The Facts
Stories are passed down, over hundreds of years by many tellers, and later written at points in history, generally from one point of view for political propaganda (as well as entertainment!) The version above is the well known and recorded legend of Newcastle Emlyn…where heroes are good and dragons are bad…..
But are they?
All around the world, for thousands of years, the dragon was a creature representing the power of nature, and still is beloved and revered in many cultures. In Wales we still see the magnificent creature on our flag, a symbol of national pride. The castle in Newcastle Emlyn is one of the few built by the Welsh, and tracing the various versions of the story back over the different dates given, is, in itself, a fascinating exploration of Welsh history, of invasions, occupations and resistance.
Research reveals that the story originated as a record of a battle in 1403 when chieftain Owain Glyndwr.(Whose standard was a red winged Gwiber/serpent) seized the castle briefly from the occupiers, but the falling of his flag and the accompanying bloodshed ended this resistance… so is it a tragedy or a heroic feat, This killing of the Dragon?
However, all good stories have new beginnings….this one is called…
In midsummer 2006, a story was found in Newcastle Emlyn’s shop windows….. telling of peoples love for the dragon…..the scouts had made a nest… Protectors of the Dragons Nest and Guardians of the Dragons Story were appointed and over a hundred people called from the hill top of the castle ruins. They were rewarded with finding a floating coracle on the serpent shaped river, which contained a dragon’s egg! This is now growing in a shop window…. the dragon is promising to return where last seen!!