History UsefulNotes / Wales

''Cymru'', the land of the Welsh Dragon, Music/TomJones, the revival of ''Series/DoctorWho'', ''Series/{{Torchwood}}'' and the rest of Creator/TheBBC Sci-fi/fantasy TV programmes.

Welsh is generally regarded by English-speakers as a formidably difficult language, and a glance at the map shows such jaw-crackers as Machynlleth, Pwllheli, and the truly majestic [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch]]. As a result, Welsh speakers tend to find it absolutely hilarious when non-Welsh speakers try to pronounce Welsh words and names. That said, the pronunciation rules are consistent (unlike English) and once you know that a "u" is pronounced "ee"; "dd" is a soft "th" (as in 'there' rather than 'think') ; and a "ll" is a sort-of cross between 'l' and 'th', then it will always be so, although the actual spelling (and hence pronunciation) of a word may change depending on the word preceding it. "Cwm", that perennial favourite of crossword-puzzle enthusiasts, is pronounced "coom" (and means "a hollow in the side of a mountain"). Welsh vowels ('a', 'e', 'i', 'o', 'u', 'w', and 'y') have two distinct pronunciations: one long, one short. For example, 'mẁg' (with a vowel sound like the one in 'book') and mwg (vowel sound like in 'pool'). In addition there are two variations of "y", which can be heard in "yn" (like 'un-' as in 'unhealthy') and "byd" (like 'bead') (obscure and clear sounds, respectively). Welsh English often [[LikeIsLikeAComma uses "like"]] as an interjection, but [[RealityIsUnrealistic contrary to stereotypes]] [[TheCoconutEffect the word 'boyo' is practically nonexistent.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Llanargollen}}'', a [[MediumBlending live action/animation hybrid]] PreschoolShow that was filmed in Portmeirion

Although Wales would remain part of England for legal purposes until 1967[[note]]To this day, most laws refer to "England and Wales", and the two share most procedure, in stark contrast to Scotland where the legal system works rather differently.[[/note]] thanks in a large part to its language (see below) and a continuing sense of national difference Wales continued to be considered a nation in its own right even though it had no political autonomy in practice. [[AliensInCardiff Cardiff]] (''Caerdydd'') had been proclaimed the capital of Wales in 1955. This was mostly because it was Wales' largest city; there was no government based there at the time, and pre-conquest Wales never really had a fixed capital. Since 1999 Wales now has a devolved parliament based there, albeit one with less power than the Scottish Parliament. Initially known as the Welsh Assembly, it was renamed the Welsh Parliament in 2020, although even in English many refer to it by its Welsh name, the ''Senedd''. Although Welsh is by far the healthiest modern Celtic language and Welsh identity is widespread and firm, the majority of Welsh are comfortable with being called British (not English, of course--''British''), and are less interested in independence than the Scots, although there is an active independence movement.

* Several characters from Channel 4's classic sketch show ''Series/{{Absolutely}}'', particularly DIY 'expert' Denzil and his equally repulsive wife, Gwyneth (played by Welsh comedy actor John Sparks and Creator/MorwennaBanks).

* Creator/RachelRedford, Thespian actress (''Series/HouseOfTheDragon'', ''Series/ShadowAndBones'').

* Creator/RachelRedford, Thespian actress (''Series/HouseOfTheDragon'').

Although soverign rule by the native Welsh thus came to an end in 1283, for most normal people things carried on as before, with the local FeudalOverlord having far more significance than the remote king of England; and some parts of Wales had already been ruled by local anglo-norman lords for centuries; in fact the period between Llywelyn's defeat and 1536 was in some senses a GoldenAge for Welsh culture, with a flowering of poetry in particular. The period was also punctuated by frequent Welsh rebellions, leading the English to construct a series of formidable castles throughout the country; and Wales is noted for the sheer number and size of its castles relative to the size of the country (with some 300 known castles of which at least 100 have some kind of visual remains, which are often quite impressive) - a testimony to how fiercely the Welsh resisted conquest. The most famous rebellion was that of Owain Glyndŵr[[note]]Sometimes rendered as ''Owen Glendower'' in English, most notably in Shakespeare's Henry IV pt. I.[[/note]]. Glyndŵr was briefly able to liberate the whole nation, naturally proclaiming himself ''Tywysog Cymru'' in the process; although his rebellion was ultimately defeated, he then [[NeverFoundTheBody disappeared without a trace]]. He understandably remains a [[FamedInStory popular hero]] to many Welsh people (and therefore [[YourTerroristsAreOurFreedomFighters a villain to the English]]).