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The streets, squares, and buildings of Swansea are not only filled with people and ordinary animals. A closer look reveals that a mystical creature is hiding here – a dragon. Following his trail, I conducted street interviews and observations to uncover the varied meanings the dragon holds for locals, from a symbol of national pride to a mystical figure of fantasy.
Figure 1: Photos by the author.
During our stay in Swansea, I realised that I was constantly surrounded by dragons – and so were my fellow students and the people in the city. I spotted them as murals on buildings, as sculptures in parks, engraved on road surfaces, integrated in shop logos or, of course, on the numerous flags representing the national emblem of Wales which could be found everywhere, to name just a few examples.
The red dragon, in Welsh known as ‘Y Ddraig Goch’, holds a special place in Welsh culture as one of its national symbols. Its presence is deeply intertwined with Welsh identity and pride. According to legend, this fiery creature engages in an eternal struggle with a white dragon, symbolizing the ongoing tension between Wales and England. This captivating narrative is prominently featured, for example, on the official ‘Visit Wales’ website, created by the Welsh government.[1]
Over time, my vision began to change – I was now actively looking for places where these dragons were hiding and tried to capture them in photographs. The moment I perceived the presence of these dragons, I wondered what (if anything) this means to the people living in or visiting Swansea. Do they even see them? Is there a possible influence on how nationhood is experienced that is emanating from them? What does an individual in everyday life perceive on a subjective level – apart from merely recognising the dragon as the national symbol? What influence does it have on their imagination of dragons in general – which are, after all, very present in popular culture, in films and TV series? All these questions led me to confronting passers-by in Swansea directly with questions about the dragons in a “vox-pop”-report as part of my task for an afternoon of field research.
The sun was already setting as I stood on the High Street in Swansea. It was very busy. People were on their way home or on their way to work, were going for a walk with their dog, met friends for dinner or were simply strolling along the street. Not surprisingly, they did not seem to care greatly or even be aware of the representations of mystical beings surrounding them nearby. I plucked up all my courage (I remember telling myself: you can do it!) and began to ask people coming towards me: „What comes to your mind when you think of a dragon? What do you associate with a dragon?” After the first brief interview, I already felt inspired, and it got much easier after each exchange. Following the main question, I asked my interlocutors where they originated from, for a better contextualisation of their answers. Overall, the people I approached were very friendly and there wasn't a single person who turned me down, didn't want to answer my question or ignored me. Even when I approached a person who was in a hurry, they gave me a short answer and wished me luck for my project. I thought it was truly remarkable and the conversations and interactions made me forget everything around me.
To analyse the responses, I divided them into groups of topics for the purpose of finding a structure and a foundation for the illustration of the outcome. After reviewing the collected answers, I worked out the following three groups: nation-related terms (first group), descriptive terms (second group) and magic-related terms (third group). In many cases, people gave multiple answers. (Therefore, a single person can be represented in several of my conceptualised groups with multiple answers). With creating these groups, I was able to represent the different answers of the same person. The following section expounds on these three groups with a few examples from the street interview.
The most popular answers – in line with the national symbol – were „Wales”, „Welsh red dragon” or „Welsh”, which make up the first group. The answers „Wales” or „Welsh” were often followed by an „of course” or a „very proud”. In one conversation, I found myself facing two young ladies – one was English, and the other was Welsh. After I had asked my question, one immediately blurted out that she was English. She advised me that I should better ask her friend because she was Welsh. She linked my question (and therefore the dragon) directly to „reflecting Welsh national pride” and to „Wales being a national identity”. As a result, she also linked it to the emphasis on the difference between „being English” and „being Welsh”. Another conversation with two girls led to a slightly different outcome: The girl from Wales answered, „Welsh red dragon” in combination with „pride”. The girl from England, in contrast, spoke about „mystery”, a „mystical animal” combined with „fun”. When I asked a group of three boys, the one who said he was from Wales came up with „Wales”, „Flag of Wales” and the differentiation between „being English” and „being Welsh”.
In our preparation for the excursion to Wales, we had, among other things, intensively discussed the relationship between England and Wales and tried to find out about Welsh identity and identity-building elements. Among other texts, we read the Welsh historian Martin Johnes’s Embracing and Escaping History.[2] At the time, I hadn't realised how firmly anchored this understanding of being English and being Welsh is for many people in the present. And after the many interesting interviews, I remembered the following passage in Johnes’s text: „Being proud of one’s nation does not mean having to be opposed to anyone else’s”.[3] In my view, this statement fits well here, as the English in particular showed strong reactions to the distinction between being Welsh and being English. The burden of history between these two countries seems to be very present and is constantly being reiterated. While I do not want to over-interpret these interactions, and I do not know how seriously “opposed” the interviewees were to the other nation, it seems that “embracing and escaping history”, as Johnes puts it, may still be far away.[4]
Independently of each other, two young people told me that their school experience influenced their comprehension of the dragon. Their school walls were „covered” with Welsh flags – and thus with the red dragon. One of them connected this to the more general point that the Welsh government tried and is still trying to strengthen and maintain – and, to some extent, construct? – Welsh heritage. The other one used the more critical term „forced” in combination with the covered walls. The term might indicate the potential pressure the government puts on students to maintain Welsh heritage and form a union among the population. Welsh writer Peter Stead pointed out that the awareness of being Welsh largely relies on a sense of community.[5] Strengthening the sense of community and culture plays a central role in promoting Welsh national consciousness – and educational institutions represent an important anchor point for this. Further on, one possible reason for the government to exert such pressure could be, as Martin Johnes suggests, that the long-time lack of Welsh history teaching in schools contributed to the weakening of Welsh identity that is partly compensated through the use of symbols.[6]
Since English isn’t my native language, I encountered some difficulties interpreting the terms in the second group, the „descriptive terms”. Some of these expressions and therefore statements now seem ambiguous to me. I was unaware of this ambiguity at the time of the interview, which is why I didn't ask a follow-up question to clarify further. The example of „power” illustrates this point: Power stands for „strength” – but also for „authority”. Strength could be applicable if we imagine a dragon. However, authority would also make sense if we think of the government. It isn’t fully obvious how to interpret the term and what it connects with. A similar effect applies to words like „fierce”, „everywhere”, „pride” and „proud”.
