Wales has a distinctive culture including its own language, customs, holidays and music. There are four
UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Wales:
The Castles and Town Walls of King Edward I in Gwynedd;
Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal; the
Blaenavon Industrial Landscape; and
The Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales.
Museums and libraries ,
Aberystwyth Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales was founded by
royal charter in 1907 as the National Museum of Wales. It operates at seven sites:
National Museum Cardiff,
St Fagans National History Museum,
Big Pit National Coal Museum,
National Wool Museum,
National Slate Museum,
National Roman Legion Museum, and the
National Waterfront Museum. Entry to all sites is free. The
National Library of Wales, based in
Aberystwyth, houses important collections of printed works, including the
Sir John Williams Collection and the
Shirburn Castle collection, as well as art collections including portraits and photographs,
ephemera and
Ordnance Survey maps. Some of their work survives in later
medieval Welsh manuscripts: the
Black Book of Carmarthen and the
Book of Aneirin (both 13th-century); the
Book of Taliesin and the
White Book of Rhydderch (both 14th-century); and the
Red Book of Hergest (c. 1400). Poems such as
Cad Goddeu (The Battle of the Trees) and mnemonic list-texts like the
Welsh Triads and the
Thirteen Treasures of the Island of Britain, also contain mythological material. These texts include the earliest forms of the
Arthurian legend and the traditional history of post-
Roman Britain.
Literature . Wales has one of the oldest unbroken literary traditions in Europe going back to the sixth century and including
Geoffrey of Monmouth and
Gerald of Wales, regarded as among the finest Latin authors of the Middle Ages. The period produced one of Wales's greatest poets,
Dafydd ap Gwilym. After the Anglicisation of the gentry the tradition declined. Renaissance scholars such as
William Salesbury and
John Davies brought
humanist ideals from English universities. The output of this period was prolific in quantity but unequal in quality. Initially excluded, religious denominations came to dominate the competitions, with bardic themes becoming scriptural and didactic. The attitude of the post-war generation of Welsh writers in English towards Wales differs from the previous generation, with greater sympathy for Welsh nationalism and the Welsh language. The change is linked to the nationalism of
Saunders Lewis and the burning of the Bombing School on the
Llŷn Peninsula in 1936. In poetry
R. S. Thomas (1913–2000) was the most important figure throughout the second half of the 20th century. He "did not learn the Welsh language until he was 30 and wrote all his poems in English". Major writers in the second half of the 20th century include
Emyr Humphreys (1919–2020), who during his long writing career published over twenty novels, and
Raymond Williams (1921–1988).
Visual arts Works of
Celtic art have been found in Wales. In the
Early Medieval period, the
Celtic Christianity of Wales was part of the
Insular art of the
British Isles. A number of
illuminated manuscripts
from Wales survive, including the 8th-century
Hereford Gospels and
Lichfield Gospels. The 11th-century
Ricemarch Psalter (now in
Dublin) is certainly Welsh, made in
St David's, and shows a late Insular style with unusual Viking influence. Some Welsh artists of the 16th–18th centuries tended to leave the country to work, moving to London or Italy.
Richard Wilson (1714–1782) is arguably the first major British landscapist; although more notable for his Italian scenes, he painted several Welsh scenes on visits from London. By the late 18th century, the popularity of
landscape art grew and clients were found in the larger Welsh towns, allowing more Welsh artists to stay in their homeland. Artists from outside Wales were also drawn to paint Welsh scenery, at first because of the
Celtic Revival. '', 1774, by
Thomas Jones (1742–1803). The
Industrial Schools Act 1857 provided for the establishment of a number of art schools throughout the United Kingdom, and the
Cardiff School of Art opened in 1865. Graduates still very often had to leave Wales to work, but
Betws-y-Coed became a popular centre for artists, and its artists' colony helped to form the
Royal Cambrian Academy of Art in 1881. The sculptor Sir William
Goscombe John made works for Welsh commissions, although he had settled in London.
Christopher Williams, whose subjects were mostly resolutely Welsh, was also based in London.
Thomas E. Stephens and
Andrew Vicari had very successful careers as portraitists, based respectively in the United States and France. Welsh painters gravitated towards the art capitals of Europe.
Augustus John and his sister
Gwen John lived mostly in London and Paris. However, the landscapists Sir
Kyffin Williams and
Peter Prendergast lived in Wales for most of their lives, while remaining in touch with the wider art world.
Ceri Richards was very engaged in the Welsh art scene as a teacher in Cardiff and even after moving to London; he was a figurative painter in international styles including
Surrealism. Various artists have moved to Wales, including
Eric Gill, the London-Welshman
David Jones, and the sculptor
Jonah Jones.
