Welsh Journals

formed, and an ambitious scheme of founding a Gaelic University in the West Highlands is being seriously mooted, some wealthy Scots Americans offering to contribute handsomely. Our history teaching and books being-like a good deal of our scripture teaching-what they are, or were until recently, so designed or con- stituted (with a little exaggeration) as to make one hate the subject for ever, it is perhaps not sur- prising that there is little appreciation generally of the fact that Scots and Welsh history are closely connected, an inspiring feature surely in regard to these national movements. For the first thousand years of the Christian era, Scotland and Wales had, not a limited number of points of contact, but a common frontier. In fact there was virtually but one kingdom and one nation-the Brythonic-from the Clyde to Wales until Strath- clyde was cut off by the Battle of Chester in 607 from the southern portion. Even after the northern part of Strathclyde, with its southern boundary at the Solway, was incorporated with Scotland about 950, we find people called in 12th century charters Strath- clwyd Wealas or Walenses, i.e., Welsh or foreigners, though it appears that by then the spoken Cymric must have practically disappeared from that region. The relations between the Picts, the Gaels, the Scots and the Brythons or Welsh are very con- fusing, but recent research shows that the Picts were merely Gaels belonging to certain tribes or districts, and if we bear in mind that the other three races were all branches of the Keltic family, and that a great deal of over-running, inter- penetration and inter-marriage took place at various periods, the position is greatly simplified. It will help to allay animosities, as well as to solve historical puzzles, if historians accept the common descent from Adam and Noah. At any rate the Kymric (Gomeric) race is descended from Gomer, the son of Japheth, the son of Noah. Though the etymological connection between Welsh and Scots Gaelic has never been so fully worked out as it has been between Irish and Welsh by Zeuss, Ebel and others, a great deal of cor- roboration of the historical facts is furnished by the languages, which have many Keltic and Latin words and place-names in common. I was astounded, however, recently to see it maintained-and with great plausibility-that the word Aber in Aberdeen, Aberfoyle, etc., was a Gaelic word meaning marsh and not the same word as the Welsh Aber in Aberavon, Aberdare, etc., meaning river mouth or [Contributions in prose or poetry are invited from readers. These should be addressed to the Editor, WELSH OUTLOOK, Newtown, and in every instance accompanied by a stamped addressed envelope.] confluence." But I still hold that the Welsh (or Brythonic) Aber is etymologically the same in Scots and Welsh place-names and is capable of sustaining both meanings, the true Gaelic equivalent being Inver (Welsh ynfer) as in Inverness. In fact the word Aber," as such names as Brechin in Forfar the equivalent of Brecon (after the Welsh prince Brychan), in- dicate roughly the extent of the Brythonic migration in Scotland, which was not beyond the Grampians. The connection between the Scottish and Welsh Wars of Independence can now be better appre- ciated. The great patriot of Scotland, Sir William Wallace-whom Mazzini and Garibaldi united in acclaiming as one of the greatest heroes of history-was, on the male side at least, a Welshman descended either from a native of the borders of Wales or from the Welsh of Strath- clyde. Blind Harry the Minstrel says Wallace's ancestor came from Shropshire in the 12th century. The name Walays or Wallensis," which Wallace himself used, and various other forms such as le Waleis or Waleys," meant simply a Welshman in the language of the English-speaking neighbours of England and Scotland (the names Scott and Inglis being similar border names). Alas! the Welshmen of the 13th century did not recognise Wallace as their countryman and possible deliverer, for ten thousand of them pointed their arrows at his followers at the Battle of Falkirk. And like Llywelyn of Wales, he lost his life through the treachery of his compatriots. But whereas Scotland is dotted with monuments to Wallace (and Edinburgh has a fund of £ 10,000 for a statue to him and Bruce), Wales has not thought fit to erect one statue to the memory of their last native Prince, who made the supreme sacrifice for his country. There are various other points of contact in Scots and Welsh history connected with such names as Owen Glyndwr, Margaret Tudor, John Penry, Vavasor Powell, Sir Walter Scott, Robert Owen (born at Newtown), the idealistic Socialist of Lanark, Gladstone, and Sir Henry Jones, but they cannot be elaborated here. Let us hope that Wales and Scotland will learn the lessons of history and join hands in promoting a sane nationalism, based on re- ligion, ethics and culture, and help to form a brotherhood of nations, regulated by the federal principle and crowned by the League of Nations, and thus hasten the dawn of universal peace.