01-19-2025, 02:32 PM
Speaking of speaking Welsh ...
I remember seeing many years ago a documentary about the systematic suppression of the Welsh language by the English/British - or maybe it was a segment on "60 Minutes", or something like that. Anyway, it was a long time ago, and I can't remember enough details about it to find it (if it's even available on the Internet) - so here's something much more recent on the subject:
Punished for Speaking Welsh: The Shocking Truth of the Welsh Not Suppression
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBiBcTHQk04
{AntiquesArena | 01 August 2024}
Discover the compelling and shocking story of the Welsh Not in our latest documentary film, "Punished for Speaking Welsh: The Shocking Truth of the Welsh Not Suppression." This film dives deep into the history of the Welsh Not, a symbol of Welsh language suppression in 19th-century Welsh education. Explore how this practice, rooted in the infamous Blue Books 1847, known as the Treachery of the Blue Books, attempted to erase Welsh cultural heritage.
In the mid-19th century, the British Empire deemed the Welsh language an obstacle to progress. To enforce this belief, teachers in Welsh schools used a tool of punishment: the Welsh Not. This simple piece of wood, inscribed with "Welsh Not" or "WN", was hung around the necks of children caught speaking their native tongue. This documentary uncovers how the Welsh Not punishment stigmatized the Welsh language and led many to abandon their mother tongue in favor of English.
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