Welsh national anthem

 

The History of Wales

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The man who wrote the lyrics of the Welsh national anthem, 'Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau'.

Evan James (1809 - 30th September 1878) was born in Caerphilly and raised at the Ancient Druid Inn, Hollybush, in the parish of Bedwellty. He later became a weaver and also the landlord of the pub, where his son James was born in 1832. Evan and his family moved to Pontypridd in 1847, where he operated a woollen factory. Evan composed poems in Welsh which were published under his bardic name, Ieuan ap Iago and composed the lyrics of 'Hen Wlad fy Nhadau' (originally named ‘ Glanrhondda') after the melody had come to James one day as he walked along the river bank.

The oldest existing version of the song is dated 1856 and was first performed in Maesteg at Tabor Methodist Chapel. In 1858, ‘ Hen Wlad fy Nhadau ’ was entered for competition at the national eisteddfod in Llangollen and was immediately very popular. In 1899, the singer Madge Breese made the song the first known recording in the Welsh language and in 1905, it became the world's first national anthem sung before a sporting event when the Welsh rugby team defeated the New Zealand All Blacks.

There is a memorial to Evan in Dafydd Williams Park, Caerphilly and to Evan and James in Ynysangharad Park, Pontypridd.