148-558: The Knights of the Round Table ( Welsh : Marchogion y Ford Gron , Cornish : Marghekyon an Moos Krenn , Breton : Marc'hegien an Daol Grenn ) are the legendary knights of the fellowship of King Arthur that first appeared in the Matter of Britain literature in the mid-12th century. The Knights are an order dedicated to ensuring the peace of Arthur's kingdom following an early warring period, entrusted in later years to undergo
296-649: A Christian, but soon becomes widely known as a valiant pagan knight. While visiting Rome , he saves the life of the Roman Emperor ; he later travels to Arthur's Logres at the time of Arthur's coronation, where he rescues King Pellinore as well. Esclabor eventually settles at Camelot , later adventuring with Palamedes and Galahad during the Grail Quest . In the Post-Vulgate Queste , eleven of his sons are killed during their encounter with
444-441: A Welsh Language Scheme, which indicates its commitment to the equality of treatment principle. This is sent out in draft form for public consultation for a three-month period, whereupon comments on it may be incorporated into a final version. It requires the final approval of the now defunct Welsh Language Board ( Bwrdd yr Iaith Gymraeg ). Thereafter, the public body is charged with implementing and fulfilling its obligations under
592-594: A Welsh-language edge inscription was used on pound coins dated 1985, 1990 and 1995, which circulated in all parts of the UK prior to their 2017 withdrawal. The wording is Pleidiol wyf i'm gwlad (Welsh for 'True am I to my country'), and derives from the national anthem of Wales, " Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau ". UK banknotes are in English only. Some shops employ bilingual signage. Welsh sometimes appears on product packaging or instructions. The UK government has ratified
740-663: A census glossary of terms to support the release of results from the census, including their definition of "main language" as referring to "first or preferred language" (though that wording was not in the census questionnaire itself). The wards in England with the most people giving Welsh as their main language were the Liverpool wards of Central and Greenbank ; and Oswestry South in Shropshire . The wards of Oswestry South (1.15%), Oswestry East (0.86%) and St Oswald (0.71%) had
888-567: A crusade and together die in battle in Jerusalem . He also appears in some tales as an opponent whom the story's hero must overcome during the course of a quest or an adventure. In the Prose Tristan , Bleoberis abducts Segwarides ' wife from King Mark 's court, and fights for her against first Segwarides and later the protagonist Tristan . In Wigalois , one of the challenges faced by the protagonist Wigalois (Gawain's son, Gingalain )
1036-880: A daughter of the German Emperor, and becomes the Greek Emperor himself. As Cligés ( Clicés , Clies , Clygés ), he also appears in some other French Arthurian romances, including in the First Continuation of Chrétien's Perceval (where his father is named King Lac ) and in Claris et Laris . In the Romanz du reis Yder , he serves Queen Guenloie ( Guinevere ) until he is expelled from her court after he criticizes her love for Yder (who later promises to reconcile them). In The Marvels of Rigomer [ fr ] , he hails from Greece and participates in
1184-747: A duel to the death, he curses the entire kingdom in his dying breath. His curse manifests itself through King Mark 's devastating invasion which destroys almost all remnants of King Arthur's rule. Bleoberis de Ganis is a Knight of the Round Table from the land of Ganis (variants Ganes , Gannes , Gaunes , Gaunnes ; meaning probably Gaul or perhaps Vannes ), who was first mentioned by Chrétien de Troyes in his Erec and Enide , named therein as Bliobleheris ( Wendelin Foerster 's choice; manuscript variants Bleob[l]eris , Bleosblieris , Blioberis , Bliobeheri , Blios Blieris ). He has since appeared by
1332-504: A foster mother, the boy appears at Arthur's court on the eve of the Grail Quest when his arrival is miraculously prophesied at the Round Table . He is knighted by Tristan and soon proves to be superior to even Gawain and Percival , defeating both of them. However, he is publicly known only as the Unknown Knight , keeping his lineage secret as to not shame his father with the story of his mother's rape. Loyal to King Arthur (who
1480-643: A hermitage to grieve for his final ten years. In the Vulgate Cycle , Aglovale dies accidentally at Gawain's hand during the Quest for the Holy Grail . However, the rewrite in the Post-Vulgate Queste turns it into a deliberate murder, a part of the Orkney clan's long vendetta for the death of King Lot . In Malory, he is among the knights charged by King Arthur with defending the execution of Guinevere , and
1628-405: A knight who had mistreated one of Queen Guinevere 's servants. The two fall in love and marry, but rumours spread that Erec no longer cares for knighthood or anything else besides his domestic life. Enide cries about these rumours, causing Erec to prove his abilities, both to himself and to his wife, through a test of Enide's love for him. Erec has her accompany him on a long, tortuous trip where she
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#17327652925941776-1174: A large number of variations of his name and character in many subsequent works, including as split between Barant le Apres ( Berrant ) and Bleoberys ( Bleoberis , Bleoboris , Bleoheris ) in Thomas Malory 's Le Morte d'Arthur ; as Bleobleheris ( Bliobliheri ) and Bleheris in respectively the First and the Second Continuation of Perceval ; as two different characters named Bleheris and Blidoblidas in Mériadeuc [ fr ] ; as split between Bleherris and Bleoberiis in Of Arthour and of Merlin ; as Bleoris in Henry Lovelich 's Merlin ; as Bleos von Bliriers in Diu Crône ; as Bleriz in Povest' o Tryshchane [ be ] ; as Bliobleherin in
1924-541: A largely lost Welsh tradition considered to originate in old Celtic folklore. Companions of Arthur numbering 24 also appear in the Welsh tale of Peredur son of Efrawg . Some of the more notable knights include the following: In addition, there are many less prominent knights. For instance, the "Healing of Sir Urry" episode in the Winchester Manuscript of Le Morte d'Arthur lists, in addition to many of
2072-494: A lost Dodinel romance, tells the story of his eponymous son Carduino's vengeance against the clan of Gawain for having his father fatally poisoned by the jealous lords including Mordred and Augerisse (probably Gaheris ), as well as of Carduino's other adventures. Drian ( Doryan , Driant , Durnor ) is one of King Pellinore 's sons out of wedlock. He is most prominent in the Prose Tristan which describes him as one of
2220-577: A maiden who had just been abducted, and chose the maiden over his brother. Lionel was not pleased by this, and attacked Bors the next time he saw him. A hermit tried to intervene, but was killed accidentally in the process, and Calogrenant stepped in. Bors refuses fight his brother, who slays Calogrenant before attacking Bors; however, God intervenes and renders him immobile. Thomas Malory calls him Colgrevance and recounts his death at Lionel's hands in Le Morte d'Arthur , but also includes another one later in
2368-620: A major character in the later romances from the French prose cycles and their adaptations, in which he is portrayed as one of the cousins of the hero Lancelot . There he is son of Nestor de Gaunes and godson of Lancelot's father King Bors , as well as brother of his fellow Round Table companion Blamo[u]r[e] ( Blanor[e] ). In the Vulgate Merlin , the Livre d'Arthur , and Arthour and Merlin , Bleoberis fights alongside his brother Blamoure in
2516-531: A man from the woods (wilderness). However, the only possible trace of such motif can be found in the German Lanzelet , in which Dodines lives a double life: as an enchanter owning a magic horse and dwelling near the dangerous Shrieking Marsh ( Schreiende Moos ) in the summer, and as a knight in Arthur's lands in the winter. As with his other characteristics, Dodinel's family relations are variably told. In
