Dic Siôn Dafydd (, "Dick

on of On, on, or ON may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * On (band), a solo project of Ken Andrews * ''On'' (EP), a 1993 EP by Aphex Twin * ''On'' (Echobelly album), 1995 * ''On'' (Gary Glitter album), 2001 * ''On'' (Imperial Teen album), 200 ...

John

David") is a

pejorative A pejorative word, phrase, slur, or derogatory term is a word or grammatical form expressing a negative or disrespectful connotation, a low opinion, or a lack of respect toward someone or something. It is also used to express criticism, hosti ...

term for

Welsh people The Welsh () are an ethnic group and nation native to Wales who share a common ancestry, History of Wales, history and Culture of Wales, culture. Wales is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. The majority of people living in Wa ...

who disdain the

culture of Wales The culture of Wales encompasses the Welsh language, customs, festivals, music, art, cuisine, mythology, history, and politics. Wales is primarily represented by the symbol of the red Welsh Dragon, but other national emblems include the ...

and become

Anglophile An Anglophile is a person who admires or loves England, its people, its culture, its language, and/or its various accents. In some cases, Anglophilia refers to an individual's appreciation of English history and traditional English cultural ico ...

s instead. The term was coined by Welsh poet John Jones in his satirical

ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and song of Great Britain and Ireland from the Late Middle Ages until the 19th century. They were widely used across Eur ...

''Cerdd Dic Siôn Dafydd'' to mock Welsh people who moved to England and adopted its culture in order to ingratiate themselves with the English. It is used today as a political insult.

History

During the late 18th century, Welsh poet John Jones published the satirical

''Cerdd Dic Siôn Dafydd'', following the story of fictional Welshman Dic Siôn Dafydd as he moves to

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

and begins to disdain the

, instead adopting

English culture The culture of England is diverse. Owing to England's influential position within the United Kingdom it can sometimes be difficult to differentiate English culture from the culture of the United Kingdom as a whole. However, tracing its origins ...

in order to succeed in England. The ballad notes that Dafydd grew up speaking Welsh but becomes pompous after moving to London, insisting on speaking solely English even to his Welsh-speaking mother. The term "Dic Siôn Dafydd" has also been used as a political insult in Wales, most commonly to describe a Welsh person perceived as betraying their country for financial and political gain. As an insult, the term has been used to describe Welsh people who become part of

the Establishment In sociology and in political science, the term the establishment describes the dominant social group, the elite who control a polity, an organization, or an institution. In the Praxis (process), praxis of wealth and Power (social and politica ...

in Britain while ignoring their Welsh roots. It has also been used to describe Welsh people who only speak English, become

s or hold Welsh culture in low regard.

Ballad

In popular culture

The name is also mentioned in the folk song Yma o Hyd: Several Welsh poets have written works in the style of Jones' ballad, including Talhaiarn, who published ''Dammeg Dic Siôn Dafydd yr Ail'' ("The Parable of Dic Siôn Dafydd the Second") in 1862. During the 1824

National Eisteddfod The National Eisteddfod of Wales ( Welsh: ') is the largest of several eisteddfodau that are held annually, mostly in Wales. Its eight days of competitions and performances are considered the largest music and poetry festival in Europe. Competito ...

Powys Powys ( , ) is a Principal areas of Wales, county and Preserved counties of Wales, preserved county in Wales. It borders Gwynedd, Denbighshire, and Wrexham County Borough, Wrexham to the north; the English Ceremonial counties of England, ceremo ...

, a competition was held where satirical poems following the

englyn (; plural ) is a traditional Welsh short poem form. It uses quantitative metres, involving the counting of syllables, and rigid patterns of rhyme and half rhyme. Each line contains a repeating pattern of consonants and accent known as . Ear ...

form were submitted under the predetermined title "Beddargraff Dic Siôn Dafydd" ("The Epitaph Of Dic Siôn Dafydd").

External links

Sheet Music
of
Performance
by

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dic Sion Dafydd Culture of Wales Welsh poetry Quotations from literature Fictional characters from the 19th century Male characters in literature Cultural assimilation 18th-century neologisms Pejorative terms for European people Cultural depictions of Welsh people

History

Ballad

In popular culture

External links

See also

References