About the Author

Aeres Twigg is a retired historian and lives in Carmarthen, west Wales.

Reviews

English review below Cymysgedd o’r hen a’r newydd a geir yn y gyfrol fach hon sy’n adrodd hanes baner y Ddraig Goch. Cawn hanesion am ddyfodiad y ddraig i Gymru gyntaf ar faneri’r Rhufeiniaid, draig wen y Sacsoniaid, draig goch Harri Tudur, ac ychydig o chwedl Dinas Emrys. Ond hefyd fe gawn amlinelliad o boblogrwydd y Ddraig Goch heddiw – ar ddillad Shirley Bassey, ar arwyddion ‘Croeso i Gymru’ ar y ffyrdd, fel symbol i raglenni S4C, ac y mae’r tafod, wrth gwrs, yn arwyddlun Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg. Gwelwn sut y soniwyd gyntaf am ‘Y Ddraig Goch ddyry cychwyn’ yng nghywydd Deio ab Ieuan Ddu ar ddiwedd y bymthegfed ganrif, a chawn hanes sut y bu i’r awdurdodau yn Lloegr ganiatáu i’r faner gael ei defnyddio’n swyddogol yng Nghymru. Cyfrol liwgar arall yng nghyfres ‘Cip ar Gymru’, sy’n grynodeb hylaw o hanes y Ddraig Goch. If you have ever stopped to consider why Wales has such a striking national flag while most other countries make do with vertical, horizontal or diagonal stripes, then this is the book for you. The dragon, we are told, dates back to Roman times when the Roman armies of the second century used a draco as their standard. The Saxons brought their white dragon from Denmark and for six hundred years there was war between the armies of the red and white dragons until King Offa built his dyke. Henry VIII is said to have unfurled a twenty-seven foot red dragon on Bosworth Field after conquering Richard III. Following this historical approach to the flag’s story we are shown how the flag, and the symbol, are used in Wales today to represent Welsh identity. Welsh celebrities wear it as they perform, and S4C has adapted a series of links to represent the Welsh Fourth Channel based on the smoking Red Dragon. This lively publication is colourful and informative and exudes some of the vivacity which is symptomatic of Welsh life today.
*Dafydd Ifans @ www.gwales.com*