2664-591: A member of the Round Table . During the Grail Quest , Claudin is one of the companions of Bors the Younger , Galahad and Perceval in Corbenic . Cligès is the title hero of Chrétien de Troyes ' French poem Cligès (and its foreign versions). There, he is an offspring of Arthur's niece Soredamors and Alexander, a son of the Greek ( Byzantine ) Emperor. Following his adventures, Cliges eventually marries Fenice,
2812-525: A mystical quest for the Holy Grail . The Round Table at which they meet is a symbol of the equality of its members, who range from sovereign royals to minor nobles. The various Round Table stories present an assortment of knights from all over Great Britain and abroad, some of whom are even from outside of Europe. Their ranks often include Arthur's close and distant relatives , such as Agravain , Gaheris and Yvain , as well as his reconciled former enemies, like Galehaut , Pellinore and Lot . Several of
2960-460: A primary role in the formation of Arthurian romance and is influential up until the latest romances. Erec et Enide features many of the common elements of Arthurian romance, such as Arthurian characters, the knightly quest, and women or love as a catalyst to action. While it is not the first story to use conventions of the Arthurian characters and setting, Chrétien de Troyes is credited with
3108-478: A prison and his lover from a pyre, the latter then also again saved by Perceval. Dodinel is prominent in Claris et Laris , portrayed there as a comical side story character, a Dinadan -like humorously anti-chivalric knight, one who avoids dangerous combat in his wanderings and once escapes from a captivity by posing as a minstrel. He and Dinadan are themselves friends in the Meliadus Compilation; in
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#17327652925943256-479: A single discourse (known in linguistics as code-switching ). Welsh speakers are largely concentrated in the north and west of Wales, principally Gwynedd , Conwy County Borough , Denbighshire , Anglesey , Carmarthenshire , north Pembrokeshire , Ceredigion , parts of Glamorgan , and north-west and extreme south-west Powys . However, first-language and other fluent speakers can be found throughout Wales. Welsh-speaking communities persisted well into
3404-540: Is "son of Lac ") appears as brother of Erec in Palamedes and the late Italian romance I Due Tristani . The late French romance Ysaïe le Triste features Brandalis' own son, Brandor de Gaunes (of Wales). In the Didot Perceval , Peredur 's uncle is one Brendalis of Wales who also has a brother named Brwns Brandalis. A few other Brandalis characters are clearly unrelated to the Round Table, such as that of
3552-989: Is a Celtic language of the Brittonic subgroup that is native to the Welsh people . Welsh is spoken natively in Wales , by some in England , and in Y Wladfa (the Welsh colony in Chubut Province , Argentina ). It is spoken by smaller numbers of people in Canada and the United States descended from Welsh immigrants, within their households (especially in Nova Scotia ). Historically, it has also been known in English as "British", "Cambrian", "Cambric" and "Cymric". The Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011 gave
3700-564: Is a Knight of the Round Table and cousin to Yvain . His character has been derived from the Welsh mythological hero Cynon ap Clydno , usually the lover of Owain mab Urien 's sister Morvydd ; although in Owain, or the Lady of the Fountain , Cynon is stated to be the son of Clydno, possibly connected to Clyddno Eiddin . Roger Sherman Loomis and some other scholars speculated that Calogrenant
3848-681: Is a Knight of the Round Table found in a great many works of Arthurian romance, typically featured as a well-known knight yet merely a figurant type of a character, and without a common role. He is nevertheless important in several of such works, including the Third Continuation of Perceval , the Vulgate Lancelot , the Post-Vulgate Merlin , the Livre d'Artus , the Prose Tristan , and Claris et Laris . Dodinel
3996-595: Is available throughout Europe on satellite and online throughout the UK. Since the digital switchover was completed in South Wales on 31 March 2010, S4C Digidol became the main broadcasting channel and fully in Welsh. The main evening television news provided by the BBC in Welsh is available for download. There is also a Welsh-language radio station, BBC Radio Cymru , which was launched in 1977. Erec and Enide Erec and Enide ( French : Érec et Énide )
4144-495: Is brought to Arthur's court by Bors. He then becomes known as an excellent knight and is accepted as a member to the Round Table . True to his lineage, Elyan eventually becomes Emperor of Constantinople himself. Elyan's adventures are different the Post-Vulgate Queste , as well as the expanded version of the Prose Tristan , where he takes a vacant Round Table seat that had belonged to Dragan ( Dagarius ) after
4292-478: Is called Dornar ( Durnor[e] ) by Thomas Malory in Le Morte d'Arthur , where he is also killed by Gawain. He appears alongside two knights named Darnarde and Dryaun ( Dryaunt , Tryan ), both of them also derived from the French Drian. Malory splits Drian's adventures from the Prose Tristan between the latter two: Dryaun guards a bridge with his brother Alain (one of Drian's other brothers), jousting
4440-688: Is considered to have lasted from then until the 14th century, when the Modern Welsh period began, which in turn is divided into Early and Late Modern Welsh. The word Welsh is a descendant, via Old English wealh, wielisc , of the Proto-Germanic word * Walhaz , which was derived from the name of the Celtic people known to the Romans as Volcae and which came to refer to speakers of Celtic languages, and then indiscriminately to
4588-470: Is contrasted with some of the more despicable characters, such as Oringle of Limors. Nevertheless, Enide's faithful disobedience of his command to silence saves his life. Another theme of the work is Christianity, as evidenced by the plot's orientation around the Christian Calendar: the story begins on Easter day, Erec marries Enide at Pentecost , and his coronation occurs at Christmas. In
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4736-535: Is eventually informed about his son's identity by Morgan ), he fights in the late wars against domestic and foreign enemies, and is one of Galahad 's companions during the Grail Quest. After his father's death at Salisbury , Arthur the Less is a candidate for the heir of throne of Logres , however, he obsessively hates Lancelot 's renegade faction, blaming them for the disaster. When soon defeated by Bleoberis in
4884-453: Is fighting Erec until Enide steps in and stops him, telling him of Erec's identity. The last quarter of the poem adds another episode, referred to as the "Joy of the Court," in which Erec frees King Evrain's nephew Maboagrain from an oath to his lover that had prevented him from leaving the forest until defeated in combat. This causes a great deal of celebration, and Enide learns that the maiden
5032-623: Is forbidden to speak to him, after which they reconcile. When Erec's father Lac dies, Erec inherits his kingdom. The Norse Erex Saga gives him two sons, named Llac and Odus, who later both become kings. The story of Erec and Enide is also retold within the Prose Tristan . Enide is entirely absent from the Prose Erec part of the Post-Vulgate Merlin Continuation , in which Erec's mother's enchantment makes him immune to magic. His acts include saving Bors from
5180-426: Is her cousin. Erec and Enide then travel to Nantes , where they are crowned King and Queen in a lavishly described ceremony. Erec and Enide displays the themes of love and chivalry that Chrétien de Troyes continues in his later work. Tests play an important part in character development and marital fidelity. Erec's testing of Enide is not condemned in the fictive context of the story, especially when his behaviour
5328-723: Is introduced in Chrétien de Troyes' Erec et Enide , being named there as the ninth best of King Arthur 's knights, albeit noted as a rude one. Dodinel is also listed among the top knights of Arthur in Chrétien's Yvain as well as in Sir Gawaine and the Green Knight , while The Knight of the Two Swords describes him as a "truly exceptional ... man of many virtues." He might have been originally identical with Percival , which would explain his characteristic epiteth as meaning
