Wales, traditional Welsh music

Virginia Howell, my mother, was half Welsh. Her father (my grandfather) was born in Wales of parents and ancestors who lived in Wales for hundreds/thousands of years. They are the indigenous people there. My grandfather’s name is/was Hal Harl Howell. The last name was, and still is, spelled Hywel, by the Welsh … but the American government changed it here in the USA. You might be able to guess what I think of that!

Today, Wales is part of Great Britain, along with Scotland and Northern Ireland and, of course, England. I could tell you lots more about all of this. But I won’t. I was just looking online the other day for traditional Welsh music and came across the exceptionally wonderful video below. Not only does the fellow talk about traditional Welsh music, he shares a good bit of it with us. And he also talks a little about the history of Wales, the geography of Wales, and the people of Wales. He doesn’t talk too much, doesn’t get into boring details, just fun details and stories about the real history of Wales … and then he shares traditional Welsh music with us.

When DNA testing first became available, I had mine done, and it was mostly Scottish, then Irish, then some Welsh, with a tiny bit of English thrown in. But more recently, another TWO tests show that I have about 50% Danish/northern-Norwegian (Viking) DNA, then about 20% Welsh, then only 14% Scottish, and 13% Irish, and 3% English. My Irish grandmother was born along the River Shannon which was a very popular place for the Vikings to settle, not just to raid, but to settle and build their own communities. As well, the Firth of Forth in Scotland, just south of where my DNA shows up around the area of Meigle and Coupar Angus in Scotland, was also a popular place for Vikings to stake a claim. So I suspect that’s where that Viking DNA got snuggled in with the Irish and the Scottish DNA. Nevertheless, I have some very old Irish DNA … and VERY old Pictish DNA from Scotland, many thousands of years old. And yet, more than Irish and Scottish, my DNA (other than those Vikings) is mostly Welsh. The Vikings didn’t invade Wales … it was too rocky and mountainous, and there are no large rivers for them to cruise up into and hide their longboats from competitors. Even though there are gorgeous farmlands in Wales that are as rich and wonderful as the lands in Scotland and Ireland, there was no river access for the Vikings. So the Vikings didn’t much mess with the people who lived in the land we now call Wales. I like that. I like that my Welsh blood is … Welsh.

Many of you may have read about the many years of coal mining done by Welsh people in Wales … mostly for the financial benefit of the English “owners”. But Welsh people are so much more than that!

Please enjoy this video for what it is. And may it encourage you to find your roots, your ancestry, and what speaks to you.

What a great overview of Wales and all things Welsh, with a lovely emphasis on the music of Wales.

One popular Welsh musician these days is Eve Goodman. Here’s one of her songs … Dacw ‘Nghariad. Some of the words translate roughly to … there is my love, down in the orchard, beautiful oak trees all around her, but what good is my harp, and what good am I, when my love doesn’t see me.

And, if you are wondering what the Welsh language sounds like when spoken, well here’s a video that will show you. Hywel Gwynfryn (his first name is Hywel or Howell) is a television and radio personality and a lyricist. He likes to talk. 🙂 The video is only 5 minutes long but, since you (and me too!) can’t understand a word of it, you might want to listen just a bit and then come back here and read on. I read online that Welsh is nothing like Scottish or Irish gaelic … Welsh is it’s very own language.

There is lots of welsh music online … pub music, church music, orchestral music, the famous choirs of Welsh men, etc, including some thrilling videos of their national anthem. Here’s a link to one video of the Welsh national anthem sung and played before a rugby match … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AM4mIlYKG9s. Notice that the band simply stopped playing early on. The conductor stopped the instruments from playing because he realized the Welsh people were so loud that the band had no chance of being heard! And listen to the harmony of the voices after the band stopped playing!! That tiny country of Wales went on to beat the huge country of England … 30 to 3! Step aside, mate! Camu o’r neilltu, mate!

And lastly, here below is a very calm, lovely video of quiet Welsh music, along with gorgeous views of Wales itself. This video is more than an hour long so pour yourself a cup of tea or fill up a pint with your favorite brew and relax and listen. What a beautiful country.

I don’t know where in Wales my mother’s father was born, where his family was/is in Wales. I’ve never been to Wales and probably won’t get there in this lifetime. But I know I’m connected. And I know I will return home one of these days.

Live well. Peace. Byw yn dda. Heddwch.