An Important Scientific Survey of Non-Brits....

[Headsnap]

Before we start, this isn't so much a survey as a single question, but it's an important question that will help me a great deal in a scientific study I am conducting. I can't reveal the purpose of the study just yet, but all will become clear in due course. What I'm looking for are spontaneous, unresearched answers from non-British people, and preferably non-Europeans, to the following question:



Do you know what Wales is?



Thank you for your time and help in this important matter. I look forward to reading your responses.

 

[Knox The Hatter]

I'll be happy to answer your question...

...once you describe why the Eating Clubs at Princeton University were originally founded over one hundred and twenty years ago.

 

[isabeau]

Wales is a small country in the United Kingdom..used to be a big coal mining country..not sure if it is still...the language is rather hard to understand at times, such as when i was reading the book "How Green Was My Valley" which is set in Wales. I had to constantly refer to the back of the book for the explanation of the words used..

 

[Headsnap]

How does that help me prove, once and for all and conclusively, that Wales is not important or relevant to today's modern society, and that nobody outside of the UK knows about it and nobody outside of Wales cares about it?


Or did you think the question was designed as some sort of barbed quip regarding the world awareness (or supposed lack thereof) of non-Europeans?

 

[Capnmad]

Wales is wat I kill wit my arpoons. ...damn key between "G" and "J" never works on tis keyboard! 😀

 

[Mastertank1]

Sure man;

Wales is two small peninsulas on the Irish Sea coast of Great Britain. Looked at on a map, they bear a strange resemblance to an area in the northwest of the map of Middle Earth that comes with the Lord Of The Rings novels by J.R.R.Tolkien. I refer to the two peninsulae of the Ered Luin (Blue Mountains) which lie north and south of the Elvish port city called the Gray Havens, ruled by Cirdan the Shipwright. The resemblance is VERY strong.
Wales is also the true origin point of the so-called English Longbow, which the Brits actually adapted from bands of Welsh mercenaries they hired for wars against Scotland and France.
The longbow was the weapon of South Wales. The North Welsh, who rebelled against the suzerainity of King Edward of England under the leadership of LLewellyn, used a short throwing javelin with a detachable spear-thrower handle as their missile weapon. It was far less effective, which may be why they lost.
IMHO, the Celtic/Pictish culture of Wales is unique, quite different from those of Eire, Scotland, Brittany and the Basque/Catalan country of Spain, and deserves to be paid attention to and preserved.
Anyhoo, that's my two pence worth.

 

[drew70]

How does that help me prove, once and for all and conclusively, that Wales is not important or relevant to today's modern society, and that nobody outside of the UK knows about it and nobody outside of Wales cares about it?

It doesn't. In fact, it demonstrates just the opposite. Wales is known world wide. People talk of it's centries-old history, and everbody wants to check out the Welsh Castles. Wales is one of the hottest travel spots in the UK, and if I ever get over there, that's the first place I'm going to check out.

By the way, when will you be able to tell us about the scientific study which lead to this question about Wales?

Or did you think the question was designed as some sort of barbed quip regarding the world awareness (or supposed lack thereof) of non-Europeans?

Only you can answer that.

 

[isabeau]

Did i win?

 

[Knox The Hatter]

I notice my Merseyside friend here still hasn't answered my purely rhetorical question, which was a direct response to his. Oh, well. I guess I'll just go back to clipping my nails. Snap. Snap.

 

[Headsnap]

EDIT:
Knox, the eating clubs were formed to teach Welsh Immigrants to use a knife and fork. At least that's the theory I've heard bandied about in the Oriel College rec room.

Isabeau:
Yeah, sure, you win, why not. Your prize is an all-expenses paid holidy on the Welsh Riviera, where you will get to enjoy sports such as tick-pulling, sheep-avoiding and being aggrevated by the locals who lose the ability to speak English the moment they realise that you don't speak Welsh 😀

Mastertank:
That's quite good actually, although the place is a county not a country, it looks more like a deformed cow than anything from Middle Earth, and the Pictish/ Celtic culture of Wales can be found throughout most of south-western England, particularly Cornwall. Also, the Welsh invented the longbow but the English taught them to use it.

It seems my study has failed. I'm actually quite surprised that people know about Wales, and although I'm willing to admit that it is more well-known than, say, the town of Westward Ho! (sic) in Kent, I still maintain that it is irrelevant to today's modern, fast-paced world. And the people are sheep-worriers.

PS: Oh dear here comes drew70....

It doesn't. In fact, it demonstrates just the opposite. Wales is known world wide. People talk of it's centries-old history, and everbody wants to check out the Welsh Castles. Wales is one of the hottest travel spots in the UK, and if I ever get over there, that's the first place I'm going to check out.

drew70 likes to argue about everything. Do you even care about this, or are you just trolling?

Only you can answer that.

Only YOU can prevent flame wars. Go away please.

 

[Knox The Hatter]

EDIT:
Knox, the eating clubs were formed to teach Welsh Immigrants to use a knife and fork. At least that's the theory I've heard bandied about in the Oriel College rec room.

ROFLMAO! Splendid comeback, you almost made me spill my morning coffee on my work shirt!

 

[Headsnap]

Perhaps it is time to get a sturdier cup-holder then?

 

[isabeau]

yippee i won......sure i've heard of Wales..some poet is from there i think...hmm not sure i will visit Wales when i travel to the British Isles next year...

