr
Cynddelw Brydydd Mawr ("Cynddelw the Great Poet"; or ; 1155–1200), was the court poet of Madog ap Maredudd, Owain Gwynedd (Owen the Great), and Dafydd ab Owain Gwynedd, and one of the most prominent Welsh poets of the 12th century. Cynddelw began his career as court poet to Madog ap Maredudd, Prince of Powys. At Madog's death in 1160, Cynddelw wrote the following elegy: While Madog lived there was no man Dared ravage his fair borders Yet nought of all he held Esteemed he his save by God's might… If my noble lord were alive Gwynedd would not now be encamped in the heart of Edeyrnion. Cynddelw composed poems for a number of the later rulers of Powys, now divided into two parts, such as Owain Cyfeiliog and Gwenwynwyn. He also composed poems addressed to the rulers of Gwynedd and Deheubarth, and notably poems addressed to Owain Gwynedd and to his son Hywel ab Owain Gwynedd and later to Rhys ap Gruffudd of Deheubarth and to the young Llywelyn the Great. Poems and ...
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Owain Glyndŵr
Owain ap Gruffydd (28 May 135420 September 1415), commonly known as Owain Glyndŵr (Glyn Dŵr, , anglicised as Owen Glendower) was a Welsh people, Welsh leader, soldier and military commander in the Wales in the late Middle Ages, late Middle Ages, who led a Glyndŵr rebellion, 15-year-long Welsh revolt with the aim of ending Kingdom of England, English rule in Wales. He was an educated lawyer, forming the first Welsh parliament under his rule, and was the last native-born Welshman to claim the title Prince of Wales. During the year 1400, Glyndŵr, a Welsh soldier and Glyndyfrdwy, Lord of Glyndyfrdwy had a dispute with a neighbouring Peerage of England, English Lord, the event which spiraled into a national revolt pitted common Welsh countrymen and nobles against the English military. In response to the rebellion, discriminatory Penal laws against the Welsh, penal laws were implemented against the Welsh people; this deepened civil unrest and significantly increased support for ...
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Llywelyn Ap Gruffudd
Llywelyn ap Gruffudd ( – 11 December 1282), also known as Llywelyn II and Llywelyn the Last (), was List of rulers of Gwynedd, Prince of Gwynedd, and later was recognised as the Prince of Wales (; ) from 1258 until his death at Cilmeri in 1282. Llywelyn was the son of Gruffudd ap Llywelyn ap Iorwerth and grandson of Llywelyn ab Iorwerth (also known as Llywelyn the Great, or Llywelyn I), and he was one of the last native and independent princes of Wales before its Conquest of Wales by Edward I, conquest by Edward I of England and English rule in Wales that followed, until Owain Glyndŵr held the title during his Glyndŵr rebellion, rebellion of 1400–1415. Genealogy and early life Llywelyn was the second of the four sons of Gruffudd ap Llywelyn ap Iorwerth, the eldest son of Llywelyn ab Iorwerth, and Senana ferch Caradog, the daughter of Caradoc ap Thomas ap Rhodri, Lord of Anglesey. The eldest was Owain Goch ap Gruffudd and there were two younger brothers, Dafydd ap Gruffy ...
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Owain Gwynedd
Owain ap Gruffudd ( – 23 or 28 November 1170) was King of Gwynedd, North Wales, from 1137 until his death in 1170, succeeding his father Gruffudd ap Cynan. He was called Owain the Great () and the first to be styled "Prince of Wales" and the " Prince of the Welsh". He is considered to be the most successful of all the North Welsh princes prior to his grandson, Llywelyn ab Iorwerth (Llywelyn the Great). He became known as Owain Gwynedd (, "Owain of Gwynedd") to distinguish him from the contemporary king of Powys Wenwynwyn, Owain ap Gruffydd ap Maredudd, who became known as Owain Cyfeiliog. Early life Owain Gwynedd was a member of the House of Aberffraw, the senior branch of the dynasty of Rhodri Mawr (Rhodri the Great). His father, Gruffudd ap Cynan, was a strong and long-lived ruler who had made the principality of Gwynedd the most influential in Wales during the sixty-two years of his reign, using the island of Anglesey as his power base. His mother, Angharad ferch Ow ...
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List Of Rulers Of Wales
This is a list of rulers in Wales (; and neighbouring regions) during the Middle Ages, between . The rulers were monarchs who ruled their respective realms, as well as those who briefly ruled the Principality of Wales. These former territories are now within the boundaries of modern-day Wales and the neighbouring Welsh Marches in England (both in the United Kingdom). Before the Conquest of Wales, completed in 1283, Wales consisted of several independent realms, the most important being Gwynedd, Powys, Deheubarth (originally Ceredigion, Seisyllwg and Dyfed) and Morgannwg (Glywysing and Gwent). Boundary changes and the custom of dividing patrimonies between heirs meant that few princes ever came close to ruling the whole of Wales. The names of those known to have ruled over one or more areas are listed below. Boundaries changed frequently. The only person known to have ruled all of Wales as a modern territory was Gruffydd ap Llywelyn (c. 1010–1063), a Prince of Gwynedd ...
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Mab Darogan
Y Mab Darogan ( meaning "The Destined/prophesied child" or "Child of Destiny") is a messianic figure of Welsh legend, destined to force the Germanic Anglo-Saxons and Vikings out of Britain and reclaim it for its Celtic Briton inhabitants. A number of figures have been called Y Mab Darogan in history (other titles include ''Y Gŵr Darogan'' and ''Y Daroganwr''). An extensive corpus of medieval Welsh prophetic verse, beginning with '' Armes Prydain'' (10th century?), is centred on the figure of Y Mab Darogan. Historical figures Arthur Some later poetry associated Y Mab Darogan with the legendary King Arthur. Arthur was often seen as a protector figure who defended the Britons against all manner of threats. He is specifically indicated as fighting the Saxons in the 9th-century text ''Historia Brittonum'' and in works based on it. However, Arthur does not appear in the ''Armes Prydain'' and other early prophetic works. Llywelyn the Great and Llywelyn the Last An ''awdl'' by Dafydd B ...
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History Of The Britons
''The History of the Britons'' () is a purported history of early Britain written around 828 that survives in numerous recensions from after the 11th century. The ''Historia Brittonum'' is commonly attributed to Nennius, as some recensions have a preface written in that name. Some experts have dismissed the Nennian preface as a late forgery and argued that the work was actually an anonymous compilation. Overview The ''Historia Brittonum'' describes the supposed settlement of Britain by Trojan settlers and says that Britain was named for Brutus, a descendant of Aeneas. The "single most important source used by Geoffrey of Monmouth in his pseudohistorical ''Historia Regum Britanniae''" and through the enormous popularity of the latter work, this version of the early history of Britain, including the Trojan origin tradition, was incorporated into subsequent chronicles of the long-running history of the land, such as the Middle English '' Brut of England'', also known as ''The ...
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