5476-533: Is killed by unknown hand during the bloody melee when Lancelot and his men rescue the queen. Aglovale appears prominently in the Dutch romance Moriaen , in which Acglavael visits Moorish lands in Africa and meets a Christian princess whom he conceives a child with. He returns home and, thirteen years later, his son Morien comes to find him after which they both return to Morien's lands. In modern works, Aglovale
5624-545: Is meant to be a positive portrayal of women or whether Enide's free speech should be seen as good or bad. Erec criticizes and threatens Enide for warning him of danger, but it is Enide's refusal to stay silent that not only awakens Erec, but that ends the fighting between Erec and Guivret when Erec is weakened. Erec's masculinity is also the reason that he and Enide go on a journey in the first place: his inactivity causes many to speculate that Enide has somehow weakened him, making him an object of ridicule. Chrétien de Troyes played
5772-516: Is one of Perceval's uncles along with King Alain, whose name (and title) is shared with the father of Floree, mother of Gawain's son Guinglain in the Vulgate Cycle . In Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur , Brandiles ( Brandyles ) is brother of the mother of Gawain's sons (and later his companions at the Round Table) Gingalin, Lovel and Florence. Sir Brandeliz ( Brandalis , Brandelis , Braudaliz ) appears in multiple episodes through
5920-549: Is one of the eleven protagonists other than the eponymous duo; here he is a friend of Claris who, with the help of Merlin , rescues Laris from the prison of the Danish king Tallas among his other acts. In both narratives, he is also repeatedly freed from enemy captivity by the other heroes, including Gawain, Lancelot, and Claris. The Vulgate Lancelot story of Gaheriet 's rescue of Brandeliz and his lady might have been rewritten by Malory as an early episode of his "Tale of Sir Gareth",
6068-607: Is the eponymous protagonist of Clemence Housman 's 1905 novel The Life of Sir Aglovale de Galis . Arthur the Less or Arthur the Little ( Arthur le Petit ) is an illegitimate son of King Arthur ("Arthur the Great") found only in the Post-Vulgate Cycle . After Arthur forces himself on a daughter of a knight named Tanas, he orders the child to be named either Guenevere or Arthur the Less. Having been abandoned and raised by
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6216-464: Is the first of Chrétien de Troyes ' five romance poems, completed around 1170. It is one of three completed works by the author. Erec and Enide tells the story of the marriage of the titular characters, as well as the journey they go on to restore Erec's reputation as a knight after he remains inactive for too long. Consisting of about 7000 lines of Old French , the poem is one of the earliest known Arthurian romances in any language, predated only by
6364-511: Is the label attached to the Welsh of the 12th to 14th centuries, of which much more remains than for any earlier period. This is the language of nearly all surviving early manuscripts of the Mabinogion , although the tales themselves are certainly much older. It is also the language of the existing Welsh law manuscripts. Middle Welsh is reasonably intelligible to a modern-day Welsh speaker. The Bible translations into Welsh helped maintain
6512-604: Is the son of the Frankish King Claudas of the Wasteland ( de la Deserte ) who appears in the Lancelot-Grail prose cycle, the Prose Tristan , the Post-Vulgate Cycle , and Le Morte d'Arthur . His father, who he fights for, is a major villain during King Arthur 's early reign. However, when Claudas eventually loses the war and flees to Rome, Claudin surrenders and defects to Arthur, who makes him
6660-590: Is to defeat Bleoberis, the fierce guardian of the Perilous Ford. He is similarly the first adversary conquered by Gawain's son Guinglan in Le Bel Inconnu . In Parzival , Orgeluse 's suitor boasts of having him either slain or defeated but spared (depending on interpretation of the text). In Tristrant , he is one of King Mark's vassals and an enemy of Tristan, who brutally kills him during his escape from Mark's court. His name may have been derived from
6808-732: The Cynfeirdd or "Early Poets" – is generally considered to date to the Primitive Welsh period. However, much of this poetry was supposedly composed in the Hen Ogledd , raising further questions about the dating of the material and language in which it was originally composed. This discretion stems from the fact that Cumbric was widely believed to have been the language used in Hen Ogledd. An 8th-century inscription in Tywyn shows
6956-500: The 2016 Australian census , 1,688 people noted that they spoke Welsh. In the 2011 Canadian census , 3,885 people reported Welsh as their first language . According to the 2021 Canadian census , 1,130 people noted that Welsh was their mother tongue. The 2018 New Zealand census noted that 1,083 people in New Zealand spoke Welsh. The American Community Survey 2009–2013 noted that 2,235 people aged five years and over in
7104-410: The 2021 census , 7,349 people in England recorded Welsh to be their "main language". In the 2011 census, 1,189 people aged three and over in Scotland noted that Welsh was a language (other than English) that they used at home. It is believed that there are as many as 5,000 speakers of Patagonian Welsh . In response to the question 'Does the person speak a language other than English at home?' in
7252-416: The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages in respect of Welsh. The language has greatly increased its prominence since the creation of the television channel S4C in November 1982, which until digital switchover in 2010 broadcast 70 per cent of Channel 4's programming along with a majority of Welsh language shows during peak viewing hours. The all-Welsh-language digital station S4C Digidol
7400-443: The Marvels of Rigomer , Dodinel is one of Gawain's quest companions. Thomas Malory in his Le Morte d'Arthur , following some of the Dodinel material from the Vulgate Lancelot as well as his portrayal in the Prose Tristan , has him (named as Dodinas le Savage in the Winchester Manuscript ) as a recurring companion of Sagramore and, early in his career, as one of the Guinevere 's own ten knights. His 'biography' can be found in
7548-428: The Polish name for Italians) have a similar etymology. The Welsh term for the language, Cymraeg , descends from the Brythonic word combrogi , meaning 'compatriots' or 'fellow countrymen'. Welsh evolved from Common Brittonic , the Celtic language spoken by the ancient Celtic Britons . Classified as Insular Celtic , the British language probably arrived in Britain during the Bronze Age or Iron Age and
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#17327652925947696-404: The Queen's Knights . Some of these romances retell the story of the Knights of the Old Table , led by Arthur's father, Uther Pendragon , whilst other tales focus on the members of the 'Grail Table'; these were the followers of ancient Christian Joseph of Arimathea , with his Grail Table later serving as the inspiration for Uther and Arthur's subsequent Round Tables. The number of the Knights of
7844-549: The Questing Beast . Shortly after finally agreeing to convert to Christianity, an act necessary for the full admission into the brotherhood of Round Table , and which also allows his participation in the Grail Quest, Esclabor commits suicide from grief upon learning of his favorite son Palamedes' death at the hands of Gawain . Gaheris de Karaheu ( Gaharis , Gaheran , Gahetis , Gaherys , Gaheus , Gains , Gareis , Ghaheris ; - d'Escareu , - de Carahan / Car[a/e]heu , - de Gaheran / Gahereu , - de Karahau / Karehan ), also known as
7992-406: The Round Table . According to the Post Vulgate Cycle , and Thomas Malory 's Le Morte d'Arthur , Aglovale is the one who brings his long lost brother Percival to Camelot to be knighted after meeting him by chance in Perceval's woods. In an alternate account in the Livre d'Artus version of the Vulgate Merlin , the young Agloval has all of his fourteen brothers killed during the Saxon wars by
