Did you know that one of the most successful (as well as interesting) poets of the 20th century was a Welshman by the name of R.S. Thomas?

Who Was R.S. Thomas?

Thomas was born in Caerdydd (Cardiff) on 29 March 1913 and lived a long, colourful life until his passing on 25 September 2000 in Gwynedd. Some of his most notable works are ‘The Village‘, ‘The Welsh Hill Country‘ and ‘The View From the Window‘.

Thomas was (and still is to many) a fascinating character, not just because of his poetry, but also his views on Cymru – which are often easy to misinterpret.

On the Nose, Honest Patriotism

Despite being a devout advocate of Welsh nationalism, independence (which he argued would “make us poorer” but was for the greater good regardless) and so forth, he was also critical of his homeland, as everyone should be (in my opinion). One such example is where he accused the Welsh of his time of lacking a love for their fellow human beings. He also refused to endorse Plaid Cymru, believing that their recognition of Westminster was capitulation.

Thomas was deeply (and perhaps rightfully) bitter about how he was robbed of the Welsh language, which he did not begin learning until age 30 – blaming centuries of colonisation for the eradication of his native tongue, robbed from him. He also loathed English second-home owners within Cymru long before this view became more mainstream.

Oh, he was also a Priest!

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Niklas George

Niklas is the founder, owner, manager, editor, writer, video creator, voice over artist, and so forth, of Welsh Histories. He is passionate about the preservation of Welsh culture; the rejuvenation of the Welsh language and the promotion of Welsh history. Niklas currently resides in Pune, Maharashtra, with his beloved wife.