 

[Headsnap]

Yeah that was Dylan Thomas, the bloke who wrote "Do Not Go Gentle Into that Good Night", one of my favourite poems ever written by anyone in the world EVER. The Welsh have something of a flair for poetry and all such bardic "things"; their national anthem, "Land Of Our Fathers", for example has all the chutzpah and jingoism you want from a proper national anthem, especially if it's sung in Welsh, unlike that god-awful foul dirge of hell "God Save the Queen" which has been foist upon England.

It's just a shame that their flair for poetry and prose is matched only by their flair for being ill-tempered, unclean, sheep-bothering conscripts who talk funny and live in a land frequented only by the elderly (who are too infirm to take a holiday anywhere else but on a coastal caravan site), scouse criminals who go to the villages to rob the post offices and petrol stations (because there is 1 policeman and the nearest fast response units are 200 miles away), and the military (who only go there because they're forced to).

 

[lk70]

Wales and Welsh legend figures fairly prominently in fantasy literature, a favorite genre of mine.

And, if I'm not mistaken, isn't there a tremendous amount of Arthurian legend running around Wales as well?

Very romantic, mystical place, Wales. Totally relevant to the imagination and spirit.

 

[TicklishLurker]

It's a country in the UK. Charles is the "prince" of it. The myths say King Auther was from there. And I was there once briefly. It was raining and everything was closed. It was 5 pm. We had to wait until we were in England again to get some supper.

 

[storyteller]

Wales, when it was a country and not a county, is also where a chieftain named Arthur hailed in the 3rd-4th centuries. The Welsh Arthur was an able military leader who successfully led the different Welsh tribes in fighting various invaders, such as the Saxons. This particular theory of the real Arthur is much more supportable than others I've read. That Arthur became "English" has a great deal to do 12th-C supposed misunderstandings and mistranslations of older Welsh historical texts that discussed his life, leadership, and exploits.

 

[Headsnap]

You say that because you've never been there. Spend a few weeks in Pwhelli, the Valleys or around Mount Snowdon and you'd soon change your tune 😀 Also yes, most if not all of Arthurian legend (except the bits about the mostly-French knights) can claim Welsh origins because all the "evidence" points to King Arthur being Welsh himself. Then again he was a hallucination-having belligerent loon. As well he wasn't real

 

[lk70]

Then again he was a hallucination-having belligerent loon. As well he wasn't real

Phooey. You're no fun 😛

 

[drew70]

PS: Oh dear here comes drew70....



drew70 likes to argue about everything. Do you even care about this, or are you just trolling?



Only YOU can prevent flame wars. Go away please.

Care? I don't really come here to care, but merely to engage in discussion, my good fellow. I am curious that you seem to equate the absense of concern with "trolling." Do you really believe that? Astounding!

"Go away"? Oh dear, that's not very hospitable conduct, now is it? I believe I've been here longer than you, my good man. It might do you well indeed to learn some manners if social skills are at all important to you.

Oh, one more thing. You've still not brought to light this "scientific study" which led to asking us about Wales. You did promise to make it clear, did you not. A promise is a promise, after all.

 

[Headsnap]

Phooey. You're no fun 😛

I'm plenty of fun, my mum says so! I just feel that the hero worship reserved for a hallucinatory, warmongering Welshman as one of England's greatest heroes is a bit off. The stories are good though 😀


yay drew is here again

Care? I don't really come here to care, but merely to engage in discussion, my good fellow. I am curious that you seem to equate the absense of concern with "trolling."Do you really believe that? Astounding!

No I equate your belligerence and general arsey-ness as trolling.

"Go away"? Oh dear, that's not very hospitable conduct, now is it?

No. It wasn't meant to be because I dislike you.

I believe I've been here longer than you, my good man.

Well done to you, a wonderful achievment!

It might do you well indeed to learn some manners if social skills are at all important to you.

Which one of your bumholes did you pull that tripe from, the one at the base of your spine or the one underneath your nose?

Oh, one more thing. You've still not brought to light this "scientific study" which led to asking us about Wales. You did promise to make it clear, did you not. A promise is a promise, after all.

You are dross. Now it is time for the ignore list.

 

[drew70]

If I may offer a reminder of the opening post of this thread...

Before we start, this isn't so much a survey as a single question, but it's an important question that will help me a great deal in a scientific study I am conducting.

I think it's becoming clear he isn't conducting any study of Wales, scientific or otherwise. He was merely looking for justification for his obvious disdain for this particular county. He opened this thread under false pretenses, and when politely pressed about it, he threw a tantrum, violating the Golden Rule with wanton abandon.

It's a shame he couldn't have just been straight with us from the outset.

 

[Headsnap]

Use the report button if you feel the GR has been violated instead of posting a load of triumphal "HAHA I HAVE FOILED YOUR EVIL SCHEME!!" type waffling. There was an attempt at humour in this thread on my part, but I really can't be arsed to take the time to explain it to you if you're too dense to pick up on it.

Report the post and go away please, simple as that.

 

[drew70]

Use the report button if you feel the GR has been violated instead of posting a load of triumphal "HAHA I HAVE FOILED YOUR EVIL SCHEME!!" type waffling. There was an attempt at humour in this thread on my part, but I really can't be arsed to take the time to explain it to you if you're too dense to pick up on it.

Report the post and go away please, simple as that.

Okay, it was an attempt at humor. Question answered, after three askings, but better late than never. That's all I was looking for. There was no need for all that posturing. As for the GR violations, I see no need to report them. I only mentioned them because unlike me, many WILL report them. I just thought you should be aware.

Cheers.

 

[isabeau]

is dross a Welsh term? i'm not familiar with that word..