The Kardomah Gang was an intellectual circle in Swansea, centred on the poet
Dylan Thomas and the poet and artist
Vernon Watkins, which also included the painter
Alfred Janes. South Wales had several notable
potteries, one of the first important sites being the
Ewenny Pottery in
Bridgend, which began producing earthenware in the 17th century. In the 18th and 19th centuries, with more scientific methods becoming available, more refined ceramics were produced: this was led by the
Cambrian Pottery (1764–1870, also known as "Swansea pottery"), and later
Nantgarw Pottery near Cardiff, which was in operation from 1813 to 1820 making fine
porcelain, and then utilitarian pottery from 1833 until 1920.
Media and Torchwood'', have been filmed in Wales. Wales became the UK's first
digital television nation in 2010.
BBC Cymru Wales is the national broadcaster, producing both television and radio programmes in Welsh and English. It has also produced programmes such as
Life on Mars,
Doctor Who and
Torchwood for BBC's network audience across the United Kingdom.
ITV, the UK's main commercial broadcaster, has a Welsh-orientated service branded
ITV Cymru Wales.
S4C began broadcasting in 1982. Its output was mostly in Welsh at peak hours, but shared English-language content with
Channel 4 at other times. Since the
digital switchover the channel has broadcast exclusively in Welsh.
BBC Radio Cymru is the BBC's Welsh-language radio service, which broadcasts throughout Wales. Wales-based regional daily newspapers include the
Daily Post (which covers North Wales), the
South Wales Evening Post (Swansea), the
South Wales Echo (Cardiff), and the
South Wales Argus (Newport). The
Books Council of Wales is the Welsh-Government-funded body tasked with promoting Welsh literature in Welsh and English. The BCW provides publishing grants for qualifying English- and Welsh-language publications. Around 650 books are published each year, by some of the dozens of Welsh publishers. Wales's main publishing houses include
Gomer Press,
Gwasg Carreg Gwalch,
Honno, the
University of Wales Press and
Y Lolfa. Journals with a Welsh focus include
Cambria (a Welsh affairs magazine published bi-monthly in English),
Planet, and
Poetry Wales. Welsh-language magazines include the current affairs titles
Golwg ("View"), published weekly, and
Barn ("Opinion"), published monthly. The annual
National Eisteddfod is the country's main performance festival. The
Llangollen International Eisteddfod provides an opportunity for the singers and musicians of the world to perform. The Welsh Folk Song Society publishes collections of historical songs and tunes. Traditional instruments of Wales include the
telyn deires (
triple harp), fiddle,
crwth (bowed lyre) and the
pibgorn (hornpipe). Male voice choirs emerged in the 19th century, formed as the tenor and bass sections of chapel choirs, and embraced the popular secular hymns of the day. Welsh congregations and choirs were known for singing in a rousing four-voice style, becoming characteristic of the country. Many of the historic choirs survive in modern Wales, singing a mixture of traditional and popular songs. Wales has a tradition of producing notable singers in both the classical and pop arenas, as well as some popular bands. The Welsh
folk music scene has enjoyed a resurgence in the 21st century.
Drama , born in
Swansea The earliest surviving Welsh plays are two medieval
miracle plays,
Y Tri Brenin o Gwlen ("The three Kings from Cologne") and ''Y Dioddefaint a'r Atgyfodiad'' ("The Passion and the Resurrection"). A recognised Welsh tradition of theatre emerged during the 18th century, in the form of an
interlude, a metrical play performed at fairs and markets. Drama in the early 20th century thrived, but the country established neither a Welsh National Theatre nor a national ballet company. Competition from television in the mid-20th century led to greater professionalism in the theatre. Wales has also produced some well-known comedians.
Dance Traditional dances include Welsh
folk dancing and
clog dancing. The first mention of dancing in Wales is in a 12th-century account by
Giraldus Cambrensis, but by the 19th century traditional dance had all but died out due to religious opposition. In the 20th century a revival was led by
Lois Blake (1890–1974). The Welsh Folk Dance Society was founded in 1949.
Cuisine , a traditional meat and vegetable dish from Wales.|179x179px Traditional Welsh dishes include
laverbread (made from
Porphyra umbilicalis, an edible
seaweed),
bara brith (fruit bread),
cawl (a lamb stew),
cawl cennin (
leek soup), and
Welsh cakes.
Cockles are sometimes served as a traditional breakfast with bacon and laverbread. Although Wales has its own traditional food and has absorbed much of the cuisine of England, Welsh diets now owe more to the countries of
India,
China and the
United States.
