What are some events in Welsh history that helped to shape the country as it exists today? From the days of Wales’ earliest settlers to the present-day nation of Cymru, here are a few notable happenings in a long and colorful timeline.
What are the Welsh known for in history? The Welsh are known for many things in history, depending on the period. Here are but a few key occurrences starting from the beginning of early Welsh history. For example, many Welsh people still carry DNA that links them to the first hunter-gatherers on the island of Great Britain. This trait gives Welsh a unique claim to the title of “true Britons.”
Wales is home to the oldest known formal human burial in Western Europe. Archaeologists found the “Red Lady of Paviland” (a male, it turned out) in the Gower Penisula. The skeleton was dyed with red ochre and dates to 31,000 BC.
Welsh people are known for descending from the Celtic tribes that first arrived in Britain around 1,000 BC and established many societies by 600 BC. The modern Welsh language traces its roots to the Brythonic tongue spoken by the Welsh tribes. You can learn more about Welsh ancestry here.
This post is about notable events in Welsh history that span from ancient times to modern.
Events in Welsh History
Roman Period
During Roman times (48 – 383 AD), the area that became the country now known as Cymru was called Brittania Secunda. However, this occurred during the late 3rd century, when the Romans made this region a province. It was first called Britannia, which was the isle of Great Britain. While the Romans conquered Wales, they didn’t subdue every part of it completely, especially some remote places in the north. The Ordovices, one of the warlike Welsh tribes living in what is now Gwynedd and Clwyd, fought their Roman invaders for an astounding 28 years before their defeat.
The Welsh Kingdoms
When the Romans left Britannia, the Welsh tribes had to learn how to govern themselves once more. On the one hand, the autonomy was a good thing. On the other, the tribes no longer had the Romans’ protection from invaders, and the Roman money they’d become accustomed to using for centuries was now worthless. Tribes became kingdoms, and chieftains became princes or kings. The Celtic tribes established the earliest kingdoms in the 400s. By the 9th century, the Welsh were beginning to form more of an identity as a people rather than merely a collection of kingdoms, even though they were seldom united. By the 12th century, historical texts show that people felt a strong sense of Welshness.
Events in Welsh History: Rulers Seek to Unite the Kingdoms
A few kings and princes stand out as having made a significant and lasting impact on the nation of Wales and its culture. If you’d like to see a complete timeline of rulers, I’ve included one in this article about Gruffudd ap Llywelyn. I also highly recommend the book Welsh Kings: Warriors, Warlords and Princes.
Rhodri the Great Unites Gwynedd, Powys, and Seisyllwg in 872
Rhodri ap Merfyn (also known as Rhodri Mawr or “Rhodri the Great”), who became the King of Gwynedd in 844, was one of the first rulers who attempted to unite Wales. He eventually ruled from Anglesey to the Gower Peninsula until he died in battle against Alfred of Wessex in 877.
Gruffyd ap Llywelyn Rules the Entirety of Wales from 1055 – 1063
Gruffydd ap Llywelyn ruled as the King of all Wales from 1055 – 1063. Out of all the other rulers, he was the only one to unite the nation as a whole rather than significant portions of it. One reason he succeeded in this unification was through an alliance with Aelfgar, the Saxon King of Mercia. Together, they defended their territories and defeated common enemies.
Llywelyn the Great Rules Much of Wales from 1195 to 1240
Llywelyn ap Iorwerth (also known as “Llywelyn the Great”) was a Welsh prince who ruled most of the Welsh kingdoms and territories in the late 12th and early 13th centuries. He had the most impact on the independence of the Welsh kingdoms before England conquered them in 1283. Not only did Llywelyn unite territories, but he also made legal advancements. He commissioned legal texts, helped establish Aberconwy Abbey, and did much to encourage and preserve Welsh culture. In addition to all of that, he was also involved in the Magna Carta by siding with other Welsh princes and English barons to force King John to sign.
