Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - June 14, 1969, Winnipeg, Manitoba Winnipeg free press saturday june 14, 1969 racial nostalgia never Dies out the princes of Wales first of four articles by Shaun Herron the princes of Wales Haven t All been Dull. This can be said in part because for centuries they used to be Welsh the Welsh when you meet them in their natural habitat Are far from Dull. The men of Cornwall the men of Wales the men Brittany French canadians Are All the same men with modulations. The Cornish language died away has in recent times been they claim recovered. What passes for it has indeed been Learned by a few enthusiasts but most Cor Ishmen still pre Fer cider Mead tristran Isolde other intelligible things that Are still part of their inheritance. To relearn an ancient language with the help of hints from the bretons the Welsh is too much to ask of them. Still Folk memory has a powerful hold on the ancient roman it stirs strongly from time to time in a sort of maudlin melancholia called by the celts nationalism by everybody else the celtic Twilight. It is in fact a deep racial nostalgia which afflicts the Young continues strongly in the full grown Only when they suffer from retarded adolescence. But it lingers in All ii us who have Breton Irish Walsh French Canadian blood Iri us never quite Dies. That is really what sets on Edge the Teeth of some Young welshmen about the coming investiture of Prince Charles As Prince of Wales. But not Many. For the marvellous thing about the celtic kinship is that for us the forms myths of the racial past Are As Good As the facts so most Welsh men their racial Kins men will be deeply moved in a nostalgic Way by the handing Over of the Young Prince to the people of Wales. Probably the Only thing we regret is that it was t done when the Prince was a baby for everybody loves a the nostalgic agony of seeing an infant Given to a people the people Given to an infant Prince in an impressive ceremonial will be almost too great to endure. It won t matter at All that the ceremonial is not really a tradition but has varied a great Deal. It has t mattered that that great Welsh National event the National Eisteddfod the singing playing poetry compos ing Welsh language festival of Wales was t really the revival of druidic rites but was merely said to be so by the congregational ministers who made it All up As a vehicle for preserving the Welsh language the Welsh now know this. They love the National just the i. Same. They carry on the druidic bardic masquerade with Stag the National Anthem at sentimental Good nature the opening closing ceremonies As no National Anthem in the world is Ever Sung. It would lift the hair off your head to hear them. It will be the same at the investiture of Prince Charles. They will been aged in All its parts As Only the Early Brittanie people can be. Their racial memories will be vague but their feelings will reach Back into the dim past draw something from it that nourishes enriches Sweet ens sings in their souls As their language sings on their lips. And the past of course Means the princes of Wales the Welsh princes of Wales the native princes of Wales whose names still ring in the memories in the names of the boy children of every Welsh family. Caradog or Caradoc for example. When we were children we Learned about the greatest of the Prin Ces of the britons our teachers schoolbooks him Caractacus. Now i see the books Call him Caractacus. But that was the name the romans had for him our people knew him by his proper name which was Caradoc today you will find people called Caradoc Evans he was a famous Welsh writer Caradoc Jones Caradoc Morgan Caradoc Hughes. I should be very surprised if among the Young Welsh nationalists there Are not a few Cara docs for the sound flavor of a name is a great thing draws on the Harp strings of racial Mem Ory. You will understand of course that not All that Long before Caradoc ail Britain was ours. Then the romans came had a relatively easy time until they drove West men like Caradoc fell Back on the Mountain ranges of what is now Wales. Then the princes of Wales were born for the britons who were not romanized later anglicized later americanized sustained their King Doms behind the Mountain barriers. It was in . 51 that the romans sent an army to what is called the final crush the Mountain men. Battle took place some where in the kingdom of Powys pronounced pow is which might be described As a Border kingdom of mid Wales. Tvs e Battleground was on a Hill Down below was a River that has never been identified but it was in the land of Powys Caradoc fought As he always fought with great skill great courage will As always with fewer men than he needed. And he lost. So he went deeper into the mountains fought a guerrilla War against the romans Caradoc took his future place in the Folk memory of the Welsh per haps a Little because one Day welshmen serving an other Welsh Prince who sought an accommodation found one with the romans delivered the fighting Prince into the hands of his enemies to be paraded in time through the streets of Rome As a Brave barbarian. Caradoc s men did not give up did not forgive. They raged into the roman territory As far As Gloucester ravaged the Countryside killed the pre a spectacular View of Caernarvon Castle in North Wales which will be the scene of the investiture of Prince Charles As Prince of Wales on july 1, 1969. The Castle was begun in 1285 for Edward i completed in 1322 under Edward ii. The Prince of Wales first of four articles Ontario my May have police chief subpoenaed Ottawa up Terrence Murphy ;