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The Earthshaker

Nadolig Llawen to you and your readers, keep fighting the good fight your needed as never before!

And to our Scottish friends I wish you all the best for your independence struggle, but in all my years i’ve never met a Scot or and Irish person who doesn’t think of themselves as ‘better Celts’ or superior to us Welsh in every way, we Welsh may get our independence or not or we may not, but ancient welsh language and culture shaped these islands, so we don’t need to accept their smugness or ever feel inferior however bleak things look now

Mab y Mynydd

That’s an important point. Sadly, many Irish and Scots can be particularly dismissive of Welsh identity. We can come across as being needy because often we look up to them as ‘Celtic brothers’ but the majority of them see us through the eyes of the English media. It’s just a sad fact that we have a low profile. The most anti-Welsh person I’ve ever met was an “Irish-American”!

My Scottish friends (SNP voters) are heavily anti-Gaelic and tar the Welsh language with the same brush. They’re not bad people, just ignorant of our culture. The Irish speakers I know tend to be envious that our language is still going (relatively) strong. When visiting, they always point out the amount of English settlers and how glad they are to have the Irish Sea to protect them! They know that it boils down to geography, not backbone.

Keith Parry

Free Wales! We are a nation and will be a free nation.Get stuck in to Plaid and make it a much more aggressive nationalist party. There is no point in trying to start another party, Plaid is what we have so we have to get it campaign for independence an to have nothing to do with unionist parties.

Carnabwth

R Tyler,

I haven’t seen those words by Llywelyn’ council before. Where can I find out more? Any book or books you advise to read?

Robert Tyler

Hello Carnabwth,
Have a look at these three by RR Davies:

The Age of Conquest, Wales 1063-1415 (OUP, 1987)
The First English Empire – Power and Identity in the British Isles, 1093-1343 (OUP, 2000)
Domination and Conquest (CUP, 1990).

There are other by Llinos and Beverly Smith.
John Davies and Gwyn Alf Williams cover this and, of course, Gwynfor Evans.
Nadolig Llawen,
Robert Llewellyn Tyler

R Tyler

“Pa ran ohono fo sy’n anghywir, RT?” Well, basically, this rhan, “Scotland is nation with every right, once it finally makes up its mind, to be free of the English, because back in the day it’s [sic] leaders stood firm and refused to submit. OTOH, the Welsh didn’t and so cannot claim nationhood.”
Llywelyn refused five times to pay homage to Edward I and refused the offer of lands and title made by Edward in 1282 in return for capitulation. Llywelyn’s council added, “Likewise the people of Snowdon say that even if the prince were willing to give their land to the king, they would nevertheless be unwilling to do homage to a stranger whose language, customs and laws are totally unknown to them.” We could continue to consider the role of Glyndwr and his lieutenants, whose words of defiance send a chill across the centuries. There are no Welsh signatories on the Act of 1536.

Marconatrix

Interesting. Had they ‘submitted’ might it had been possible to reach an agreement that preserved their native laws and constitution, or at least enough of them/it to act as a nucleus, a foundation, to build upon in modern time? There is a legal opinion favoured by London that the Act of Union abolished Scotland, but there is an alternative legal opinion, just as valid if not more so, that says the opposite. That is, there is a valid case to argue, should Scotland be obliged to declare UDI at some point in the future. OTOH I don’t see how any such argument could be made in respect of Wales, of even Gwynedd. The Welsh constitution really was abolished, so you don’t have anything to build out from. The Assembly is just a branch of local government which could be abolished tomorrow if it ceased to serve Westminster’s purposes, as easily as say, Dyfed was abolished a few years ago. Even if WM passes a law stating that devolution cannot be revoked, it would simply be a matter of removing that law (since parliaments cannot bind their successors) before abolishing devolution. Even laws like the British Human Rights legislation which involve international treaties, can be set aside when it suits Westminster politics.

Let me be clear, I would like to see a fully independent Wales, living according to it’s own traditions and principles: But without any legal foundation, and without a substantial and increasing proportion of the population backing that proposition, I can’t see much of a way forward. In fact when I started to look into Welsh politics I was actually quite shocked to see how little support indy has, and that in fact it seems to be less attractive now than it was back in the day when we were all a lot younger and more idealistic 😉

Does Plaid, or anyone for that matter, actually have a plan, a roadmap, to get you from where you are now to that wonderful Cymru Fydd you’ve been dreaming of for decades? Os nad oes rhyw fath o gynllyn, wel mae’n hen bryd iddi hi!

Carnabwth

Nadolig LLawen Mr Jones a phawb arall.