8140-489: The Three Welsh Romances included in the Mabinogion . Many authors explicitly acknowledge their debt to Chrétien, while others, such as the author of Hunbaut [ fr ] , betray their influence by suspiciously emphatic assurance that they are not plagiarizing. However, these tales are not always precisely true to Chrétien's original poem, such as in Geraint and Enid , in which Geraint (unlike Erec) suspects Enid of infidelity. Erec and Enide has come down to
8288-450: The United States spoke Welsh at home. The highest number of those (255) lived in Florida . Sources: Calls for the Welsh language to be granted official status grew with the establishment of the nationalist political party Plaid Cymru in 1925, the establishment of the Welsh Language Society in 1962 and the rise of Welsh nationalism in the later 20th century. Of the six living Celtic languages (including two revived), Welsh has
8436-413: The Welsh prose narrative Culhwch and Olwen . Approximately the first quarter of Erec and Enide recounts the tale of Erec , son of Lac, and his marriage to Enide , an impoverished daughter of a vavasor from Lalut . An unarmored Erec is keeping Guinevere and her maiden company while other knights participate in a stag hunt near Cardigan when a strange knight, a maiden, and his dwarf approach
8584-404: The "hugely important role", adding, "I look forward to working with the Welsh Government and organisations in Wales in developing the new system of standards. I will look to build on the good work that has been done by the Welsh Language Board and others to strengthen the Welsh language and ensure that it continues to thrive." First Minister Carwyn Jones said that Huws would act as a champion for
8732-441: The 12th century, conventional love stories tended to have an unmarried heroine, or else one married to a man other than the hero. This was a sort of unapproachable, chaste courtly love. However, in Erec and Enide , Chrétien addressed the less conventionally romantic (for the time period) concept of love within marriage. Erec and Enide marry before even a quarter of the story is over, and their marriage and its consequences are actually
8880-426: The 12th-century Welsh storyteller known in French as Bledhericus, Bleheris or Blihis (Blihos) Bliheris (possibly Bledri ap Cydifor ), who is mentioned in several texts, including being credited by both Thomas of Britain and Wauchier de Denain as the original source of their early Arthurian poems. References to the narrative authority of one Master Blihis ( Maistre Blihis ) repeat throughout the Elucidation , wherein
9028-532: The 1880s identified a small part of Shropshire as still then speaking Welsh, with the "Celtic Border" passing from Llanymynech through Oswestry to Chirk . The number of Welsh-speaking people in the rest of Britain has not yet been counted for statistical purposes. In 1993, the Welsh-language television channel S4C published the results of a survey into the numbers of people who spoke or understood Welsh, which estimated that there were around 133,000 Welsh-speaking people living in England, about 50,000 of them in
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#17327652925949176-409: The 1993 Act nor secondary legislation made under it covers the private sector, although some organisations, notably banks and some railway companies, provide some of their information in Welsh. On 7 December 2010, the Welsh Assembly unanimously approved a set of measures to develop the use of the Welsh language within Wales. On 9 February 2011 this measure, the Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011 ,
9324-430: The Assembly which confirms the official status of the Welsh language; which creates a strong advocate for Welsh speakers and will improve the quality and quantity of services available through the medium of Welsh. I believe that everyone who wants to access services in the Welsh language should be able to do so, and that is what this government has worked towards. This legislation is an important and historic step forward for
9472-427: The Battle of Salisbury Plain ( Camlann ). In Italy, he is called Dondinello and its variants, usually with no epithet (except in the case of Oddinello le Salvaggio in the Tristano Riccardiano ). In his unusual characterization in Chantari di Lancelotto , Dodinel ( Dudinello ) is a villain who joins up with Mordred to conspire against Lancelot. Cantari di Carduino , a Fair Unknown type epic poem possibly based on
9620-443: The Didot Perceval and 60 in the count by Jean d'Outremeuse in his Ly Myreur des Histors . Others yet give higher numbers, as with 250 in the Prose Merlin , and 366 in both Li Chevaliers as Deus Espees and Perlesvaus (where this is their peak number that nevertheless had dwindled to only about 25 at the time when the story begins). Chrétien de Troyes suggested around 500 knights in his early romance Erec and Enide . In
9768-519: The French Herec le Fils Lac ) participates in Lancelot's rescue of Guinevere from the stake. King Esclabor the Unknown ( Astlabor , Esclabort , Scalabrone ; - le Mescogneu , - li Mesconneü , - li Mesconneuz ) is a wandering Saracen lord from a vaguely Middle Eastern land, usually either Babylon (in today's Iraq) or Galilee (in today's Israel). He is the father of Palamedes , Safir , and Segwarides , among others. During his long stay in Britain, Esclabor initially hides his faith, trying to pass as
9916-426: The French prose cycles. In the Vulgate Merlin and the Livre d'Artus , the young teenage Dodinel defects to Arthur early in the king's reign, opposing his own family. In the Livre , he kills the Saxon king Mathmas at the Battle of Clarence ( Badon ). Having been knighted by Arthur, he joins the Queen's Knights and eventually the Round Table. The Vulgate Lancelot , besides telling the stories of Lancelot 's rescues of
10064-583: The German Erec ; as Bliobleeris in La Vengeance Raguidel ; as Bliobleris de Gannes ( Biblioberis , Bla[h]aris , Bleob[l]eris , Bleobleheris , Bleosblieris , Bliaires , Blihoble[h]eris , Bliobeheri , Blioberis , Blyob[l]eris ; - de Ga[u]n[n]es ) in the 13th-century French prose cycles; as Blioblieris in both Le Bel Inconnu and Wigalois ; as Bréri in Tristan by Thomas of Britain ; as Briobris in La Tavola Ritonda ; as Pleherin in Tristrant ; and as Plihopliherî ( Plihophiheri , Plihopliheri ) in Parzival . Bleoberis features as
10212-434: The Greater London area. The Welsh Language Board , on the basis of an analysis of the Office for National Statistics Longitudinal Study, estimated there were 110,000 Welsh-speaking people in England, and another thousand in Scotland and Northern Ireland. In the 2011 census , 8,248 people in England gave Welsh in answer to the question "What is your main language?" The Office for National Statistics subsequently published
10360-406: The Huth- Merlin , he is son of Balin 's brother Balan ( Balaan le Sauvage ). In the Didot- Perceval , he is son of the Lady of Malehaut ( Dame de Malohaut ). In Parzival , he has a brother called Taurian the Wild ( der Wilde ). In the Third Continuation of Chrétien's Perceval , one of the six episodes of Gawain 's adventures relate his rescue of the "handsome and valiant" Dodinel ( Dodinal ) from
10508-454: The King of Sorelois. Galehodin is introduced in the Prose Lancelot as the young grandson of the King of Norgales ( North Wales ). There he is the lord of the town and castle of Pennin ( Peningue ), and desires to follow the great hero Lancelot so he can learn from him. He is described as one of the tallest knights in the world, using a plain white shield with no identification symbols. Together with Mordred and Mador , he easily triumphs over
10656-546: The Knight of the Lion , telling a story to a group of knights and Queen Guinevere . He describes an adventure he had in the forest of Brocéliande , in which there was a magic spring that could summon a large storm. Calogrenant reached the spring and summoned the storm, after which a knight named Esclados attacked and defeated him. Yvain is upset that Calogrenant never told him of this defeat, and sets out to avenge him, embarking on
10804-468: The Less (himself a member of the Round Table as the Unknown Knight), whom he kills in self-defence. Finding Lancelot at a hermitage with the former Archbishop of Canterbury , he joins them; after Lancelot's death, Bleoberis buries his body at Joyous Gard . In Malory, Bleoberis and his brother first live as monks together with Lancelot and the rest of his kinsmen at Glastonbury Tor , then leave on
