Guest Author - Karyn Johnson

The United Kingdom, as most people know, consists of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Of course, BellaOnline already has a Scottish Culture site. So it's time to give a little attention to some of the other countries that make up the UK. Right now, I want to focus on Wales.

Wales is a tiny country to the west of England. Its capital city is Cardiff, and it has a population of around three million people. Of these, several hundred thousand or so still speak Welsh (more commonly known among the Welsh as Cymraeg), a Celtic language. Welsh is similar to Breton and related to both Irish and Scots Gaelic. While English is the language most commonly spoken, Welsh still maintains a strong presence, particularly in the western and northern regions. There may be some speakers in England and other areas as well. Sadly, Welsh is considered to be a dying language, since the number of people speaking it remains stagnant, while the population increases.

Here are some Welsh phrases:

Helô or Hylô - Hello
Bore da - Good morning
Prynhawn da - Good afternoon
Nos da - Good night
Sut mae? - How are you?
Hwyl - Goodbye
Diolch - Thanks
Dw i’n dy garu d - I love you

Here's a fun place name in Welsh - Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch
(translated to English, the name is: St. Mary's Church in the hollow of the white aspen over the rapid whirlpool by St. Tysilio's of the red cave). Locals just call the town Llanfair.

The Welsh people can stake a claim to the legend of King Arthur and Merlin. Arthur, who is connected both to Tintagel Castle in Cornwall and Glastonbury in England, is connected to Wales through the legend of Caerleon - its Roman amphitheatre is thought to have served as his Round Table. One of the reputed hiding places for the Holy Grail is in Llangollen. Additionally, the earliest references to Arthur were written in Welsh and Latin by Welsh monks. Merlin's Welsh connections are in Carmarthen (Caerfyrddin), where the ancient Merlin's oak was felled, despite a prophecy that the town would be destroyed with the felling of the tree. Bardsey Island is speculated to be the mythical Avalon of Arthurian legend.

Some famous Welsh people include: Catherine Zeta-Jones (actress), Christian Bale (actor), Richard Burton (actor), Timothy Dalton (actor), Sir Anthony Hopkins (actor), Rufus Sewell (actor), Sarah Siddons (actress), Tom Jones (singer), Ken Follett (writer), Robert Graves (writer), Terry Jones (of Monty Python fame), Geoffrey of Monmouth (writer), Sir Lewis Morris (writer), Wilfred Owen (writer), Earl Bertrand Russell, Dylan Thomas (writer), and Henries V & VII (yes, they were Welsh!).

For more about Wales and Welsh culture, visit: The Official Website of the Wales Tourist Board and Wales: Travel, Culture, History, Language.

Dymuniadau da. (Best wishes!)