Category: General Interest Articles

Articles of general interest on no particular subject

Place-Names Derivation – Fawr / Llantwit Major

THE DERIVATION AND MEANING OF PLACE-NAMES

LLANILLTUD FAWR / LLANTWIT MAJOR

The name Llanilltud is made up of two elements – ‘llan’ and ‘Illtud’ (‘Illtyd’). The first element is an old Celtic word, which I will discuss in detail at a later date. Suffice to say at this stage that the meaning is ‘church’. The second element is the name of the saint to whom the church is dedicated. Illtud was a 5th/6th Century saint who established his monastery in this location. Holy men came to this early centre of learning from all over Britain and Europe to study and it is said that the Patron Saint of Wales, Dewi Sant himself studied there. So Llanilltud means ‘the church of Illtud’. The second word ‘Fawr’ is the mutated form of the adjective ‘mawr’ which conveys ‘large, big, major’ depending on the context. This adjective is used as part of the place-name to reflect its importance as a major centre of learning – or early university!

In English the Welsh name ‘Llanilltud’ has mutated to ‘Llantwit’. But how in the world could that happen? Down the centuries, in documents and manuscripts, the name of the saint has been written as Iltut, Iltuit, Yltwyt and so on. As far back as 1100 the name of the monastery appears as Llanitut, Llanntwyt, Llanulltut and many other versions, depending on the spelling abilities of the scribes! In 1431 the first two letters of the saint’s name seem to have been dropped and versions such as Lantwyt, Lantwytt, and Lantwit appear. So this explains the aberration (in my mind, at least!) ‘Llantwit’. The second word ‘major’ is explained above.

Y RHWS / RHOOSE

This name is very easily explained. ‘Rhws’ is derived from the Welsh noun ‘rhos’ meaning ‘moorland’ or ‘heathland’. Because it is a common noun, it is preceded by the definite article ‘y’ (the) in Welsh.

The English name ‘Rhoose’ is merely the Anglicized spelling of the Welsh name.

SAIN TATHAN / ST ATHAN

The name refers to the church of Saint Tathan – which is mistakenly written as ‘St Athan’ in English. In Welsh place-names, the word ‘saint’ is conveyed in various ways – ‘Sant, San, Sain’. In the case of Sain Tathan we see that ‘Sain’ is used.

PEN-MARC / PENMARK

The name Pen-Marc obviously consists of two elements. ‘Pen’ means ‘head, top, summit, end’ in Welsh – depending on the context. In this case it refers to the headland – the bluff overlooking the river Weycock – which is the location of the village. The second element ‘marc’ probably derives from the word ‘march’, meaning ‘stallion’ – though the final ‘h’ has been lost. It is not certain to what the stallion’s head refers – possibly to the shape of the headland – or to the location of various rituals or ceremonies involving a stallion’s head – or to something else long forgotten.

The English spelling uses a ‘k’ to convey the sound

of the final consonant. There is no ‘k’ in the Welsh alphabet – it is not required – because, unlike in English – the consonant ‘c’ is always hard. In English of course, it can be hard – as in ‘car’ or soft – as in ‘ceiling’. The rule seems to be – to make sure, use ‘k’ or even, in places, ‘ck’!

Next month: Llwyneliddon / St Lythan’s, Twynyrodyn, Llancarfan, Tresimwn / Bonvilston, Aberddawan / Aberthaw, Trebefered / Boverton.

Ann M. Jones

 

Bangs Of Expectation

BANGS OF EXPECTATION

The first Christmas crackers were known as ‘Bangs of Expectation’.

Crackers came about because confectioner Tom Smith needed a way to market French-style sweets wrapped in paper. The story goes that he was inspired to add an explosive element by the sight of a log crackling on the fire. But in reality, it was his brother who came up with the idea, possibly inspired by magic tricks he’d witnessed while working in the music halls.

