The flag of Wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 probably owes its origin to a type of Dacian military standard in the form of a windsock, known as draco, which had become popular in the late Roman empire. Still, it’s also probable that the draco evoked serpent myths that had existed in British lore long before: Welsh myths have dragon lore that seems quite ancient, while Pictish symbols carved on stones in Scotland often depict snakes. 🐍

The most ancient dragon myth we know of from Britain is Cyfranc Lludd a Llefelys, found in the Mabinogion and Brut y Brenhinedd. It tells the tale of Lludd Llaw Eraint (“Lludd of the Silver Hand”; he was the Welsh version of the Irish god Nuada Airgetlám), who ruled as king of Britain in the far distant past. During Lludd’s reign, the island was plagued by various afflictions, one of which was two terrible dragons —one red and one white— that would battle each other starting on May Day of each year, terrorizing the people so much with their shrieks that they caused all pregnant women on the island to miscarry. Lludd overcomes the plagues with advice from his wise brother Llefelys, who happens to be king of Gaul. In the case of the dragons, they were caught in a pit near what’s today Oxford, rendered drunk with mead, then imprisoned in a cavern under a hill in Wales — later known as Dinas Emrys.

The tale of these dragons is picked up again by Nennius in Historia Brittonum: He states that in the 5th century, the British king Vortigern was dethroned and banished by St. Germanus of Auxerre, for having invited the Anglo-Saxons to Britain and for having married his own daughter. Advised by twelve “wise men” (possibly druids), Vortigern retreated to north Wales and sought to build a fortress at the same location where the dragons had long ago been imprisoned; he was oblivious to their presence. His plans were frustrated as the masonry kept being destroyed before the work could be completed. Baffled, he consulted his twelve wise men, and they advised that he appease the otherworldly powers with: A child sacrifice. They sought out a fatherless boy, and in south Wales located one of Roman descent: Ambrosius Aurelianus. The boy was taken to the construction site to be ritually killed, but refuted the “wise men” and showed how it was the two dragons imprisoned there that were knocking down the masonry with their fighting. The red dragon he told them, represented the Britons, while the white was that of the Saxons; he went on to foretell an ultimate victory for the people of the red dragon. The place was hence named after him (Welsh Dinas Emrys = Fort of Ambrosius). Vortigern gave up on his project and went elsewhere to build his fort, while Ambrosius grew up to be a renown war leader who achieved notable victories against the Saxon invaders. Dragons continued to be symbols of warlike ferocity and kingly bearing: The bards Aneirin and Taliesin eulogised rulers like Mynnyddog Mwynfawr of Gododdin and Urien of Rheged as “dragons”, while other Welsh kings are known to have had similar nicknames: Selyf Sarffgadau (“Solomon the Battle-Serpent”) of Powys, and Maelgwn “the island dragon” of Gwynedd (per Gildas).

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Pictish carved stone from Bullion Field near Invergowrie; Perthshire, Scotland. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 The stone dates to the early 10th century, by which time the Kingdom of Alba (i.e. Scotland) was in existence. It depicts a horseman drinking from a large horn with a bird-head terminal. It bears a strange resemblance to bronze horns found in Scotland from much earlier periods, namely, those found attached to the Iron Age Torrs Chamfrein. The Bullion Stone is one of the most ancient depictions of “drinking while driving” in existence.

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Bronze sword found at an unknown location in Ireland; 12th-9th century B.C. 🇮🇪 From a private collection in Germany. The sword has a nick on the blade, likely the result of use in combat. It is of “Ewart Park” type, closely resembling contemporary British weapons; these are the types of bronze-age swords most commonly found in Ireland.

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Norse-Gaelic chieftain. 🇳🇴🇮🇪🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Art by Joan Francesc Oliveras Pallerols.

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