Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau

The Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau ( old country of my ancestors ) is the National anthem Welsh. According to the tradition, he would have been written by Evan James (1809 - 1878, Ieuan ab Iago of its name bardic) and composed by his/her son James James (1833 - 1902, Iago ab Ieuan) in January 1856.

The Breton anthem Bro goz my zadoù and the anthem cornouaillais Bro Goth Agan Tasow sing themselves on the same air and comprise many similarities in the words.

Genesis

According to the legend, James James would have imagined the air of the song while he walked on banks of the river Rhondda. By singing it with his/her father, this last wrote the words of them. Initially called Glan Rhondda (banks of the Rhondda river), it was played for the first time in January or February 1856 with the vault of Capel Tabor by a singer called Elizabeth John.

Popularity

In 1858 took place the Eisteddfod (a Celtic festival) with Llangollen which contributed to the popularity of the anthem. Thomas Llewelyn gained a competition for a collection of new Welsh songs which contained Glan Rhondda. The referee of the contest, Owain Alaw (John Owen, 1821 - 1883) asked for the authorization of include Glan Rhondda in its own collection, Gems off Welsh Melody (1860 - 1864). The song accepted then its title of Hen Wlad fy Nhadau and was sold in many specimens.

In 1874, in Eisteddfod of Bangor, Mae Wlad fy Nhadau was sung by Robert Rees (Eos Morlais), a famous Welsh soloist of the time. This contributed to make the anthem even more popular and it started to be sung in the patriotic meetings and with being truly perceived like a national anthem.

The March 11th 1899, it was one of the very first Welsh songs to being sung on gramophone, by Madge Breese.

Status of national anthem

Although he is not recognized officially or legally like national anthem, Hen wlad fy nhadau nevertheless is accepted like such at the time of the Welsh demonstrations. It is very often him which is sung at the time of the sporting events, and exclusively in Welsh. One in general sings only the first verse and the refrain.

The existence of a Welsh anthem escapes the other inhabitants sometimes from Great Britain: in 1993, John Redwood, coldly appointed Secretary of State for Pays de Wales was filmed awkwardly trying to guess the words of the song. This was used a long time against him to show that it was not qualified to occupy this station. According to the autobiography of John Major, the first thing which its successor William says; La Hague whereas it occupied for the first time its functions, was that it would make well be somebody to teach him the words. This person was Ffion Jenkins, which he married thereafter.

Words

External bonds

Recording RealAudio
the anthem with the format Midday
the recording with the sound record of Madge Bresse (1899, format mp3) (National Library off Wales DIGITAL Mirror)

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