Launched in the late-1840s, Tom Smith’s crackers sparked a whole new Christmas custom. The company still exists today, and supplies crackers for the royal family each Christmas

 

Childhood Memories – A Poem by Zena Ball

CHILDHOOD MEMORIES

What freedom we had when I was a child
Compared to nowadays.
We were allowed to roam about at will,
And even ride our bikes on the roads.

When we were little and days were sunny
Our Mother and her friend would meet
Their purses were empty and they had no money
But loved taking us out for a treat.

We would visit the Drope half a mile away
Where we could all picnic and play.
Mother made sandwiches and took some pop
And we would all have a lovely day.

The field was quite large with a river close by,
And a railway viaduct
We would wave to the trains as they went by,
And the drivers and guards would wave back.

We played rounders and shouted until we were hoarse,
And even the Mothers joined in.
Together with others that happened to be there,
Enjoying the afternoon sun.

We would swim in the river to cool ourselves off
The water was clean in those days.
We would dive from the bank and cross on the log
And from the bank pick the daisies.

A tributary stream into the river dull flow,
With water as clear as a bell.
When we were thirsty we just cupped our hands
And drank as if from a well.

As the evening approached and the sun went down,
We would wend our way home to our Dad.
The lane seemd so long as we daudled along,
With Mother carrying all the bags.

Zena Ball

 

Tucker’s Christmas Reindeer Sale

 

It’s almost here! Come along to the 4th annual Tucker’s Christmas Reindeer sale on Saturday 19 November from 10am to 4pm at 29 Vennwood Close (the road opposite the church). Apart from the stars of the show there will be some lovely things to buy and a festive atmosphere to get you in the Christmas mood. We are being joined by some local crafters on the day including Trevor and his lovely Christmas houses, Linda and her sewn crafts, Llinos will be taking orders for Christmas wreaths and small Christmas trees sold in aid of Velindre and 2 card sellers. Heulwen will be raising money from her cards for the Library hub and Esther will be raising money to replace her mother’s memorial bench which was situated on the village green until a storm destroyed it last winter. There will be Tucker family crafts and some really cosy crocheted blankets sold by Justine.

We will be holding the usual raffle with some excellent quality prizes including luxury food hampers, a home baked and decorated Christmas cake, some very interesting bottles and some items that would make ideal gifts for adults and children. Once again, profits from this and from the sale of some crafts will be donated to our charity of choice, the Wenvoe Wildlife Group. Rumours have been circulating that there might be a visit from a gent on a sleigh in a red and white suit and these may very well be true and may offer an excellent photograph opportunity. There will, again, be home made cake sold by the slice and all craft tables will be under the cover of Christmas decorated gazebos and festive music will provide the backing track to the whole event. Why not join us and pick up a reindeer and some Christmas spirit! These have become collectors items so start making a list of people who deserve one as a gift. Bring a friend and have a festive catch up. We are so looking forward to seeing you there.

 

Meaning Of Place-Names Part 5

THE DERIVATION AND MEANING OF PLACE-NAMES

MERTHYR DYFAN

 – The Welsh word ‘merthyr’ is seen in a number of place-names in Wales – and this again is often mistakenly translated. Many people are familiar with the word ‘merthyr’ which derives from the Latin word ‘martyr/martyris’ – meaning ‘martyr’ – a person who dies for his beliefs. And it is a temptation to translate place-names such as Merthyr Dyfan, Merthyr Tudful, Merthyr Mawr as churches dedicated to the martyrs Dyfan, Tudful and Myfor (which has given us ‘Mawr’ today).

But there is another Latin word – ‘martyrium’ – which means ‘shrine’ or ‘ the place where a saint’s relics lie’. And that is what we have in the place-name Merthyr Dyfan – the martyrium or shrine of Dyfan. The same is true of Merthyr Tudful and Merthyr Mawr. Nothing is known of Saint Dyfan – though tradition states that he was one of four saints who were sent by Pope Eleutherius to bring Christianity to this part of Britain in the 2nd Century.

