Who Are the Welsh?

As an Englishman currently studying in Wales, I have mad respect for the Welsh. The fact the language has stood against the test of time to the modern day is remarkable.

Born in England from Welsh stock the country called me far before I understood the politics, one visit to family was all it took, like meeting your true love it grew in my heart, this land were I now live is in my soul and will always be. My grandchildren are all Welsh who speak the old language, soon maybe my remains will be buried under Welsh soil and I will be part of the country again, I will rest easy of that I am sure.

Good to see you covering this. We do like to get a mention, us Welsh.

I’m convinced that the main reason more English speaking YouTubers don’t cover Welsh history is that they’re terrified of the pronunciation 😂.

I'm Welsh and I wanted to commend you on your pronunciation, especially the "ll" sound which is difficult for non Welsh folks. Great video!

As a Welsh descendent in Canada I’ve always wanted to know more about our roots as it was made clear by my Grandpa that we were “Welsh” folk. I have a great admiration for our forefathers tenacity, endurance and preservation of our culture against great odds - As was noted they withstood the Germanic tribes while Rome itself fell to them. And the bards, singers and great epics! Culture is a beautiful thing that is indeed worth preserving and protecting. Thanks for helping keep it alive for us far-flung Cymru 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 One day I look forward to seeing it with my own eyes

I spent more than 20 years living and working in the Orient. During my time there, I was engaged in conversation with an elderly gentleman from the USA. The pronunciation of just one word informed me, in the blink of an eye, that this American gentleman had an association with Wales, the Land of my Fathers. How so, I hear you ask? He was recounting a recent visit to a local dentist and pronounced the singular of the plural noun teeth as "tuth", not the more familiar sounding "two-th" (tooth). I paused the conversation and asked him if he had a connection with South Wales. He was struck dumb for a few seconds and then blurted out, "Yes, I was born in Bridgend (near Cardiff), but my parents emigrated to the US when I was a baby and have never been back. How do you know?" The answer, of course, is that he was brought up in the US by Welsh parents from Glamorgan, who never lost their accent and its quirky pronunciation of certain words.

Centuries ago my ancestors were forced to renounce their traditional Welsh names and adopt the name ‘Roberts’ as a more formal, more proper English surname. That all ended on October 12th, 2003. The day I was born, Christened as Meilir Ap Emrys, son of Emrys Roberts. There is nothing in this world I will ever be more thankful for than my name, no matter how hard people may find it to pronounce, because it represents the tenacity and endurance of my people, and how we have overcome everything thrown at us. Thank you for sharing the history of my cyndeidiau so eloquently and with so many people. Our history is one that has inspired countless world-famous works of fiction, and the truth is worth telling and sharing. Diolch yn fawr, fawr iawn, gyfaill. Cymru am byth.

Everyone needs to read up on Wilson & Blackett's research. Wales is an incredible place, and has the most amazing history. The true history of the Welsh is a problem for the British Establishment.

Whilst I’m English my grandfather was from Abersoch so I spent much of my childhood growing up in Wales, and it is so underrated. Proud of my Welsh heritage and absolutely love the country.

In truth this Wales, Sire, is a gem, The fairest in your crown: The stream and field rich harvest yield, And fair and dale and down. And all the wretched people there Are calm as man could crave; Their hovels stand throughout the land As silent as the grave. Edward the king, the English king Spurs on his tawny steed; Across the skies red flames arise As if Wales burned indeed. In martyrship, with song on lip, Five hundred Welsh bards died; Not one was mov'd to say he lov'd The tyrant in his pride. (Extracts from The Welsh Bards, from the Hungarian poet János Arany, 1857, Translated by Watson Kirkconnel)

I'm all Welsh and i love when people know that wales even exists I grew up un Tenby and South mid Wales has got to be some of the nicest places to live in the world. Everyone is so nice sandy beaches castles shops easy to get around and Hardy no crime at all

Fantastic oration and content! As a person of Welsh descent I am impressed by how you have arranged the massive amount of content. The Welsh never gave in, never gave up, and were able to preserve language and cultures where others were completely overwhelmed and lost. Thank you

Hello from the Welsh American Channel. Just want to let you know that we Welsh Americans are also interested in what is going on in Wales and its rich history. Cymru am byth!

Just have to say, as a Cymro living in Wales, I congratulate the heck out of your pronunciation. It was very accurate with very few exceptions and you handled the extra vowels and unfamiliar consonants well. An unfortunate majority of modern Britons lack the exposure or interest to try, and at worst, make fun of the language.

My Grandmother spoke Welsh, taught to her by her grandfather who told her to remember she was Cymry.

In German the word "welsch" means "non-germanic" In Switzerland the German speaking call the french, Italian, and rheto-roman speaking parts of the country "die welsche Schweiz"

Fantastic to hear such a well put together history. I've lived in North Wales my whole life, speak the language and my family tree is rooted deep here. I still struggle to put dates to names and people in places. I pass castles and ancient tumulus just to go to the supermaket and it breaks my heart to be powerless as I watch and feel Wales turn into something it shouldn't be.

My last name (Craddock) is derived from the Welsh name Caradog. Im proud to have Welsh heritage!

I'm proud of my Welsh ancestry. I have the dragon tattooed on my arm and I got to visit Wales when I was a kid. It's beautiful and green.