Diwrnod Shwmae Su’mae Day – Celebrating our shared heritage

Monday, October 14, 2024

By Leigh Anne Bullough

Today is Shwmae Sumae Day, so to mark the occasion we have a blog post from our Wales Liaison Officer.

Admiring the beauty of Cwm Idwal ©Leigh-Anne Bullough

Su’mae pawb! That’s how you’d say it up North anyway. Down South you’d perhaps hear ‘Shwmae’ pawb. Though the dialect differs, it means the same – ‘hi everyone’! October 15 is Diwrnod Shwmae Su’mae – a day to celebrate the Welsh language, Cymraeg. Evolving from the language of the ancient Celtic Britons, this beautiful and complex language has a rich history, fraught with attempts to eliminate its use. Cymraeg today is, by its very existence, the embodiment of resilience.

Growing up in Cymru (the native name for Wales) I would often hear people, even my fellow countryfolk, say that Cymraeg was ‘pointless’ or ‘a waste of time’. On numerous occasions I’ve had people mock bilingual signs, dismissing them as a mere ‘waste of public funds’. It pains me to think that our history, our heritage, can be so easily shrugged off, when our ancestors fought for Cymraeg so it wouldn’t be lost to time – as so many other languages unfortunately are.

From the highest point in Cymru - Copa'r Wyddfa! ©Leigh-Anne Bullough

A brief history of Cymraeg

In the early 19^th century, Cymraeg was widely spoken – so how did we get here? Well, by the mid-19^th century Cymru was in turbulent times characterised by social and economic upheaval, culminating in uprisings and riots across the country. Posed with the question of why Cymru was so prone to anarchy, an inquiry into the role of Cymraeg in education was commissioned in Westminster, and three commissioners (who did not speak the language) set off to Cymru to collect evidence. The resultant report seemingly ignored the growing disparities in wealth between worker and landowner, and the exuberantly high taxes and tolls placed on the working people as a cause for social unrest. Instead, the report concluded that use of Cymraeg and ignorance to the English language was a serious impediment for the general improvement of the people. There was also direct comment on the religious and moral standing of the people of Cymru, which (understandably) caused furore across Cymru. Consequently, the report came to be known as ‘Brad y Llyfrau Gleision’ or ‘Treachory of the Blue Books’ for its derogatory take on the language, and the people, of Cymru.

The conclusions of the report, however, still made their mark on history. With the language blamed for many of the countries ‘ills’, the prescribed ‘cure’ was the eradication of Cymraeg from schooling. The infamous ‘Welsh Not’ was introduced – a wooden board worn around a child’s neck who had been caught speaking Cymraeg, in a bid to shame them. The board would be passed around to any student who spoke their native language, and whichever child had it around their neck at the end of the day was cruelly punished, often physically. For the crime of speaking their native language.

The impacts of this practice are still felt today – I am myself living with the consequences of the ‘Welsh Not’. Only a few generations ago my family were fluent Cymraeg speakers… until we were not.

Standing the test of time

Despite the attempts to rid Britain of Cymraeg, the language and the people persist. It is estimated that 28% of the population of Cymru speak Cymraeg, and the numbers are steadily growing. Since the first Welsh Language Act in 1967, the Welsh Government has enshrined Cymraeg into legislation and now bodies who provide a public service in Cymru must do so in both English and Cymraeg. The language is just one string in the cultural bow of Cymru, where Europe’s largest cultural festival is held every year – the National Eisteddfod. The roots of the Eisteddfod can be traced back to 1176, and it travels around the country each year celebrating the language and culture of Cymru.

More recently, the Welsh Government has published their strategy for Cymraeg 2050 – a target to have one million Cymraeg speakers by 2050. This target may be ambitious, but we know that Cymru has ambition in spades. For example, the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act 2015 is unlike legislation seen in the other countries of the UK and sets out seven well-being goals for Cymru. Promoting the language and culture are of course one of these, but many of the others (‘a Resilient Wales’, ‘a Globally Responsible Wales’ and ‘A Healthier Wales’) are only achievable with thriving nature and ecosystems to anchor communities within. JNCC is working closely with NRW and the Welsh Government to help realise these goals. Though our expertise lie in nature recovery, we understand that this goes hand in hand with social wellbeing and we enthusiastically support the realisation of the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act’s goals, and the continued and increasing use of Cymraeg.

In the spirit of embodying our values of inclusion and collaboration here at JNCC, we encourage you to celebrate Diwrnod Shwmae Su’mae as it is not only a part of Cymru’s history, but a part of our shared heritage across the four countries of the United Kingdom. So, next time you see a sign in Cymraeg, stop and think about the journey the language has taken, all it has survived, and perhaps even rho gynnig arni! (Give it a go!)