The name ‘saint’ was used by the Celtic Church – and earlier – to refer, simply, to a holy man or woman. The four saints were Ffagan, Elfan, Meudwy and Deruvian – four missionaries of their day. Scholars don’t give great credence to this tradition – and furthermore, there is no proof that the person who was named Deruvian was indeed our Dyfan.

It is said that it was Saint Teilo in the 6th Century who was responsible for creating Dyfan’s martyrium – and the present church on the site – which dates back to the 13th Century – is dedicated to St Dyfan and St Teilo.

HOLTON – This name is made up of two Old English words – ‘hol’ and ‘ton’. The first element ‘hol’ simply means ‘a dip/ hollow’ and the second element ‘-ton’ is the suffix which means ‘a homestead, or ‘a settlement’ (which has given us ‘town’ in modern English.) So Holton could mean ‘a homestead or a farm in a hollow.’

BUTTRILLS – This name again is easily explained. The two elements are ‘buttr’ and ‘hills’ – meaning ‘butter hills’ – an area where there was good pasture for the production of butter.

TREGATWG – CADOXTON – The Welsh name Tregatwg is made up of two elements – ‘Tre’ and ‘gatwg’. The prefix ‘Tre’ is the Welsh equivalent of the English suffix ‘-ton’ – and as explained above, means a ‘homestead’ or a ‘settlement’. It has given us ‘tre(f), meaning ‘town’ in modern Welsh. The second element is a version of the name St Cadog. So this homestead was situated near where the saint had his cell.

The English name is merely the Anglicized version of the name Cadog or Cadoc – the ‘x’ being merely a different spelling which has developed over the years. He was born around 497 and he established a monastery and an important centre of learning in Llancarfan. There are many churches dedicated to him in Wales and in Brittany.

MÔR HAFREN – SEVERN ESTUARY / BRISTOL CHANNEL – The Welsh word ‘môr’ is derived from the Celtic word ‘mori’ and it simply means ‘sea’. The second word, ‘Hafren’ again derives from a Celtic word – ‘Sabrina’ – which gave us ‘Habren’ in Old Welsh and ‘Hafren’ in modern Welsh – the consonant ‘b’ having softened to ‘f’ (which represents the ‘v’ sound in Welsh of course) – and the initial consonant ‘s’ becoming ‘h’. So, remembering the Welsh word order, ‘Môr Hafren’ literally translates as ‘Severn Sea’. The word ‘Severn’ is also derived from ‘Sabrina’ but you’ll notice that the ‘S’ has been kept and, like the Welsh word, the original ‘b’ has softened to ‘v’ – to give us ‘Severn’.

The consonant ‘s’ in a Celtic – or in a Latin – word often becomes ‘h’ in Welsh. In another example we see that an earlier word has developed into ‘salt’ in English but into ‘halen’ in Welsh.

By the way, an ancient legend tells us that Sabrina was a Celtic princess who was drowned in this river by her stepmother, thus giving it its name!

Next month – Llanilltud Fawr / Llantwit Major, y Rhws / Rhoose, Sain Tathan / St Athan, Penmarc,

Ann M. Jones

The Welshman Behind The Gunpowder Plot

THE WELSHMAN BEHIND THE GUNPOWDER PLOT

Guy Fawkes may be the most infamous figure in the Gunpowder Plot but he might not have been involved in the legendary conspiracy to blow up Parliament, if it had not been for a Welsh spy.

Fearing the wrath of the authorities, Hugh Owen fled to Flanders and built up a network of contacts that anyone seeking to wipe out the political establishment would want to tap into. He was known to have been involved in some way or an-other with all sorts of conspiracies and plots. He was also popular with other conspirators due to his ability to communicate in Latin, French, Spanish and Italian, as well as English and Welsh. Owen’s contribution included providing intelligence to Catholic Spain, perhaps even during plans for the Spanish Armada of 1588. Research by Jonathan Roche, of the University of Nottingham has shown how in 1597 Owen told Spain that Essex had taken most of the front line fleet to the Azores to intercept a treasure fleet, which left England undefended. His report apparently led to the immediate deployment of the third Spanish Armada, which failed only because of storms off the Scilly Isles. Roche said ‘The Armada of 1597 came within miles of landing in Cornwall and, if it weren’t for a storm, who knows what might have happened?’

