Welsh people
- This article is about the Welsh as an ethnic group. For information about residents or nationals of Wales, see demographics of Wales.
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| United States: 1.75 million (2000) 1 Wales: 0.028 millon 2 | |
| Languages | |
| Welsh, English | |
| Religion | |
| Christianity, Other, None | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Celtic, Irish, English Scottish, Basque, Cornish, Frisian |
The Welsh are a Celtic ethnic group primarily associated with Wales and the Welsh language.
Wales continued to be Christian when England was overrun by pagan German and Scandinavian tribes, though many older pagan beliefs and customs survived among its people.
History
For more information see:History of Wales
There appear to be genetic links between the Welsh and the Irish Celts and Basques. Based on this, and on evidence of genetic links between modern English and Frisian people, it has been conjectured that the Welsh are descended from the original indigenous population of England and Wales before a widespread Anglo-Saxon invasion of Britain that followed the departure of the Romans. Nevertheless, interbreeding with other populations, including the English, means that the modern Welsh are by no means a genetically homogenous group.
Even as the Celtic elements of England and Scotland gradually disappeared, Wales remained a Celtic region, and its people kept speaking the Welsh language. The name Wales is evidence of this, as it comes from a Germanic root word meaning "stranger" or "foreigner," and as such is related to the names of several other European regions where Germanic peoples came into contact with non-Germanic cultures, including Wallonia (Belgium), Valais (Switzerland), and Wallachia (Romania), as well as the "-wall" of Cornwall.
Culture
Contributions to Humanity
Language
Religion
Symbols
The Welsh flag depicts the Welsh dragon called Y Ddraig Goch which is one of Wales' national symbols. Leeks are worn every year on Saint David's Day by many Welsh people. According to legend St. David ordered his troops to identity themselves by wearing the plant on their helmets during a battle against the Saxons. The Daffodil is the national flower and symbol of Wales. The daffadil symbolizes chivalry and/or respect according to the language of flowers. The Narcissus obvallaris species only grows in the Tenby area of Wales.
Identity
See also
External links
- 1EuroAmericans.net gives population figures for people of Welsh ancestry living in the United States.
- 2Ethno-Cultural Portrait of Canada gives population figures for people of Welsh ancestry living in Canada.
- BBC News report: English and Welsh are races apart
- BBC News report: Genes link Celts to Basques