|
|||||||
|
|
|
|||||
|
|
|||||||
There is a country a long long way from Australia called Wales .
It is an ancient and peaceful country filled with castles , wonderful old mountains and bright green pastures alive with sheep . Wales is the home of sparkling rivers and lakes , and cascading waterfalls ......it is very beautiful .
The people who live in Wales are called Welsh ,they are friendly people who love to talk and sing , and are very proud of their lovely land .
Wales is famous for it's Welsh Mountain Ponies , these ponies are small but very strong . The ponies were used a long time ago as pit ponies in the coal mines which are found mostly in the North of Wales . It was a hard life for a pit pony , they stayed underground working long hours ,not seeing the sunlight for months at a time , many of the ponies went blind because they lived so long in the darkness . Small children of about 6 or 7 years of age also worked hard in the coal mines . The children were needed to drag coal and rock from tunnels which were too small for adults to fit into , they worked long hours starting just after the sun came up and finishing just before dark . These children didn't go to school and the only day they didnt work was Sunday . Thank goodness children do not have to work in coal mines any more
The Southern parts of Wales are mined for a rock called slate . Slate is used for many things , such as roofs , floors and fences .
The Welsh people fish from little round boats called coricals , these boats are so small a fisherman can carry his boat on his back .
Wales is a country of mystery and magic , this is the country where the great wizard Merlin was born . There are many many stories about Merlin the magician , I'm sure you have heard the tale of Merlin and King Arthur ,of castle Camelot and the Knights of the round table . The story of Arthur happened in England which is right next to Wales . Merlin spent his childhood living in Wales and learned to use his magic for good , he was able to talk with the animals and was said to have lived away from other humans in a crystal cave which was deep in the forest . He knew of many things that other humans never did , and he knew about the great Dragon who would become so important to the people of Wales .
Most of the stories that we hear about dragons show them to be fierce creatures who breathe fire and smoke and people are scared of them .
They live in dark caves and steal jewels , gold and treasure of every kind , they are even said to eat people and have very nasty tempers .
In many countries of the world heros would be made when they fought and killed a dragon . In England St George will always be remembered as the great Hero who killed a dragon .
The great Red Dragon of Wales is different , he can be fierce (as is the nature of dragons) but he loves the Welsh people and their gentle country and serves as their protector . When ever there was war the people would proudly wear the symbol of their beloved dragon on their shields and flags to keep the spirit of their dragon close to them .He would give them strength and courage and other armies learned to fear and respect the great Red dragon and his people
When you look at the flag of Wales you will see the top half of the flag is white , the bottom half is green and standing proudly over both is the great Red Dragon . There is a reason for every part of the flag .
The white part of the flag is said to mean God and Heaven and the goodness in people , The green section represents the country of Wales and the Welsh people , and the dragon stands over both colours to show everyone that not only is Wales protected by this wonderful mysterious creature but that he is also the heart of Wales and makes a bridge between Heaven and Earth . The Red Dragon of Wales serves both God and the Welsh people , He stands for goodness , bravery , honesty and honour . The Red Dragon is one of the greatest treasures of Wales .
Jennifer T. (JSL) 'Yowie'
1st Lindisfarne Scout Group
November 1998