By 1605 Catholics had given up on hopes that James I would be more sympathetic to them. Attempts to instigate rebellions among the aristocracy and to secure a foreign invasion had failed. So, led by Robert Catesby, the Gunpowder plotters decided the best way to destroy the government was to blow it up. By then, Owen himself had developed a passionate dislike of King James, calling him ‘this stinking King of ours’ and ‘a miserable Scot’. Owen could be trusted and knew all the right people. It was no surprise when one of the lead conspirators in the Gunpowder Plot, Thomas Wintour, came to Flanders in 1604 to see him. Wintour outlined the plan to blow up the House of Lords during the State Opening of Parliament on 5th November 1605. Owen was only too glad to play his part, using his secret contacts to put Wintour in touch with a Spanish explosive expert, none other than Guido Fawkes, better known today of course as Guy Fawkes.

England later demanded Owen’s extradition from Flanders but had little evidence of his involvement. Owen successfully distanced himself from the conspiracy saying, ‘I take my oath that no human being ever wrote to me about it, nor did I write to anyone about it, nor did any other person do so by my order.’ He was able to spend his last years courtesy of the Spanish government, living out his life in relative luxury at the Spanish embassy in Rome. It was a welcome obscurity, entirely suitable for someone who lived life in the shadows. His end was a lot less traumatic than that of Guy Fawkes, who revealed the names of his fellow conspirators partly due to being stretched four inches on the rack. Following interrogation, Fawkes, Win-tour and several other conspirators were hanged, drawn and quartered. Hugh Owen lived on and eventually died in 1618 at the age of 80.

Hugh Owen, was a devout Catholic born in 1538 at Plas Du in Caernarvonshire. He was known as the “Welsh Intelligencer” and was one of the most determined plotters against the Protestant monarchy. Owen was hated by the government in England who considered him a major trouble maker…with good reason!

 

 

The Derivation And Meaning Of Place-Names

THE DERIVATION AND MEANING OF PLACE-NAMES

HIGHLIGHT

The English name ‘Highlight’ first appears on maps in the 16th Century – during the reign of Elizabeth 1st – as the name of a farm. Before that time, the name was Welsh – ‘Uchelolau’. The name ‘Highlight’ was obviously an attempt at translating the Welsh name – but unfortunately, it was erroneously translated – although this incorrect version was adopted and has been used down the centuries to this day.
The original Welsh name – Uchelolau – is made up of two elements – ‘uchel’ and ‘olau’. ‘Uchel’ is an adjective – still used today – which means ‘high’ – so that part of the Elizabethan translation was perfectly correct. The problem lies with the second element. There is a Welsh word ‘(g)olau’ which means ‘light’ – and this is what was used in the translation to give us ‘Highlight’.
BUT, ‘olau’ also has another meaning (just as ‘bark’, for example, has more than one meaning in English). ‘Olau’, at one time, was used as the plural form of ‘ôl’ which means ‘mark/ footstep/ track’. (Today we use ‘olion’ as the plural of ‘ôl’). So ‘uchel’ + ‘olau’ correctly translates as something like ‘high track’.
I think ‘Ridgeway’ would be a more correct translation of ‘Uchelolau’.