Owain Glyndŵr Rebels English Rule and Controls Wales from 1400 – 1415
Owain Glyndŵr (Owain ap Gruffydd), born around 1345, was the last native Welshman to be called Prince of Wales. He began a rebellion against English rule in 1400 and quickly gained support. By 1404, he controlled most of Wales. His supporters declared him Prince of the country.
Glyndŵr called the first Welsh parliament, which assembled in Machynlleth, a town in Powys. The Prince of Wales stated his plans for an independent nation. Wales would have a separate church and its own universities. Although the English eventually overcame Glyndŵr’s forces, the Prince disappeared in 1415. No one has ever proven what became of him. He passed into folklore, achieving a somewhat mythical status like the legendary King Arthur.
The Tudor Dynasty Begins in 1485
The Tudor Dynasty, the famous royal family that gave us the infamous Henry VIII, originated with Welsh beginnings. It began with a secret marriage between Owain ap Maredydd ap Tudur, a royal attendant, and Catherine of Valois, the widow of King Henry V. The Tudors couldn’t have accomplished what they did during their reign without their Welsh connections. Ironically, this family harmed more than helped Wales in many ways.
More Events in Welsh History
What is Welsh historically known as, and when did people start speaking it?
The Welsh language was and still is known as Cymraeg in Wales. Welsh first appeared as Primitive Welsh around the year 550 AD.
A now-extinct Celtic language called “Cumbric” was closely related to Old Welsh. During the Early Middle Ages, people spoke Cumbric in northern England and southern Scotland. People stopped speaking it in the 10th or 11th century.
Welsh has also been called “Cymric.” Cymric refers to non-Gaelic Celts or their language, particularly Welsh. The article Are the Welsh Celtic or Gaelic? explores the terms “Celtic” and “Gaelic” more fully.
What major events happened in the 1960s in Wales?
Some famous events in Welsh history in the 1960s were the Aberfan mining tragedy, the diminishing of the coal mining and slate quarrying industries, and the passing of the Welsh Language Act.
The Aberfan Disaster
In 1966, on the 21st of October, a mining tragedy claimed the lives of 144 people—116 children and 28 adults. It was one of the most devastating coal mining accidents ever to occur in the United Kingdom. How did this happen? Over the years since 1916, miners from Merthyr Vale Colliery had been piling coal waste materials on the mountainside above the village of Aberfan. They began this practice after running out of space on the mountain valley floor, where they had deposited the spoil tips (waste) beginning in 1896.
Unfortunately, on the date of the disaster, the waste buildup collapsed and sent a landslide surging down the mountain and into the town. It dumped 140,000 cubic yards of coal waste onto farms, houses, and part of the secondary school. Of the residents of the small Welsh village, only five people survived.
The Welsh Language Act
Before 1967, the UK government required all legal proceedings and official documents in Wales to be conducted or written in English. The Welsh Language Act changed this. For the first time, Welsh speakers could hold legal proceedings in their native tongue and provide documents in Cymraeg. Previously, the government had banned the use of Welsh in these official activities for centuries.
The Welsh Language Act also did away with part of an earlier law from 1746 called the Wales and Berwick Act. This earlier Act defined Wales as a part of England. The Welsh Language Act repealed this definition. While this change and the inclusion of Welsh in law and administration were good steps forward, the Act didn’t give Welsh an official language status in Wales. Believe it or not, that wouldn’t happen until 2011.
Cymru Becomes a Country
So, what were the most significant events in Welsh history? There are far too many to list here, as each event should have its own article. No single event stands out as the most important. However, people frequently ask: When did Wales become a country? That is, a country as it exists today within the United Kingdom. Wales became a country in 1536 when King Henry VIII enacted his Act of Union (then called by a different name), fully incorporating Wales within the English realm. Before then, Wales had been considered a principality since 1284 with King Edward’s conquest.
This post was about notable events in Welsh history that span from ancient times to modern.
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