Being Welsh

Don't forget the mindset that goes with being Welsh, once having ruled Britain, having fought the Romans and the Anglo-Saxons, the Normans conquered the Principality i.e.the north & the west, built towns for the English, of which Caernarfon was the largest, took away our citizens rights, whilst in the southern Marches we were autonomous under the Breton & Norman Lords where the King was not allowed to interfere. When Rhys ap Thomas after a thousand years of non stop warring, don't forget that Ireland & Scotland didn't have this history, placed the crown on the head of Henry Tudor we thought it was all over, one of his first acts was to return Cymru to normality, everyone who was anyone in Cymru moved to London, he repealed the anti Welsh laws, put the Red Dragon on the Royal Coat of Arms, he named his first son Arthur to realize at last the prophesies of old; Arthur, Owain Lawgoch, Owain Glyndwr, Henry himself, and finally Arthur of the Britons (Welsh) on the throne of Britain, unfortunately he died young and the throne was passed to Arthur's younger brother Henry VIII who 'for the betterment of the Welsh' took the Country by the scruff, abolished the Marches, united them with the Principality, losing some important parts of the border territory, created a Wales of Shires administered by English law absorbed by England, his sister, aware of her background, built a new Welsh university in Oxford, Wales had taken over England completely but on England's terms, Welsh gentlemen counselling the Queen were transformed into English gentlemen, Seisyllt became Cecil, Welsh Britishness was transmogrified into English Britishness, Welsh British heroes of old became English British heroes of old. When the Stuarts took over, the Red Dragon was taken off the coat of arms and that was that for Cymru until the romantic movement of the late 18th & 19th centuries touched the consciences of the London Welsh exiles who established societies such as the Gwyneddogion and the Cymreigyddion to restore a sense of pride that had been lying dormant, There was a new awareness that something of value had been lost, Cymru was waking up from a 300 years sleep. National institutions were created but the Capital was London. Welsh had been banned in the schools and although it was still the first language of the majority, parents were persuaded the futility of handing it on to their children if they wanted them to get on. Workers were fighting a war of solidarity, political parties & trades unions were founded, Lloyd George created an all Welsh movement but when they met, the South Walians of Newport & Cardiff didn't want to know. Welsh Nationalists who joined the British parties were either voted out or were lost to ambition. A National Party was needed that put Cymru first and Britain second,   so Plaid Genedlaethol was formed, not an easy job in the wake of the First World War and still not an easy job today. A country with a 2000 years plus history can afford to be patient, we have the responsibility of the language, the Scots don't, rightly or wrongly the people in Glasgow & Aberdeen are not afraid of having Gaelic rammed down their throats the way they are afraid of Welsh in Rhyl, Wrecsam, Haverfordwest & Monmouth, and even Ebbw Vale & Merthyr come to that, the oil if there's any left may still be an added incentive. The first million pound cheque was signed in Cardiff but there's no money any more, its all been siphoned off. We have to stay with it, history is on our side and no matter the temporary setback today May 6, 2011. We may not be on a roll but we have the impetus.