INTRODUCTION

Before we explore the Welsh Language, come with me on a journey which will pass to you the essence of CYMRU (Wales). If you are of Welsh Descent, I hope this essence will lead you on a path of healthy pride in who you are and, in time, that you will also be able to pass that same essence on to your friends and others. If you are not descended from the Welsh people, I hope this journey will give you an idea of who we are and why we have so much pride in our heritage.

CYMRU is the nation on the west coast of Britain. It is one of the seven Celtic nations (Ireland, Scotland, Mann, Cornwalls, Brittany, Galacia, and Wales). We are the original people who settled Britain. We were dispossessed of our lands and forced west by the invading Saxons. Our right to our own nation has been opposed by the Romans, the Saxons, the Normans, and now the British. But, as a people we have survived and have flourished in many ways.

To be Welsh, it is not good enough to hang out a flag, celebrate St. David's Day by sending your Grandmother daffodils, cook Leeks, or have several recordings of choirs or folk tunes. To be Welsh means having a pride in your heritage; it means knowing your language (at least a little of it); it means knowing your history with your own heroes; it means knowing your literature and your music; it means knowing your ancient religious faith, and, it means embracing the very essence of what it is to be a child of CYMRU.