Welsh Historical Figures Trivia Quiz

Answer: The Red Lady of Paviland

The skeleton was originally believed to be that of a woman, hence the misnomer. Along with the body, a number of grave goods were found including shells, ivory and mammoth bones. The 'Red' element comes from the fact that the skeleton was found packed with red ochre.

Answer: Celtic

Nobody seems able to agree whether the name 'Celtic' should refer to the people or the culture. It is safe to say that the culture was Celtic and the Welsh language is certainly a Celtic language.

Anglo-Saxon refers to the upstarts who moved in next door several centuries later, Gallic refers to Gaul, which is now France, and Cymric is a slightly romanticised alternative for 'Welsh'.

Answer: Caradog/Caractacus

Although not strictly speaking Welsh himself (he belonged to the Catuvellauni tribe, whose territory was based in Essex) he did lead the Silurian tribe whose territory covered much of South-east Wales. He died in Rome c. 54 CE.

Asterics/Astérix, the indomitabe Gaul, and Arthur need no introduction. Some say Astérix was the Sebastien Chabal of his time. Macsen Wledig/Magnus Maximus was a Roman nobleman. He married a Welsh girl following a prophetic dream and did much to strengthen links between Wales and Rome and is credited with uniting much of Wales.

Answer: Hywel ap Cadell (Hywel Dda)

Hywel's father, Cadell, was the son of Rhodri Mawr, king of Gwynedd, Powys and Deheubarth. Hywel's reign brought almost unprecedented peace and stability, and he is the only Welsh ruler to be named 'Da' - 'the Good'. The Welsh laws were noted for their fairness and humaneness. Murderers were punished not by execution or banishment but made to pay a fine or work for their victims' families for a specified time. Illegitimate children had full inheritence rights and property was divided between all sons, and did not all go to the first as was the case in England.

Answer: Llywelyn ap Iorwerth (Llywelyn Fawr)

She later had an affair with Gwilym Brewys/William de Braose. Llywelyn had de Braose hanged, a shameful execution for a nobleman at the time, and Siwan imprisoned for her infidelity.

Answer: Llywelyn ap Gruffydd (Llywelyn ein Llyw Olaf)

The answer is in the name. Llyw means 'leader' and olaf (pronounced 'o(r)lav' means 'last'.

Llywelyn Fawr was his grandfather, Llywelyn Bren (d. 1317) was probably ruler of Senghenydd and Meisgyn in Morgannwg (S.E. Wales).

Llywelyn ap Gruffydd Fychan (?1341 - 1401) was a popular and respected landowner from Caio, Carmarthenshire, and a great patriot. His sons were fighting with Owain Glyndwr's rebellion against Henry IV of England. The English tried to force Llywelyn to lead them to Glyndwr but he took them on a wild goose chase. Llywelyn was publicly hanged, drawn and quatered at Llandovery and pieces of his body sent to towns throughout Wales as a warning but in fact this drew more to Glyndwr's cause.

In 2001 a memorial statue by Toby and Gideon Peterson, smiths and metalworkers from Sanclêr/St Clears, near Carmarthen was erected on the Castle Mound in Llandovery. Do visit it if you get a chance.

Answer: William Williams

Of course it was. William Williams (1717 - 1791) was one of the founders of Welsh Methodism, along with Daniel Rowland, Llangeithio, and Hywel Harris from near Brecon. He wrote thousands of hymns and poems, along with some longer works, mostly in Welsh but occasionally in English.

Ann Griffiths (1776 - 1805) lived at Dolwar Fach, Llanfihangel-yng-Ngwynfa, Sir Drefaldwyn/Montgomeryshire. She was also a hymnwriter, and is probably best known for composing 'Wele'n Sefyll Rwhng y Myrtwydd', which is sung to 'Cwm Rhondda'.

Tudur Dylan (Jones) is widley acclaimed as the best contemporary poet, and many think he ranks among the top two or three of Welsh poets ever. He has won both the Chair and the Crown (awarded for the best composition in strict cynghanedd and freer verse respectively at the National Eisteddfod), was the Welsh Children's Laureate 2004-05 and is related to the renowned Cilie family of poets.

