The Wales Flag ((The Red Dragon, in Welsh Y Ddraig Goch)  

The Welsh Dragon has been used to represent Wales for centuries and the flag is said to be the oldest (unofficial) national flag in use. It has played a part in Welsh folklore and history from the banner down in Arthurian Legend to the battle standard wielded during the Roman invasion of Britain. There is even speculation that the red dragon was in Welsh folklore centuries before the Romans arrived.

The Flag of Wales consists of a passant (walking with three paws on the ground and the right paw raised) red dragon on a field of white and green horizontal stripes. While the dragon pictured above is generally recognised as the Welsh Dragon, there is no standard description of it and there are many different interpretations of what the dragon looks like.

The Welsh Red Dragon was officially recognised as the Flag of Wales in 1959.

The Symbolic Meaning

Although the symbolic meaning behind the Welsh Dragon is lost in history and mythology, it is possible the Romans took the image to Britain during their occupation. Romano-British soldiers are thought to have carried the emblem with them to Rome in the fourth century and it was employed by the Welsh in the fifth century to stamp their authority after the Roman withdrawal.

A popular story comes from Arthurian Legend. According to legend, Merlin advised a king that the area where he wished to build his castle was the site of a pool containing two dragons. The two dragons were locked in mortal combat. The white dragon, although bigger and stronger, was eventually repelled and chased away by the smaller red dragon.

It is said that the white dragon symbolised the English and the red dragon symbolised the Welsh. The pool represented the land of Wales.

The House of Tudor who occupied the English throne from 1485 to 1603 added the white and green stripes behind the dragon to represent their links to Wales