Cardiff, Wales By Anissa, Florian, Matheelde, Gnewnaelle and Vincianne
Origin of the flag : The flag of Wales The later Roman cavalry was the primary force who defending against the Saxons before the end of the occupation. They are believed to have used a dragon emblem on their pennants and standards during their occupation of Britain. Draco standards were used between 250 and 400 AD, and were typically carried by cavalry units. They consisted of a hollow beast's head, made from metal, with a windsock-style cloth tail descending from the rear of the head. Frequently a whistle device was attached to the mouth or staff of the standard, to sound as it was moved around, either by a standard bearer on foot or a mounted soldier. The standards were used in a number of forms after the Romans left Britain. The Welsh kings of Aberffraw used the emblem to symbolise their authority in the early fifth century. The name Pendragon, or Pen Draig on Wales, has its origins in these battle standards. The flag signification is «the red dragon inspires action»
The National Anthem of Wales Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau is the national anthem of Wales. The title, taken from the first words of the song means "Land of My Fathers". The words were written by Evan James and the tune composed by his son, James James, in January 1856. Lyrics : Translation : (First stanza) Mae hen wlad fy nhadau yn annwyl i mi, Gwlad beirdd a chantorion, enwogion o fri; Ei gwrol ryfelwyr, gwladgarwyr tra mad, Dros ryddid collasant eu gwaed. The old land of my fathers is dear to me, Land of bards and singers, famous men of renown; Her brave warriors, very splendid patriots, For freedom shed their blood. (Chorus) Gwlad, gwlad, pleidiol wyf i'm gwlad. Tra môr yn fur i'r bur hoff bau, O bydded i'r hen iaith barhau. (Second stanza) Hen Gymru fynyddig, paradwys y bardd, Pob dyffryn, pob clogwyn, i'm golwg sydd hardd; Trwy deimlad gwladgarol, mor swynol yw si Ei nentydd, afonydd, i mi. (Chorus) (Third stanza) Os treisiodd y gelyn fy ngwlad tan ei droed, Mae hen iaith y Cymry mor fyw ag erioed, Ni luddiwyd yr awen gan erchyll law brad, Na thelyn berseiniol fy ngwlad. (Chorus) Nation [or country], Nation, I am faithful to my Nation. While the sea [is] a wall to the pure, most loved land, O may the old language endure. Old mountainous Wales, paradise of the bard, Every valley, every cliff, to my look is beautiful. Through patriotic feeling, so charming is the murmur Of her brooks, rivers, to me. If the enemy oppresses my land under his foot, The old language of the Welsh is as alive as ever. The muse is not hindered by the hideous hand of treason, Nor [is] the melodious harp of my country.
Maps to situate Wales Different parts of Wales : Area: 20,779 sq km Population: 2,918,700 (2002) Wales Wales in U-K
Climate in Wales Temperatures in Wales : Cardiff in winter Cardiff in summer Cardiff in spring Cardiff in autumn
Facts about Wales Cardiff is the capital and largest city in Wales and the ninth largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is the country's chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for Wales. In 2011 population was estimated at 346,100, while the population of the Larger Urban Zone was estimated at 861,400 in 2009. Cardiff is a significant tourist centre.in 2011, Cardiff was ranked sixth in the world in National Geographic's tourist destinations. Cardiff was made a city in 1905, and proclaimed the capital of Wales in 1955.