10952-431: The Round Table (including King Arthur ) and their names vary greatly between the versions published by different writers. The figure may range from a dozen to as many as potentially (the number of seats at the table) 1,600, the latter claimed by Layamon in his Brut . Most commonly, however, there are between about 100 and 300 seats at the table, often with one seat usually permanently empty . The number of three hundred
11100-666: The Vulgate Merlin Continuation, he is portrayed as an illegitimate son of either King Brandegorre or King Bélinant ( Balinant , Belinans , Belynans ; possibly based on the Celtic god Belinus ) de Sorgales ("of South Wales "; Norgales / North Wales in the Vulgate Lancelot ) and Eglatine ( Eglantine , Eglante , Eglente ), and cousin of Galeschin . In the Lancelot en prose , he is son of King Nantres and Queen Blasine (Arthur's sister), and brother of Galescin. In
11248-622: The Vulgate Mort Artu , he dies from eating a poisoned apple, which was made by the knight Avarlan and was meant to kill Gawain. The apple is offered to Gaheris unknowingly by Guinevere ; the queen is accused of his murder, until she is cleared of the charge in the trial by combat between Mador and Lancelot. This story is retold in the Stanzaic Morte Arthur and in Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur , where
11396-583: The Vulgate Cycle (some of which are included in Le Morte d'Arthur ), participating in the quests (including the quest for the Grail) and in the wars against Claudas and Galahaut . In the prose cycles, he dies while fighting either against Lancelot during the latter's rescue of the condemned Guinevere or against Mordred in the final battle. In the standalone romance Claris et Laris , Brandaliz
11544-788: The Vulgate and the works based on it, Lancelot eventually makes him the Duke of Poitiers for his part in saving Guinevere , after which Bleoberis becomes an important leader in Lancelot's war against Arthur and Gawain. In the Post-Vulgate Mort , he returns to Britain and arrives at Salisbury after the battle to destroy the corpse of Mordred and build the Tower of the Dead. While searching for Lancelot, he meets Arthur's vengeful son Arthur
11692-743: The Vulgate's Saxon king Brandalis ( Braundalis , Maundalis ). However, some scholars have connected Bran de Lis with the villains Brian des Isles (Brian of the Isles) from Perlesvaus and Brandin ( Branduz ) des Isles from the Vulgate Lancelot , as well as to King Brandelidelin from an early German Arthurian romance Parzival , as possibly identical in origin. Calogrenant , sometimes known in English as Colgrevance and in German ( Diu Crône ) as Kalogrenant , among many other variants (including Calogrenan[s/z] , Calogrevant , Calogrinant , Colgrevaunce , Galogrinans , Kalebrant , Kalocreant , Qualogrenans ),
11840-522: The Welsh Geraint and Enid , Erec and Geraint are often conflated or confused. Erec's name itself may be derived from Guerec , the Breton version of Gweir, the name of several of Arthur's warriors and relatives in the different early Welsh tales (possibly the prototype of Gaheris and consequently also Gareth ). In Chrétien's story, Erec meets his future wife Enide while on a quest to defeat
11988-548: The Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011, all new signs have Welsh displayed first. There have been incidents of one of the languages being vandalised, which may be considered a hate crime . Since 2000, the teaching of Welsh has been compulsory in all schools in Wales up to age 16; this has had an effect in stabilising and reversing the decline in the language. Text on UK coins tends to be in English and Latin. However,
12136-704: The Welsh Language Scheme. The list of other public bodies which have to prepare Schemes could be added to by initially the Secretary of State for Wales, from 1993 to 1997, by way of statutory instrument . Subsequent to the forming of the National Assembly for Wales in 1997, the Government Minister responsible for the Welsh language can and has passed statutory instruments naming public bodies who have to prepare Schemes. Neither
12284-667: The Welsh language official status in Wales. Welsh and English are de jure official languages of the Welsh Parliament, the Senedd , with Welsh being the only de jure official language in any part of the United Kingdom, with English being merely de facto official. According to the 2021 census , the Welsh-speaking population of Wales aged three or older was 538,300 (17.8%) and nearly three quarters of
12432-598: The Welsh language, though some had concerns over her appointment: Plaid Cymru spokeswoman Bethan Jenkins said, "I have concerns about the transition from Meri Huws's role from the Welsh Language Board to the language commissioner, and I will be asking the Welsh government how this will be successfully managed. We must be sure that there is no conflict of interest, and that the Welsh Language Commissioner can demonstrate how she will offer
12580-639: The Welsh mythology's figure of Brân . The best known of these was originally known as Bran de Lis ( Brans , Bras , - de Lys ), a character related to one of the mothers of the illegitimate sons of Gawain . Bran first appears in the First Continuation of Chrétien's Perceval as one of the brothers of Guilorete ( Gloriete ) of the Castle Lis, the mother of Gawain's son Lionel ( Lioniaus ). After Gawain had slain Bran's father Norroiz ( Norrois , also Yder de Lis ) and two of his brothers (Meliant and Guilorete) in
12728-487: The Welsh of the 16th century, but they are similar enough for a fluent Welsh speaker to have little trouble understanding it. During the Modern Welsh period, there has been a decline in the popularity of the Welsh language: the number of Welsh speakers declined to the point at which there was concern that the language would become extinct. During industrialisation in the late 19th century, immigrants from England led to
12876-682: The Welsh-speaking heartlands, with the number dropping to under 50 per cent in Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire for the first time. However, according to the Welsh Language Use Survey in 2019–20, 22 per cent of people aged three and over were able to speak Welsh. The Annual Population Survey (APS) by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimated that as of March 2024, approximately 862,700, or 28.0 per cent of
13024-452: The White ( li Blans ), is one of the minor Knights of the Round Table and brother of Mador de la Porte in the Vulgate Cycle and the derived works. He should not be confused with Gaheris of Orkney , one of King Arthur 's nephews and another Knight of the Round Table. His most prominent role, including the manner of his death, might have been inspired by the purportedly historical account of
13172-533: The White was portrayed by Nigerian actor Adetomiwa Edun as Guinevere's brother in the 2008 television series Merlin . Erec (French Erech , Eric , Herec , Heret ; German Eres ; Italian Arecco ; Norse Erex ), the son of King Lac , is most famous as the protagonist in Chrétien de Troyes ' first romance, Erec and Enide , later retold in Erec and other versions. Because of Erec and Enide ‘s connection to
13320-487: The Younger in the prose romance tradition of Lancelot-Grail (Vulgate Cycle). His mother, Claire, has tricked Bors into sleeping with her using a magic ring (the only time Bors broke his vow of chastity). Claire is daughter of British king Brandegore ( Brandegorre , Brandegoris ) and also half-sister of Sagramore , and their shared mother is daughter of the Eastern Roman Emperor . At the age of 15, Elyan
13468-713: The above, the following: Conversely, the Winchester Round Table features only the knights Sirs Alynore (Alymere), Bedwere (Bedivere), Blubtlrys (Bleoberis), Bors De Ganys (Bors de Ganis), Brumear (Brunor le Noir), Dagonet, Degore, Ectorde Marys (Ector de Maris), Galahallt (Galahault or Galahad), Garethe (Gareth), Gauen (Gawain), Kay, Lamorak, Launcelot Deulake (Lancelot du Lac), Lacotemale Tayle (La Cote Male Taile), Lucane (Lucan), Lybyus Dysconyus (Le Bel Desconneu), Lyonell (Lionel), Mordrede (Mordred), Plomyde (Palomedes), Pelleus (Pelleas), Percyvale (Percival), Safer (Safir), and Trystram Delyens (Tristram de Lyones) for