BRYNHILL
This is obviously an example of a bi-lingual name – made up of two elements with the same meaning – ‘bryn’ and ‘hill’ – a perfect example of tautology!
This phenomenon can be seen in place-names which are centuries old. The name Chetwood in England is made up of two elements – ‘chet’ from the Celtic/Brythonic word ‘kaito’ (which has given us ‘coed’, meaning ‘wood’ in Welsh) and the English word ‘wood’.
Then we have Bryndown near Dinas Powys – ‘bryn’ – the Welsh word for ‘hill’ followed by ‘down’ meaning ‘hill’ of course – as in The Downs at the top of The Tumble – and Gibbonsdown, meaning Gibbon’s hill.
Another obvious example is the River Avon. ‘Afon’ is the Welsh – or old Brythonic – word meaning ‘river’.
Bredon Hill in Worcestershire is an example of triple tautology. It is made up of three elements, all with the same meaning – ‘bre’ from the Brythonic or Celtic word ‘bryn’ meaning ‘hill’ – ‘don’ from the Old English word ‘dun’ again meaning ‘hill’ – followed by the word ‘hill’ itself!
But Torpenhow Hill in Cumbria takes the biscuit! It is made up of four elements – all meaning ‘hill’. ‘Tor’ is from Old English, ‘pen’ is from Brythonic and ‘how’ is from Old Norse. Then the word ‘Hill’ is added for good measure!

There are plenty of examples of this phenomenon in all parts of the world and I’m sure many will surprise you – Lake Tahoe (Lake Lake), Sahara Desert (Desert Desert), Mississippi River (Big river River), Faroe Islands (Sheep islands Islands), East Timor (East East), The Rock of Gibraltar (The Rock of the Rock of Tariq) and many more.

Next month – Merthyr Dyfan, Holton, Buttrills, Tregatwg/Cadoxton. Môr Hafren/Severn Estuary.

Ann M. Jones

 

All Change For The Royal Mint

ALL CHANGE FOR THE ROYAL MINT

The accession of King Charles III to the throne, brings with it the need for changes to British coins and notes. As important as that is, it is not the only challenge currently facing the Royal Mint, with some recent predictions claiming that in ten years time only one in ten transactions will involve cash.

It is re-assuring that Wenvoe’s shops, pubs and cafes still accept cash as a means of payment. Many of us still prefer to have notes in our purses or wallets and are more than willing to put up with the rattle of coins in our pockets when we are given excess change. All good news for charity tins and buckets.

Despite predictions of a cashless society on the horizon, the future of the Royal Mint seems secure for some time to come. After all, coins have a long history, having been around as a method of payment since the 6th century BC. Those early Lydian coins (made of electrum, an alloy of silver and gold) were minted by merchants, in what is now western Turkey, as tokens for trade transactions. Coins have a long and proud history in the UK as well of course, with the Royal Mint having been in existence for more than 1,100 years. It is in fact Britain’s oldest company and is owned by HM Treasury.

The Royal Mint is the world’s leading export mint, making coins and medals for an average of 60 countries every year and still making an annual profit of over £8 million. More than 900 people are employed at the Llantrisant site where some 90 million coins and blanks – metal discs which are minted into coins – can be produced in a single week. That adds up to almost five billion coins a year! No wonder, then, that the Ministry of Defence is responsible for the round-the-clock, 52 weeks a year security of the 35-acre site. The Mint also regularly produces very popular and collectable special edition coins to mark or celebrate important British events. Some have become very valuable.

Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the Royal Mint will be designing and minting new coins featuring the head of King Charles III. These will show him facing to the left. Elizabeth II’s effigy faces to the right. It is a tradition from the 17th century to alternate the way successive monarchs are facing.

The new Charles III coins and notes are not likely to appear in general circulation for some time. The Royal Mint Advisory Committee needs to send recommendations for them to the Chancellor and obtain royal approval. Designs are then chosen and the final choices approved by the Chancellor followed by the King. The Queen’s coins did not appear until 1953 – the year after her accession. Elizabeth II’s coins are expected to stay in use until they are gradually replaced.

If you still love coins why not visit the Royal Mint? The Royal Mint has its own fascinating museum and website through which you can book ‘The Royal Mint Experience’ – one of Wales’ top tourist attractions. A guided tour of the site costs from £13.50 for adults, £10.35 for children between 5 and 15 and £11.25 for seniors. There is in fact a full calendar of other activities – ranging from creative workshops to special guest speakers exploring The Royal Mint’s traditions through fun-filled, interactive sessions

 

1 … 7 8 9 10 11 … 31