The Myth of the Red Dragon (combined from various folklore)
Llud and Llefelys are brothers, and kings of Britain and France respectively.
When three plagues descend upon the British kingdom, Llud seeks out his brother for help.
The second plague is described as a terrifying shriek, and Llefelys tells his brother that the source of the shriek is a dragon being attacked by a foreign dragon.
In order to rid the country of the plague, Llud needs to dig a pit in the centre of the land and put a cauldron of mead in it.
The two fighting dragons will fall into the pit, drink the mead, and fall asleep.
All happens as Llefelys predicts, and Llud buries the dragons in Snowdonia.
Centuries later, Vortigern, a Briton king who was ousted by the invading Picts, attempted to build a castle in Snowdonia, but every night the castle walls were torn down.
Advised by his magicians to find a boy without a father and sprinkle the castle walls with his blood, Vortigern finds the child and the boy asks him to dig a pit underneath the castle, hence releasing the dragons.
The king obeys, the dragons fly forth, and after a fierce battle, the red dragon defeats the white one.
The child then explains that the red dragon represents the Welsh, and the white dragon represents the English.
The child predicts that the Britons will rise and drive away the intruders.
It is clear that this story, which dates as early as the ninth century, already depicted the Welsh by means of a red dragon.
This tale, in combination with the Arthurian imagery of the golden dragon, ultimately led to the sustained use of the dragon in Welsh heraldry.
When three plagues descend upon the British kingdom, Llud seeks out his brother for help.
The second plague is described as a terrifying shriek, and Llefelys tells his brother that the source of the shriek is a dragon being attacked by a foreign dragon.
In order to rid the country of the plague, Llud needs to dig a pit in the centre of the land and put a cauldron of mead in it.
The two fighting dragons will fall into the pit, drink the mead, and fall asleep.
All happens as Llefelys predicts, and Llud buries the dragons in Snowdonia.
Centuries later, Vortigern, a Briton king who was ousted by the invading Picts, attempted to build a castle in Snowdonia, but every night the castle walls were torn down.
Advised by his magicians to find a boy without a father and sprinkle the castle walls with his blood, Vortigern finds the child and the boy asks him to dig a pit underneath the castle, hence releasing the dragons.
The king obeys, the dragons fly forth, and after a fierce battle, the red dragon defeats the white one.
The child then explains that the red dragon represents the Welsh, and the white dragon represents the English.
The child predicts that the Britons will rise and drive away the intruders.
It is clear that this story, which dates as early as the ninth century, already depicted the Welsh by means of a red dragon.
This tale, in combination with the Arthurian imagery of the golden dragon, ultimately led to the sustained use of the dragon in Welsh heraldry.
Taken from WalesOnline - Genni )O(
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