13616-410: The adventure that sets up the remainder of events in the romance. Calogrenant appears later in the Lancelot-Grail cycle, though his kinship to Yvain is not as clear as in Chrétien. He dies during the Grail Quest while trying to keep Lionel from killing his own brother, Bors . Bors had faced a dilemma over whom to rescue between Lionel, who was getting beaten with thorns by two rogue knights, and
13764-682: The captive Dodinel on multiple occasions, has him as one of the only five knights who cross the perilous bridge into Sorelois alive (besides Gawain, Meliant , Yder and Arthur). In the Vulgate Queste , he is one of the Grail knights in Galahad 's company. In the Post-Vulgate, Lamorak is slain by Gawain and his brothers when he is injured following an earlier fight with Dodinel. In the end, Dodinel dies fighting against Mordred 's forces at
13912-408: The catalysts for the adventures that comprise the rest of the poem. Gender also plays an important role. Enide is notable for being very beautiful, as Erec asks to bring her along so that she can retrieve the sparrow-hawk towards the start of the story. Enide is also outspoken despite Erec's instruction for her to stay silent, however, and there is debate between scholars about whether Erec and Enide
14060-460: The census. In terms of usage, ONS also reported that 14.4 per cent (443,800) of people aged three or older in Wales reported that they spoke Welsh daily in March 2024, with 5.4 per cent (165,500) speaking it weekly and 6.5 per cent (201,200) less often. Approximately 1.7 per cent (51,700) reported that they never spoke Welsh despite being able to speak the language, with the remaining 72.0 per cent of
14208-400: The character named Blihos Bliheris also appears appears as knight. Brandelis ( Brandalus , Brandel , Brandeles , Brandellis , Brendalis , etc.) is the name of a number of Arthurian romance characters, including multiple Knights of the Round Table from the French prose tradition. As in the case of several other Arthurian characters, such as King Ban , they might have been derived from
14356-414: The course of the 20th century this monolingual population all but disappeared, but a small percentage remained at the time of the 1981 census. Most Welsh-speaking people in Wales also speak English. However, many Welsh-speaking people are more comfortable expressing themselves in Welsh than in English. A speaker's choice of language can vary according to the subject domain and the social context, even within
14504-489: The creation of Old Welsh, Davies suggests it may be more appropriate to refer to this derivative language as Lingua Britannica rather than characterising it as a new language altogether. The argued dates for the period of "Primitive Welsh" are widely debated, with some historians' suggestions differing by hundreds of years. The next main period is Old Welsh ( Hen Gymraeg , 9th to 11th centuries); poetry from both Wales and Scotland has been preserved in this form of
14652-479: The decline in Welsh speakers particularly in the South Wales Valleys. Welsh government processes and legislation have worked to increase the proliferation of the Welsh language, for example through education. Welsh has been spoken continuously in Wales throughout history; however, by 1911, it had become a minority language, spoken by 43.5 per cent of the population. While this decline continued over
14800-690: The enchanter Mabon ; he also has a cousin named Driadam, whose death begins Erec's feud with the young Mordred . In the Post-Vulgate Quest of the Holy Grail , Erec is slain by Gawain in revenge for the death of Yvain of the White Hands , and does not regain his father's kingdom; his seat at the Round Table is taken by his friend Meraugis, who had buried him. In the Alliterative Morte Arthure , Erec dies during
14948-540: The fatal poisoning of Walwen (that is, Gawain ) from the chronicle Gesta Regum Anglorum . In the Vulgate Lancelot , Gaheris of Karaheu appears in minor roles, mostly as a prisoner, prior to his accidental death. Gawain saves him from Galehaut , while the mysterious White Knight ( Lancelot incognito) rescues him from the Dolorous Prison near Dolorous Gard and then again from the Vale of No Return . Later, in
15096-439: The fighting reopens his injuries and Erec falls down as though dead. Enide is found by Count Oringle of Limors, who takes Erec's body with him and tries to marry Enide. Enide's anguish is enough to wake up Erec, who kills the count and forgives Enide for having broken her silence throughout their journey. Guivret hears of Erec's supposed death and sends a thousand men to seize the castle to avenge his friend, but he doesn't realize he
15244-519: The final battle between the forces of Arthur and Mordred. In Lanzelet , Erec and Gawain agree to be delivered as prisoners to the great wizard Malduc (whose father was killed by Erec), so that Guinevere can be rescued from King Valerin's castle; they are then tortured and almost starved to death in Malduc's dungeon, until they are eventually themselves rescued. In Le Morte d'Arthur , Harry le Fyse Lake (or Garry le Fitz Lake , Malory's corruption of
15392-491: The following decades, the language did not die out. The smallest number of speakers was recorded in 1981 with 503,000 although the lowest percentage was recorded in the most recent census in 2021 at 17.8 per cent. By the start of the 21st century, numbers began to increase once more, at least partly as a result of the increase in Welsh-medium education . The 2004 Welsh Language Use Survey showed that 21.7 per cent of
15540-531: The forces of King Rions ' relative King Agrippa in their attack on his mother's domain. In the Livre d'Artus , Agloval then accompanies Gawain and Sagramore in leading an army that defeats the invaders, personally slaying Agrippa but suffering severe wounds. In the Third (Manessier's) Continuation of Perceval , Agloval dies seven years after Percival became the Grail King, causing Percival's retirement to
15688-422: The fourth book of Le Morte d'Arthur . In the Prose Tristan , Brandeliz is a Knight of the Round Table from Cornwall, not Wales. The Vulgate Cycle also features a different Knight of the Round Table other than Sir Brandeliz, a minor character of Duke Brandelis de Taningues ( Brandeban, Brandeharz , Brandelz , -de Tranurgor ). Yet another Knight of the Round Table named Brandelis ( Brandelis le fils Lac , that
15836-469: The highest number of native speakers who use the language on a daily basis, and it is the Celtic language which is considered the least endangered by UNESCO . The Welsh Language Act 1993 and the Government of Wales Act 1998 provide that the Welsh and English languages be treated equally in the public sector, as far as is reasonable and practicable. Each public body is required to prepare for approval
15984-476: The highest percentage of residents giving Welsh as their main language. The census also revealed that 3,528 wards in England, or 46% of the total number, contained at least one resident whose main language is Welsh. In terms of the regions of England , North West England (1,945), London (1,310) and the West Midlands (1,265) had the highest number of people noting Welsh as their main language. According to
16132-456: The history of Welsh, with rather indistinct boundaries: Primitive Welsh, Old Welsh, Middle Welsh, and Modern Welsh. The period immediately following the language's emergence is sometimes referred to as Primitive Welsh, followed by the Old Welsh period – which is generally considered to stretch from the beginning of the 9th century to sometime during the 12th century. The Middle Welsh period
16280-521: The invention of the Arthurian romance genre by establishing expectation with his contemporary audience based on its prior knowledge of the subjects. Enide is notable in Chrétien's work for being the only woman to be named in the title. Popular in its own day, the poem was translated into several other languages, notably German in Hartmann von Aue 's Erec and Welsh in Geraint and Enid , one of
16428-699: The knights. When they stay overnight in a village, a count visits and threatens to kill Erec if Enide doesn't sleep with him. She warns Erec the next morning and they escape, but the count and a hundred knights give chase, and Enide breaks her silence again to warn Erec. Erec defeats a seneschal and a count before he and Enide flee into the forest, where he defeats and befriends Guivret the Short, an Irish lord with family connections to Pembroke and Scotland. Erec and Enide continue travelling until they find King Arthur's men, but Erec refuses their hospitality and continues travelling. He rescues Cadof of Cabruel from two giants, but