Robert Tyler

Well, thanks for that (wildly inaccurate) message of goodwill and hope, Marconatrix!
Diolch am popeth Royston. Yn mwynhau’r blog yn fawr iawn.
Dymuniadau Gorau

R Tyler

“am bopeth”

Marconatrix

Pa ran ohono fo sy’n anghywir, RT? Imagination, certainly, Dafis. Nothing can come into being until someone first imagines it. The challenge is to imagine in your own terms, not those of we’ve been brainwashed into thinking of as ‘normal’ or even ‘essential’. Unfortunately, most of the people who come to Wales with new ideas seem to be the sort of English person that Jac here hates. Well-meaning on the whole but knowing even less about Wales than I do, and so capable of doing damage simply through ignorance. And as for the Labour Party, well events in Scotland should show you what you can expect from them, just remember their is no ‘Welsh Labour Party’ any more than there is a Scottish LP, only a branch office of UKOK. So imagine your way out of that one, I really do hope you can.

Marconatrix

… and that Big Gee is why Scotland is nation with every right, once it finally makes up its mind, to be free of the English, because back in the day it’s leaders stood firm and refused to submit.
OTOH, the Welsh didn’t and so cannot claim nationhood. They allowed themselves to be totally absorbed into ‘England’ with only culture remaining to distinguish them, in particular religion and language. Well most of you can’t even speak your own language, and (thankfully) religion isn’t much of an issue these days. So what have you got left? Socialism? Not since New ‘Labour’. Quite frankly you’re all ****ed.

All the same I wish you well, Nollaig Chridheal agus Bliadhna Mhath Ùr dhuibh uile.

Mab y Mynydd

We are a nation, always will be a nation. It’s clear from your comments that you know nothing about Wales and its people. Stick to your Cornish language forums mush.

Marconatrix

Och, does dim mwy yn mynd ymlaen yng nghernyw y dyddiau hyn, gwaeth na Chymru hyd yn oed, os ydi hynny yn bosib … hen bryd i mi fynd nôl i’r Alban dwi’n meddwl. Rhaid i’r Cymry fod yn genedl, siwr o fod, ond sut, wn i ddim o gwbl.

dafis

thanks for the greeting but don’t fixate so much on the past, especially as you choose to ignore episodes of attempted independence. This country of ours will only progress if it starts thinking seriously about how it shapes its future, retaining its identity and developing a coherent, valid relationship with our neighbours on these islands and beyond, not by yearning and mourning the lost opportunities of yesteryear. Lessons may have to be learned, but the future has a different shape to it anyway so maybe more imagination and less memory is called for.

Big Gee

Mae dy ddealldwriaeth hanesyddol di o’r gwahaniaeth rhwng Cymru a’r Alban braidd yn niwlog gyfaill.

Y mae yna nifer o resymau sy’n glwm a’r chwyldro diwydiannol, crefydd, hanes (y ddeddf uno 1536 a 42 yn enwedig) addysg (gweler http://sccambria.com/erthyglau/erth-add_cymraeg.htm), maint y genedl a’i sefyllfa ddaearyddol o ran agosatrwydd at Loegr, i gyd yn ffactorau sy’n golygu ein bod wedi cyrraedd y presennol ar wahanol lwybrau i’n cenderwyr yn y gogledd. OND y mae dweud nad ydym yn deilwng i fod yn genedl yn sarhâd arnom – o leiaf i’r rheini ohonom sydd wedi, ac yn dal i ymladd am ryddid. Yr wyf YN cydfynd ein bod yn daeog ac yn ddi asgwrn cefn yn ein hymrechion (diolch yn bennaf i ddylanwad crefydd ac arweinwyr sosialaidd yn y gorffennol – tebyg i Gwynfor Evans).

Mae’r cyhuddiad yr wyt wedi ei wneud yn atsain o’r dadleuon parhaol yr ydym yn eu gwynebu o’r ochr arall i Glawdd Offa. Llongyfarchiadau am eu copïo fel parot ddifeddwl!

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For a translation copy and paste into Google translate at: https://translate.google.com/

Marconatrix

Diolch yn fawr, dwi’n dealt dy Gymraeg di. Mi fydda i’n ateb cyn bo hir, ond mae ffrind yn dŵad i ymweld yma am ysbaid. Mae’r ddadl yn un o bwys yn ddi-os.

dafis

Ie wir !! excellent forum for free thinkers, not burdened by the bureaucratic mindset and an obsession with redistribution even before the cake is baked ! Talking of cake go easy on the puddings & stuff otherwise let it be “hyfryd iawn ” this Nadolig

Big Gee

Nadolig Llawen a Blwyddyn Newydd Dda Jac! Keep up the good fight –

” . . . . as long as a hundred of us remain alive, we will never on any conditions be subjected to the lordship of the English. For we fight not for glory, nor riches, nor honours, but for freedom alone, which no good man gives up except with his life.” . . . . . Arbroath 1320

Debbie Shanahan

Seeing the light X