Welsh language The welsh is one of the celtic languages spoken natively in Wales., 19% (Half a million) of people speak this language, the Cymraeg. This celtic language is like the Cornish or the Breton and is one of the European oldest languages; the Welsh we speak today is from the Sixth Century. It's a living language used in conversations all over Wales. In 1993, 1998 and in 2012, some acts provide that the welsh must be treated equally as the English languages. That why at school, students learnt English and welsh litteratures. Usual words : Shwmae - hello Croeso Welcome Diolch Thanks Da - Good
The Millennium Stadium... The Millennium Stadium (in Welsh: Stadiwm y Mileniwm) is the national stadium of Wales, located Cardiff. It is the home of the Wales national rugby union team. Initially built to host the 1999 Rugby World Cup, it has gone on to host many other large-scale events. The stadium was designed by a team led by architects Bligh Lobb Sports Architecture. The stadium opened in June 1999, and the first major event to be held was an international rugby match on 26 June 1999, when Wales beat South Africa. With total seating capacity of 74,500, it's the third largest stadium in the Six Nations Championship behind the Stade de France and Twickenham, which is the largest. The Millennium Stadium which we prefer most because he is gigantic and when we return inside,we are in the same conditions and we have the same atmosphere as the players who enter on the ground. The thing which is so fantastic, is the vist because we all part of the stadium, sow it s an exeptional only stadium s vist, wheras it will be not the same thing in France or Somewhere else. in Cardiff
A welsh poem Waterfalls Always in that valley in Wales I hear the noise Of waters falling. There is a clump of trees We climbed for nuts; and high in the trees the boys Lost in the rookery's cries Would cross, and branches cracking under their knees Would break, and make in the winter wood new gaps. The leafmould covering the ground was almost black, But speckled and striped were the nuts we threw in our caps, Milked from split shells and cups, Secret as chestnuts when they are tipped from a sack, Glossy and new. Always in that valley in Wales I hear that sound, those voices. They keep fresh What ripens, falls, drops into darkness, fails, Gone when dawn shines on scales, And glides from village memory, slips through the mesh, Vernon Watkins : Vernon Phillips Watkins (27 June 1906 8 October 1967) was a British poet, translator and painter. He was a close friend of Dylan Thomas who described him as "the most profound and greatly accomplished Welshman writing poems in English". We love the poem Waterfalls because, in the poem the poet speaks about Wales. And is not, when we come again. I look: Voices are under the bridge, and that voice calls, Now late, and answers, then, as the light twigs break Back, there is only the brook Reminding the stones where, under a breath, it falls. Vernon Watkins
Welsh Lamb Bara brith Welsh Rarebit Welsh food is usually made from local ingredients. Some traditional dishes include laverbread (made from seaweed), bara brith (fruit cake), cawl cennin (leek stew), Welsh cakes, Welsh Rarebit, and Welsh lamb. A type of shellfish, cockles, is often served with breakfast. Laverbread Cawl cennin Welsh cakes
Ingredients : Recipe of Welsh cakes 225g/8oz self-raising flour 110g/4oz salted butter diced 85g/3oz caster sugar, plus extra for dusting handful of sultanas 1 free-range egg, beaten milk, if needed extra butter, for greasing Preparation method : 1. Sift the flour into a bowl and add the diced butter. 2. Rub with your fingertips, or pulse in a food processor, until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. 3. Add the sugar, sultanas and beaten egg and mix well to form a ball of dough, using a splash of milk if needed. 4. Roll the dough out on a floured board to a thickness of about 5mm/½in. 5. Cut into rounds with a 7.5 10cm/3-4in plain cutter. 6. Rub a bakestone or heavy iron griddle with butter, wipe away the excess and place on the hob until it is heated through. 7. Cook the Welsh cakes a few at a time for 2 3 minutes on each side, or until golden-brown. 8. Remove from the griddle and dust with caster sugar while still warm.
A famous Welsh sentence "Cenedl heb iaith, cenedl heb galon" = A nation without a language is a nation without a heart It means that the welsh language is very important for the welsh people, it's their identity. If they lost their language they lost their identity and the tradition. That why in Wales, it's writting in Welsh in first and after in English, it's because they really want to keep the tradition and their language, it's important.
Catherine Zeta Jones : a famous welsh Catherine Zeta Jones was born in Swansea On September, 25th of 1969,she's a welsh actress. Her father is of Welsh descent, while her mother is of Welsh and her mother an Irish descent, her second name 'Zeta' came from her grandmother who was named after a boat seen in Swansea Harbour. She began her career very young, with small roles, like in The Darling Buds of May, from 1991 until 1993.She became more famous thanks to her rôle in Hollywoodian action movie, The Mask of Zorro in 1998.After that she has received a lot of awards. She's married with Michael Douglas since November 2000.