Lewis Glyn Cothi (fl. 1447-86) was probably born in the Cothi Valley in S.W. Wales, and is considered one of the 15th century's finest poets.

Answer: Robert Recorde

Born at Tenby, Recorde was educated at Oxford and was elected Fellow of All Souls College. He later studied mathematics at Cambridge and qualified in medicine before returning to Oxford to teach. He later established himself as a doctor in London, becoming physician to King Edward VI and Queen Mary. He was among the first people in Britain to write about mathematics and was the first to publish treatises on arithmetic, algebra, and geometry.

John Dee (1527 - 1608) was a mathematician, astronomer, astrologer and alchemist. He was frequently accused of consorting with spirits and demons before eventually gaining the favour of Elizabeth I.

John Harries, Pant-coy, Cwrt-y-cadno (c. 1785 - 1839) was a Dyn Hysbys, or 'cunning man' who claimed to be able to see the future and summon demons. One story about him claims thus: During a visit to Carmarthen with his friends, Dr Harries was denied some ripe fruit by a "man of considerable means" while they were entertained in his garden. After persuading the host to venture up a ladder to show the guests that the fruit was unfit for consumption, Harries ensured that the man could not move up or down the ladder. After having been taught a lesson in good manners, Dr Harries released the gentleman from his predicament.

John Davies, or John Bwlch-llan is a historian who came to public attention when he published Hanes Cymru in 1992, later translated and published as 'A History of Wales'.

Answer: Christmas Evans

For generations, Penyberth had been a place where poets would be assured of a welcome but in 1936 the RAF took it over and destroyed the house. Saunders, D.J. and Valentine were vehemently opposed to war and opposed killing on principle which is why they didn't burn an accommodation block. After the attack, they walked into the police station and gave themselves up. After a jury at Caernarfon Crown Court failed to reach a verdict, the case was transferred out of Wales to the Central Criminal Court (the Old Bailey) in London, where they were convicted. They later became prominent figures in Plaid Cymru.

(John) Saunders Lewis (1893 - 1985) was born on Merseyside. He studied English and French at Liverpool. After serving with in the First World War with the South Wales Borderers, he returned to university, graduating in English. He became a lecturer at Swansea, where he published a number of important works. He remains a controversial figure because of his outspoken views on facsism. In 1962, he delivered his seminal lecture 'Tynged yr Iaith' - 'the Fate of the Language' - on the BBC, which led to the foundation of Cymdeithas yr Iaith.

David John Williams (1885 - 1970) was born in Rhydcymerau, Carmarthenshire, into a farming community, a background which greatly influenced his writing. Most of his career was spent teaching English at Fishguard grammar school in Pembrokeshire.

Lewis Edward Valentine (1893 - 1986) was a Baptist minister, author and activist for the caue of Wales and the Welsh Language. He wrote the patriotic 'Gweddi dros Gymru', 'Prayer for Wales', sung to the theme from Sibelius' Finlandia.

Christmas Evans (1766 - 1838) was a Baptist preacher, born near Llandysul, Ceredigion. He lost an eye in a fight when he was a young man but overcame the loss and grew into one of the most powerful preachers of his time.

Answer: Bryn Terfel

Bryn trained at London's Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where he won the gold medal. After graduating in 1989, he won the lieder prize at the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition, and came second in the main competition. Since then he has sung virtually every major operatic role, expanding his repertoire from Mozart and Verdi to Gilbert & Sullivan and Wagner.

Dafydd Iwan is a popular singer whose career now spans five decades. He was born in Brynaman, Caramarthenshire where his father was a chapel minister. He started his career singing and telling humorous anecdotes, before concentrating on his singing. He has translated classic protest songs from several languages, and has composed several hundred original songs on themes ranging from the trials and tribulations of love to nuclear war, a satirical tribute to Mrs Thatcher. He is President of Plaid Cymru, the Welsh Nationalist Party.

Charlotte Church was born in Cardiff and is a soprano. She came to public attention when her albumn 'Voice of an Angel' was released in 1998. Her partner was the former Ospreys and Wales rugby player Gavin Henson.

Stuart Burrows was born in Cilfynydd, near Pontypridd, Glamorgan. For some 20 years from the mid 1960s, he was arguably the best lyric tenor in the world.