We know plenty about Y Ddraig Goch (the red dragon), the Welsh dragon, but what about Y Ddraig Wen (the white dragon), the Saxon dragon?
What is Y Ddraig Wen?
Many within Cymru will be familiar with some of the stories surrounding the white dragon. As a child, I was taught that it was the arch nemesis of the red dragon and that the two dragons were locked in a battle spanning thousands of years.
In many ways, this is how the dragons are depicted. The red dragon, of course, represents Cymru and, at one time, the native Britons who evolved into the present day Welsh. On the other hand, the white dragon represents the Saxons – the peoples who invaded Britain during the 5th century A.D. – who evolved into the present-day English (though this is simplified and is, of course, far more complicated).
The earliest known stories involving the dragonly dispute date back to the 9th century “Historia Brittonum” (the History of Britain), though the stories were likely spoken orally for centuries prior to their being written. In Historia Brittonum, there contains a story involving Dinas Emrys (Gwynedd) and Gwrtheyrn (Vortigern, the king of the Britons).
In the story, Gwrtheyrn attempts to build a castle at Dinas Emrys as, given its strategic position, it was (and is) a pretty good site for a castle. However, on a nightly basis, the castle is destroyed by something unbeknownst to Gwrtheyrn. He is then advised to find a young man (or potentially boy) with no natural father for the purpose of sacrifice (not good advice, if you ask me).
Gwrtheyrn succeeds in his quest to finds such a person. When this person learns that he is to be sacrificed for the purpose of solving the nightly destruction of the castle, the boy informs Gwrtheyrn that, in fact, the castle is being regularly destroyed not by people but by dragons – two of them which are, in fact, trapped there. Gwrtheyrn does what any well-intentioned, consequences shunning King would do: he frees the dragons, one red and one white, from their captivity.
The dragons continue their battle in the sky and it is told that the red dragon finally defeats the white dragon nemesis, with the young man informing Gwrtheyrn that the white dragon symbolises the Saxons, whilst the red dragon symbolises the Britons.
This story was in part inspired by (and in part inspiring of) stories and prophecies of Y Ddraig Goch one day defeating the Y Ddraig Wen and, with it, the Saxons once and for all – allowing the Britons to once again reclaim their lost lands and, even more, a Welsh “King of the Britons” to be crowned in London. We are, of course, still waiting for the prophecy to be fulfilled.
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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.