When these terms are combined with a term from the first group, the connection to the Welsh dragon seems relatively clear. To give an example, I interviewed a man who mentioned the word „Wales” first. Afterward, he said „red”, „fierce” and „power”. However, if these terms in the second group are combined – in a more exclusive way – with terms from the third group, the mystical creature of the dragon, the meaning changes – for example, when a girl I spoke to first brought up the term „fierce” – and then „Harry Potter”. The second group might contribute to a better categorisation and can aid understanding the third group statements.
As consumers of and participants in popular culture, we – whether in Switzerland or Wales – are used to come across dragons in books, films or TV series. Fantasy fiction has developed into a particularly popular genre – Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings and A Game of Thrones are a few well-known examples. The third group of terms encompasses magic-related terms that can overlap with fictional worlds. Interviewees mentioned „fire”,„scales”, „mystery”, „mystical”, „Harry Potter” and „literature”, to list a few answers. Daniel Baker’s article Why We Need Dragons: The Progressive Potential of Fantasy scrutinises what fantasy, and therefore also the symbol of the dragon, communicates and he analyses its aesthetic power.[7] Apart from being a national symbol and contributing to national pride, then, the red dragon seems to get a boost in popularity from its mythical aspects (supported by the numerous mentions from respondents) and fantasy genres. Speaking of fantasy and Wales, what is so mystical about Wales? And why do we feel this way when we think about the country? With its famous ancient tales, landscapes and rich cultural heritage, Wales exudes a special charm. Celtic spirituality, bards and the Welsh language all contribute to the mystique that surrounds the country – meanings that are also promoted, for instance, on the Wales tourism website.[8] (Zulaima Ratto's contribution provides more information about the traces of the cinematic „mythic Wales".)
Of course, these answers are only a snapshot of possible answers. They cannot be generalised and reflect the associations and views of the limited number of approximately thirty-five people whom I briefly interviewed. The responses were numerous and divergent. Some emphasised the political aims of the Welsh Government. Others emphasised the distinction between being Welsh and being English. In some cases, interest was aroused in the dragon as a creature and mythical figure. One person mentioned Harry Potter... Nevertheless, the answers do indicate that people in Wales have a clear perception of the term „dragon”. It plays a multi-faceted role, uniting people through pride, culture and shared history – or dividing them. As such, it has both a symbolic and practical impact on the construction of Welsh unity. It could be interesting to examine the role of the dragon symbol in educational policy, or how perceptions of the dragon differ between age groups and how they have evolved over time. This could deepen our understanding of the significance of the dragon as a seemingly “eternal” national emblem. Overall, it looks as if the dragon has an intrinsic status of Welsh identity, anchoring Welsh heritage in everyday life, making it omnipresent, rather than merely reflecting a visual emblem.
[1] Welsh Government. 2024a. Walisische Nationalsymbole, https://www.visitwales.com/de/info/nationalsymbole-von-wales (Zugriff am 01.07.2024).
[2] Johnes, Martin. 2022. Embracing and Escaping History. In: Welsh (Plural). Essays on the Future of Wales, hg. von Chetty Darren, Issa Hanan, Muse Grug und Tyne Iestyn, 9-21. London: Repeater Books.
[3] Johnes, Martin. 2022. Embracing and Escaping History. In: Welsh (Plural). Essays on the Future of Wales, hg. von Chetty Darren, Issa Hanan, Muse Grug und Tyne Iestyn, 20. London: Repeater Books.
[4] Johnes, Martin. 2022. Embracing and Escaping History. In: Welsh (Plural). Essays on the Future of Wales, hg. von Chetty Darren, Issa Hanan, Muse Grug und Tyne Iestyn, 20-21. London: Repeater Books.
[5] Peter, Stead. 1972. Welshness and Welsh nationalism. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 1 (5) (1972): 393-399.DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/1369183X.1972.9975152.
[6] Johnes, Martin. 2015. History and the Making and Remaking of Wales. History, December 2015, Vol. 100, No. 5 (343) (2015): 667-684.
URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2307/26624531.
[7] Baker, Daniel. 2012. Why We Need Dragons: The Progressive Potential of Fantasy. Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts, 2012, Vol. 23, No. 3 (86) (2012): 437-459. URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/24353086.
[8] Welsh Government. 2024b. Discover Wales, your way, https://www.visitwales.com/ (Zugriff am 01.07.2024).
Jana Aline Stricker
