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The red dragon, known as Y Ddraig Goch, stands as the national animal of Wales, emblazoned on the national flag and embodying the courageous spirit of the Welsh nation. The Welsh dragon, or Y Ddraig Goch, pronounced [ə ˈðraiɡ ˈɡoːχ], is a heraldic symbol representing Wales, with roots tracing back to ancient Celtic Britons.
The term “dragon” derives from the Latin “draco,” used militarily by Romans, possibly inspired by Scythian, Indian, Persian, Dacian, or Parthian symbols. The Sarmatian Draco, a gilded staff with a dragon top used by cavalry in Ribchester from the 2nd to 4th centuries, may have influenced the Welsh dragon.
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After Roman withdrawal, resistance to Saxon incursions, led by figures like Ambrosius Aurelianus and possibly Artorius, adopted Roman terminology, associating dragons with military leaders. In the Mabinogion story of Lludd and Llefelys, the red dragon battles an invading white dragon at Dinas Emrys, causing a plague until King Lludd traps them in a stone chest in Oxford after lulling them with mead. Lludd later confines the dragons at Dinas Emrys, where they symbolize the Celtic Britons’ struggle against the Saxons.
The Historia Brittonum (c. 828) recounts King Vortigern’s failed attempt to build a fort at Dinas Emrys, where young Merlin reveals a hidden pool with a red dragon (representing the Britons) fighting a white dragon (representing the Saxons). Merlin prophesies the red dragon’s victory, cementing its role as a symbol of Welsh triumph.
Early Welsh Leaders as Dragons
Ancient Celtic Briton leaders personified as dragons include Maelgwn Gwynedd, called “insularis draco” by Gildas (c. 540), Mynyddog Mwynfawr, and Urien Rheged, described as “the dragon” in Y Gododdin by Aneirin.
Taliesin’s poetry refers to Urien’s son, Owain ap Urien, as “Owain ben draic” (chief dragon), and distinguishes leaders as “dreic dylaw” (inexperienced dragon) or “dreic hylaw” (skillful dragon). Later Welsh leaders, including Owain Gwynedd, Llywelyn ap Gruffudd (Llywelyn the Last), and Owain Glyndŵr, were also called dragons.
Cynddelw Brydydd Mawr’s elegy for Owain Gwynedd names him “The golden dragon of Snowdonia of eagles.”
Medieval and Arthurian Connections
Geoffrey of Monmouth’s History of the Kings of Britain (12th century) links the red dragon to King Arthur, who used a golden dragon banner as a haven for wounded soldiers. Owain Glyndŵr’s banner, Y Ddraig Aur (The Golden Dragon), raised over Caernarfon during the 1401 Battle of Tuthill, symbolized victory for the Celtic Britons against the English, echoing Uther Pendragon’s standard.
Glyndŵr’s seals featured a dragon on his helmet, horse’s head, and crown, with his Great Seal as Prince of Wales including a dragon gules on his crest. Adam of Usk notes Glyndŵr’s golden dragon as the first dragon standard used in war by Welsh troops on November 1, 1401.
Tudor Heraldry
The House of Tudor embraced the red dragon, with Edmund Tudor’s tomb effigy showing a dragon-crowned figure. Henry VII, after his 1485 Bosworth Field victory, entered St. Paul’s with a red dragon on a white and green background. The red dragon appeared as a supporter on the royal arms of all Tudor sovereigns, including Henry VII, Henry VIII, and Elizabeth I, though it represented the Tudor house rather than Wales alone.
Royal and National Emblem
The red dragon became an official royal heraldic badge in 1800 under George III, blazoned as “On a mount Vert a dragon passant with wings elevated Gules.” In 1901, T.H. Thomas’s advocacy led to its inclusion in the Prince of Wales badge, with a three-point Argent label to distinguish it from the monarch’s badge.
In 1953, the badge received an augmentation of honor, described as “Within a circular riband Argent fimbriated Or bearing the motto Y DDRAIG GOCH DDYRY CYCHWYN [‘the red dragon inspires action’], in letters Vert, and ensigned with a representation of the Crown proper, an escutcheon per fesse Argent and Vert and thereon the Red Dragon passant.”
Winston Churchill criticized the design as “odious” and “unduly flattering to Bevan,” reflecting political tensions.
National Flag and Modern Use
The red dragon became the centerpiece of the Welsh national flag, officially adopted in 1959 at the urging of the Gorsedd of Bards. The 1909 national pageant of Wales and the Welsh dragon flag on Captain Scott’s Terra Nova featured an upright dragon (sergeant) on a white and green background, as no standardized version existed then.
The dragon appeared on banners during the 1908 Cardiff & District Women’s Suffrage Society events and the 1911 Suffrage Procession in London, where it drew attention with remarks like “Here comes the Devil.” The Welsh Government’s logo features the dragon facing left, bilingual with the Welsh Government name, used consistently across materials. The Welsh Seal, struck in 2011 during Elizabeth II’s reign, also bears the red dragon.
The dragon is used by the Wales Office, printed on Statutory Instruments by the National Assembly for Wales, and featured in the Assembly’s corporate logo until the “dynamic dragon” logo was adopted. A 2008 royal badge supplanted the red dragon, eliminating it entirely.
Dinas Emrys and Beyond
Dinas Emrys, in Snowdonia, is the legendary origin of the red dragon, where remains of Vortigern’s castle still stand, offering rocks, greenery, and views of southern Llyn Dinas. Llyn Barfog, the “bearded lake” in Snowdonia, is tied to King Arthur and the Afanc, a monstrous human-eating crocodile, with an echo point for visitors to test their “dragon call.” Pistyll Rhaeadr Waterfall in the Berwyn Mountains, the highest single-drop waterfall in Great Britain, was home to the bone-eating dragon Gwbyr, now defeated. Caerphilly Castle, a medieval fortification in South Wales, historically kept dragons for sport.
Comparison with Other National Symbols
Unlike the daffodil (Wales’ national flower, linked to St David’s Day and named “Peter’s leek”), the leek (an ancient symbol worn since the 7th century by Cadwaladr’s soldiers and later Tudor guards), or the red kite (voted Wales’ favorite bird in 2007), the red dragon uniquely embodies Welsh fearlessness and military heritage.
The dragon’s prominence on the flag surpasses the cultural roles of the Welsh language, lovespoons, male voice choirs, the Welsh harp, national dress, and rugby, which are also integral to Welsh identity.
Conclusion
Y Ddraig Goch, the red dragon, reigns as Wales’ national animal, symbolizing resilience from its mythological battles at Dinas Emrys to its heraldic presence on the national flag since 1959. Rooted in ancient Celtic and Roman traditions, celebrated by leaders like Owain Glyndŵr and the Tudors, and embraced in modern governance and culture, the red dragon continues to inspire Welsh pride across Snowdonia’s hills and beyond.