Chicken tikka masala is the country's favourite dish, while hamburgers and Chinese food outsell
fish and chips as takeaways.
Sport , Cardiff More than 50
national governing bodies regulate and organise their sports in Wales. Most of those involved in competitive sports select, organise and manage individuals or teams to represent their country at international events or fixtures against other countries. Wales is represented at major world sporting events such as the
FIFA World Cup,
Rugby World Cup,
Rugby League World Cup and the
Commonwealth Games. At the
Olympic Games, Welsh athletes compete alongside those of Scotland, England and Northern Ireland as part of a
Great Britain team. Wales has hosted several international sporting events. These include the
1958 Commonwealth Games, the
1999 Rugby World Cup, the
2010 Ryder Cup and the
2017 UEFA Champions League Final. Although football has traditionally been the more popular sport in
North Wales,
rugby union is seen as a symbol of
Welsh identity and an expression of national consciousness. The
Wales national rugby union team takes part in the annual
Six Nations Championship and has also competed in every
Rugby World Cup, hosting the tournament in
1999. The five professional sides that replaced the traditional club sides in major competitions in 2003 were replaced in 2004 by the four regions:
Cardiff Blues,
Dragons,
Ospreys and
Scarlets. The Welsh regional teams play in the
United Rugby Championship, the
Heineken Champions Cup if they qualify and the
European Rugby Challenge Cup, again dependent on qualification.
Rugby league in Wales dates back to 1907. A professional
Welsh League existed from 1908 to 1910. Wales has had
its own football league, the
Welsh Premier League, since 1992. For historical reasons, five Welsh clubs play in the
English football league system:
Cardiff City,
Swansea City,
Newport County,
Wrexham, and
Merthyr Town. The country has produced a considerable number of
footballers who have played at international level. At
UEFA Euro 2016, the
Wales national team achieved their best ever finish, reaching the semi-finals. In international
cricket, Wales and England field a single representative team, administered by the
England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), called the
England cricket team, or simply 'England'. Occasionally, a separate
Wales team play limited-overs competitions.
Glamorgan County Cricket Club is the only Welsh participant in the England and Wales County Championship. Wales has produced notable participants of individual sports including
snooker, track and field,
cycling, and
boxing.
National symbols and identity , a popular symbol in Wales. Wales is regarded as a modern
Celtic nation which contributes to its national identity, with Welsh artists regularly appearing at
Celtic festivals. The
red dragon is the principal symbol of national identity and pride, personifying the fearlessness of the Welsh nation. As an emblem, the red dragon of Wales has been used since the reign of
Cadwaladr,
King of Gwynedd from around 655 AD, and appears prominently on the national
flag of Wales, which became an official flag in 1959. The banner of
Owain Glyndŵr is associated with Welsh nationhood; it was carried into battle by Welsh forces during
Glyndŵr's battles against the English, and includes four lions on red and gold. The standard is similar to the arms of
Llywelyn ap Gruffudd (Llywelyn the Last), the last Prince of Wales before the conquest of Wales by
Edward I of England. The design may also be influenced by the arms of Glyndŵr's parents, both of whom had lions in their arms.
Owain Glyndŵr Day is celebrated on 16 September in Wales and there have been calls to make it a national bank holiday. The
Prince of Wales's feathers is also used in Wales: it consists of three white feathers emerging from a gold coronet, and the German motto
Ich dien (I serve). Several Welsh representative teams, including
the Welsh rugby union, and Welsh regiments in the
British Army, including the
Royal Welsh, use the badge or a stylised version of it. On 1 March, Welsh people celebrate
Saint David's Day, commemorating the death of the country's patron saint in 589. It is not a recognised
bank holiday although there have been calls to make it so. The day is celebrated by schools and cultural societies across Wales, and customs include the wearing of a
leek or a
daffodil, which are two national emblems of Wales. Children also wear the national costume. The origins of the leek can be traced to the 16th century, while the daffodil became popular in the 19th century, encouraged by
David Lloyd George. This is attributed to confusion (or association) between the Welsh word for leeks, , and that for daffodils, or St. Peter's leeks. and a more modern celebration,
Dydd Santes Dwynwen (St Dwynwen's Day), observed on 25 January in a similar way to St Valentine's Day. is the
de facto national anthem of Wales and is played at events such as football or rugby matches involving the Wales national team, as well as the opening of the Senedd and other official occasions. "" () is a popular Welsh motto. Another Welsh motto "" () has been used on the
Royal Badge of Wales since it was created in 1953. ==See also==