16576-595: The language already dropping inflections in the declension of nouns. Janet Davies proposed that the origins of the Welsh language were much less definite; in The Welsh Language: A History , she proposes that Welsh may have been around even earlier than 600 AD. This is evidenced by the dropping of final syllables from Brittonic: * bardos 'poet' became bardd , and * abona 'river' became afon . Though both Davies and Jackson cite minor changes in syllable structure and sounds as evidence for
16724-562: The language, its speakers and for the nation." The measure was not welcomed warmly by all supporters: Bethan Williams, chairman of the Welsh Language Society, gave a mixed response to the move, saying, "Through this measure we have won official status for the language and that has been warmly welcomed. But there was a core principle missing in the law passed by the Assembly before Christmas. It doesn't give language rights to
16872-555: The language. As Germanic and Gaelic colonisation of Britain proceeded, the Brittonic speakers in Wales were split off from those in northern England, speaking Cumbric, and those in the southwest, speaking what would become Cornish , so the languages diverged. Both the works of Aneirin ( Canu Aneirin , c. 600 ) and the Book of Taliesin ( Canu Taliesin ) were written during this era. Middle Welsh ( Cymraeg Canol )
17020-486: The latter knight's death by Tristan . He later helps his cousin Lancelot rescue Guinevere after their affair is exposed, and then joins him in exile during their war with Arthur. Elyan should not be confused with Elians ( Eliant , Elianz ), a Knight of the Round Table from Ireland who occupied Lancelot's vacant seat in both the Vulgate and Post-Vulgate versions of the Mort Artu . A modern character inspired by Elyan
17168-491: The main Grail Knight in the later stories, and Arthur's traitorous son and nemesis Mordred . By the end of Arthurian prose cycles (including the seminal Le Morte d'Arthur ), the Round Table splits up into groups of warring factions following the revelation of Lancelot's adultery with King Arthur's wife, Queen Guinevere . In the same tradition, Guinevere is featured with her own personal order of young knights, known as
17316-682: The men of Gorre in a tournament against King Bagdemagus . In the Italian Tavola Ritonda , Galehaut's heir is his son named Abastunagio , a character corresponding with that of Galehodin as he appears in the Prose Tristan . Both appear in their respective texts in the role of the host of the great tournament in Sorelois. The Hebrew King Artus includes one Galaodin de Gaulis (of Gaul ) among Lancelot's followers. Welsh language Welsh ( Cymraeg [kəmˈraːiɡ] or y Gymraeg [ə ɡəmˈraːiɡ] )
17464-622: The modern period across the border in England. Archenfield was still Welsh enough in the time of Elizabeth I for the Bishop of Hereford to be made responsible, together with the four Welsh bishops, for the translation of the Bible and the Book of Common Prayer into Welsh. Welsh was still commonly spoken there in the first half of the 19th century, and churchwardens' notices were put up in both Welsh and English until about 1860. Alexander John Ellis in
17612-446: The most notable Knights of the Round Table, among them Bedivere , Gawain and Kay , are based on older characters from a host of great warriors associated with Arthur in the early Welsh tales. Some, such as Lancelot , Perceval and Tristan , feature in the roles of a protagonist or eponymous hero in various works of chivalric romance . Other well-known members of the Round Table include the holy knight Galahad , replacing Perceval as
17760-439: The narrative. Despite having died on the Grail quest, Colgrevance reappears as one of the twelve knights who help Agravaine and Mordred trap Lancelot and Guinevere together in the queen's chambers. Lancelot has neither armour nor weapons, but manages to pull Colgrevance into the room and kills him; he then uses Colgrevance's sword to defeat the rest of Mordred's companions. Prince Claudin ( Claudine , Claudyne , Claudino )
17908-448: The number of Welsh-language speakers to one million by 2050. Since 1980, the number of children attending Welsh-medium schools has increased, while the number going to Welsh bilingual and dual-medium schools has decreased. Welsh is considered the least endangered Celtic language by UNESCO . The language of the Welsh developed from the language of Britons . The emergence of Welsh was not instantaneous and clearly identifiable. Instead,
18056-452: The passing knights; Darnarde visits King Mark 's court with Lamorak, where they defeat Mark and all of his knights but Tristan . Darnarde is eventually killed alongside his brothers, Aglovale and Tor , when Lancelot rescues Queen Guinevere from the stake. Elyan the White or Helyan le Blanc (also Elain , Elayn , Helain , Hellaine , Helin ; - le Blank , - the Pale ) is son of Bors
18204-473: The people of Wales in every aspect of their lives. Despite that, an amendment to that effect was supported by 18 Assembly Members from three different parties, and that was a significant step forward." On 5 October 2011, Meri Huws , Chair of the Welsh Language Board , was appointed the new Welsh Language Commissioner. She released a statement that she was "delighted" to have been appointed to
18352-551: The people of the Western Roman Empire . In Old English the term went through semantic narrowing , coming to refer to either Britons in particular or, in some contexts, slaves. The plural form Wēalas evolved into the name for their territory, Wales. The modern names for various Romance-speaking people in Continental Europe (e.g. Walloons , Valaisans , Vlachs / Wallachians , and Włosi ,
18500-462: The poem begins some time later when rumors spread that Erec has come to neglect his knightly duties due to his overwhelming love for Enide and his desire to be with her. He overhears Enide crying over this and orders her to prepare for a journey to parts unknown. He commands her to be silent unless he speaks to her first, but she disobeys him to warn him when they are pursued by two different groups of knights. Both times, Erec scolds Enide before defeating
18648-436: The population in Wales said they had no Welsh language skills. Other estimates suggest that 862,700 people (28.0%) aged three or older in Wales could speak Welsh in March 2024. Almost half of all Welsh speakers consider themselves fluent, while 20 per cent are able to speak a fair amount. 56 per cent of Welsh speakers speak the language daily, and 19 per cent speak the language weekly. The Welsh Government plans to increase
18796-471: The population not being able to speak it. The National Survey for Wales, conducted by Welsh Government, has also tended to report a higher percentage of Welsh speakers than the census, with the most recent results for 2022–2023 suggesting that 18 per cent of the population aged 3 and over were able to speak Welsh, with an additional 16 per cent noting that they had some Welsh-speaking ability. Historically, large numbers of Welsh people spoke only Welsh. Over
18944-502: The population of Wales aged 3 and over, were able to speak the language. Children and young people aged three to 15 years old were more likely to report that they could speak Welsh than any other age group (48.4 per cent, 241,300). Around 1,001,500 people, or 32.5 per cent, reported that they could understand spoken Welsh. 24.7 per cent (759,200) could read and 22.2 per cent (684,500) could write in Welsh. The APS estimates of Welsh language ability are historically higher than those produced by
19092-407: The population of Wales spoke Welsh, compared with 20.8 per cent in the 2001 census , and 18.5 per cent in the 1991 census . Since 2001, however, the number of Welsh speakers has declined in both the 2011 and 2021 censuses to about 538,300 or 17.8 per cent in 2021, lower than 1991, although it is still higher in absolute terms. The 2011 census also showed a "big drop" in the number of speakers in
19240-591: The present day in seven manuscripts and various fragments. The poem comprises 6,878 octosyllables in rhymed couplets . A prose version was made in the 15th century. The first modern edition dates from 1856 by Immanuel Bekker, followed by an edition in 1890 by Wendelin Foerster. Wittig has compared aspects of the story to that of Dido , Queen of Carthage and Aeneas in Virgil 's Aeneid . Enide does not lose her lover or commit suicide but many connections can be shown between Erec's gradual maturing process throughout
19388-726: The previous duels in the long feud against him for seducing Guilorete, Bran is about to fight him as well, but they are stopped by Arthur and later become friends. This story is retold in The Jeaste of Sir Gawain , where he appears as Brandles (the name also used for one of Arthur's knights in Sir Gawain and the Carle of Carlisle ), and in the Scottish Golagros and Gawane , where he is called Spinagros . In Perlesvaus , Brandalus ( Brun[s] Brandelis ) de Gales (of Wales)
19536-415: The queen and treat her servant roughly. At the queen's orders, Erec follows the knight, Yder , to a far off town where he meets and falls in love with Enide. He borrows a set of armor from the vavasor and goes with Enide to claim a sparrow-hawk that belongs to the most beautiful maiden in the town. Erec challenges and defeats Yder for the sparrow-hawk and they return to Enide's father, who gives permission for
19684-539: The quest to conquer Rigomer Castle as one of Gawain 's many companions; he also defeats the undead knight in his own episode. As Clias the Greek ( der Grieche Clîas ), he has a role in the German Parzival . Thomas Malory 's Urry list calls him Sir Clegis (despite a similar name, Clegis is not in any way connected with the English Sir Cleges , the hero of a completely different story set in
19832-409: The required fresh approach to this new role." Huws started her role as the Welsh Language Commissioner on 1 April 2012. Local councils and the Senedd use Welsh, issuing Welsh versions of their literature, to varying degrees. Road signs in Wales are in Welsh and English. Prior to 2016, the choice of which language to display first was the responsibility of the local council. Since then, as part of
19980-452: The same work, Chrétien catalogued many of Arthur's top knights in a series of long hierarchical lists of names. These rankings are different in each of the surviving manuscripts, none of which is believed to be the author's original version. While not mentioning the Round Table as such, one of the late Welsh Triads lists 24 extraordinary knights permanently living in Arthur's court, mixing romance characters with several Arthur's warriors from
20128-651: The shift occurred over a long period, with some historians claiming that it had happened by as late as the 9th century , with a watershed moment being that proposed by linguist Kenneth H. Jackson , the Battle of Dyrham , a military battle between the West Saxons and the Britons in 577 AD, which split the South Western British from direct overland contact with the Welsh. Four periods are identified in
20276-590: The times of Arthur's father Uther Pendragon ). Dodinel ( Dodinas , Dodine[i]s , Dôdînes , Dodinia[u]s , Dodin[s] , Dodynas , Dodynel , Didones , Dydonel[l] , Lionel , etc.) le Sauvage ( le Savage , le Salvage , li Sauvages , li Salvages , el Salvaje , der Wilde , etc.), variously translated to English as the Wild , the Wildman , or the Savage (sometimes also as the descriptive "impetuous" or "fierce"),
20424-475: The total of merely 24 (not counting Arthur). Aglovale de Galis ( Agglovale , Aglaval[e] , Agloval , Aglován , Aglovaus , etc.; - de Galles , - le Gallois ) is the eldest legitimate son of King Pellinore of Galis ( Wales ), introduced in the Vulgate Lancelot . Like his father and his brothers (who may include Drian , Lamorak , the original Grail hero Perceval , and Tor ), he is a Knight of
20572-407: The two to marry. Erec refuses to accept gifts of new clothes for Enide and takes her to Arthur's court in her ragged chemise. In spite of her appearance, the courtiers recognize Enide's inherent nobility and Queen Guinevere dresses her in one of her own richly embroidered gowns. Erec and Enide are married, and Erec wins a tournament before getting permission to leave with his wife. The central half of
20720-526: The use of Welsh in daily life, and standardised spelling. The New Testament was translated by William Salesbury in 1567, and the complete Bible by William Morgan in 1588. Modern Welsh is subdivided into Early Modern Welsh and Late Modern Welsh. Early Modern Welsh ran from the 15th century through to the end of the 16th century, and the Late Modern Welsh period roughly dates from the 16th century onwards. Contemporary Welsh differs greatly from
20868-436: The very best of the Knights, alongside Galahad , Lancelot , Palamedes , and his own brother Lamorak . There, Drian and Lamorak are hated by Gawain for being sons of Pellinore and for being superior knights to Gawain. Drian dies when he fights three of King Lot 's sons, unhorsing Agravain and Mordred before being mortally wounded and left for dead by Gawain; Lamorak dies soon afterwards while trying to avenge him. Drian
21016-406: The victim is, respectively, either an unnamed visiting Scottish knight or Sir Patrise of Ireland (the poisoner is also renamed by Malory as Sir Pionel). The Italian Tristano Panciaticchiano , in which he remains Mador's brother, calls him Giafredi . Galehodin le Gallois ( Galeh[a/o]udin , also Gal[l]ides , Gallind[r]es , etc.) is Galehaut 's nephew and godson, and his designated successor as
21164-406: The wars against the rebel kings at Bedegraine , against the Saxons at Cameliard , and against King Claudas in the Wasteland ; the latter earns him his nickname "of the Wasteland" (de la Deserte). In both the Vulgate and Post-Vulgate versions of the Queste , as well as in the Prose Tristan , he participates in the Grail Quest . In Malory, he is the lord of the Castle of Gannis in Britain. In
21312-428: Was also chosen by King Edward III of England when he decided to create his own real-life Order of the Round Table at Windsor Castle in 1344. In many chivalric romances there are over 100 members of Arthur's Round Table, as with either 140 or 150 according to Thomas Malory 's popular Le Morte d'Arthur , and about 140 according to Erec by Hartmann von Aue . Some sources offer much smaller numbers, such as 13 in
21460-498: Was complete by around AD 550, and labelled the period between then and about AD 800 "Primitive Welsh". This Primitive Welsh may have been spoken in both Wales and the Hen Ogledd ('Old North') – the Brittonic-speaking areas of what are now northern England and southern Scotland – and therefore may have been the ancestor of Cumbric as well as Welsh. Jackson, however, believed that the two varieties were already distinct by that time. The earliest Welsh poetry – that attributed to
21608-518: Was passed and received Royal Assent, thus making the Welsh language an officially recognised language within Wales. The measure: The measure required public bodies and some private companies to provide services in Welsh. The Welsh government's Minister for Heritage at the time, Alun Ffred Jones , said, "The Welsh language is a source of great pride for the people of Wales, whether they speak it or not, and I am delighted that this measure has now become law. I am very proud to have steered legislation through
21756-399: Was probably spoken throughout the island south of the Firth of Forth . During the Early Middle Ages the British language began to fragment due to increased dialect differentiation, thus evolving into Welsh and the other Brittonic languages. It is not clear when Welsh became distinct. Linguist Kenneth H. Jackson has suggested that the evolution in syllabic structure and sound pattern
21904-463: Was used specifically as a foil for Kay in some lost early version of Yvain's story. The 12th-century author Chrétien de Troyes characterized him as everything Kay is not: polite, respectful, eloquent, and well-mannered. By this theory, his name can be deconstructed to "Cai lo grenant", or "Cai the grumbler", which would represent another opposite characteristic of Kay, who was famous for his acid tongue. Calogrenant first appears in Chrétien's Yvain,
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