Golden Dragon Rises Again in Wales

Immerse yourself in the dynamic heritage of Wales, delve into the significance of the golden dragon, and imagine a transformative future that unites five kingdoms, fifteen castles, and a contemporary charter inspired by the Laws of Hywel Dda.

Uniting Five Kingdoms: Discover the Golden Dragon as Our Central Symbol

I am known as Goldie The Grey.

The mention of gold requires further clarification, while the grey is quite evident.

What tale lies behind the golden dragon?

A fascinating narrative is about to unfold. Pour yourself a refreshing drink—be it coffee, tea, or something stronger. Settle in, unwind, and allow my storytelling to transport you.

Embarking on a Journey of Discovery

Many might anticipate the adventure to commence with a sword, an ancient prophecy, or a mysterious figure appearing on a stormy night.

My personal journey began with the duty of digitising my mother’s documents for generations to come.

That’s quite a formidable task, wouldn’t you agree?

Family documents often evolve into something beyond mere paper. A name transforms into a question. A branch morphs into a journey. Before long, you find yourself contemplating a family tree, wondering how much of your identity you truly grasped before embarking on this quest.

Eventually, the narrative grew beyond simply securing my mother’s records.

Discovering the Names that Connect Us

As I trace my ancestry, I learn that I am thirty-five generations removed from Rhodri Mawr.

This connection is profoundly significant. Investigating these generations is vital because a family tree represents more than just a link between a king and a modern descendant.

Countless individuals bridge the gap between us.

People with families to nurture, children to guide, grief to bear, and choices to navigate.

People whose lives merit more than a fleeting mention on the path to a renowned name.

I yearn to learn about them as well.

I aim to create space for family stories that cannot be neatly summarised in a chart.

For the House of Rhodri, as I’m starting to refer to it, is anything but ordinary.

A House Steeped in Rich Traditions

Witches. Mages. Shamans. Seers. Healers. Empaths. Mystics.

These terms encompass some of the mystical experiences within my family.

Not everyone may use the same terminology. Each generation might interpret these concepts in varied ways.

I do not claim that every ancestor documented their unique gifts.

My mother already had plenty of paperwork to manage.

Yet, these terms are integral to the language through which I comprehend our family: love, intuition, mystical traditions, inspiration, care, and experiences that often require more time to articulate than to perceive.

I can share these stories without expecting every individual to interpret them identically.

They deserve to be acknowledged on their own terms.

Expressing My Unique Perspective

Personally, I describe some experiences as shamanic, while others resonate with a mage-like essence. Inferred

These terms currently reflect my understanding most accurately.

The stories behind them require their own telling. I do not wish to shroud them in borrowed mystery or imply that I have simplified something merely by labelling it mystical.

This space welcomes belief.

This space also invites questions.

In sharing this narrative, I strive to distinguish between what I remember, what my family has conveyed to me, what I can substantiate, and what I perceive through my own mystical experiences.

The golden dragon can embody profound significance without serving as definitive proof of everything.

Claiming My Kingdom

So, before anyone gets too carried away:

I am not claiming a throne.

I am asserting ownership of a kingdom.

The divine kingdom of Wales is how I describe the mystical landscape of this narrative: ancestry, imagination, belonging, and the vision of what is yet to be achieved.

As Above, So Below.

This vision begins to materialise on the map.

Gwynedd.

Powys.

Seisyllwg.

Then Dyfed and Gwent.

Five Names, Five Colours: Imagining a Unified Wales

This map originated from a fascination with Rhodri’s realm. The dialogue extends beyond mere history.

The family narrative stretches beyond the initial three coloured areas. As it expanded, so did the vision.

It’s essential to clarify this distinction:

We are not rewriting the past while pretending it has always appeared this way.

We are envisioning a future.

Our five-kingdom map represents a proposal articulated through narrative and art. Its borders delineate an idea rather than a claim that every component once belonged to a singular ruler at a specific historical moment.

The House of Rhodri is the name under which I am gathering this concept.

The Castles Under the Watchful Dragon

Then the castles emerged on the horizon.

If we are discussing five kingdoms, we must pinpoint the locations within our vision.

Fifteen castles became our initial landmarks.

These are not the only castles in Wales, nor do they encapsulate the entire story. They are fifteen sites from which we can begin to weave the narrative threads.

In our Gwynedd, we recognised Caernarfon, Conwy, and Harlech.

In our Powys, we identified Powis, Montgomery, and Dolforwyn.

In our Seisyllwg, we noted Cardigan, Dinefwr, and Carreg Cennen.

In our Dyfed, we acknowledged Pembroke, Carew, and Manorbier.

And in our broader Gwent, we named Caerphilly, Cardiff, and Chepstow.

There they stand.

Fifteen Castles, Five Kingdoms, One Wales

In our vision of the House of Rhodri, each castle stands beneath the vigilant gaze of the golden dragon.

This is how we situate them within the narrative; not by suggesting that they were all constructed by our ancestors, nor that their histories commenced with us. Each castle carries its own legacy, and this assertion does not alter its current guardianship or stewardship.

We are envisioning how these sites might belong to a shared future.

Some may enter our family narrative through a memory. Others through an unexplored connection. Some may serve as spaces for reflection, allowing us to contemplate what we wish the next chapter of Wales to embody.

Naming them brings the vision closer.

You can refer to “five kingdoms” and leave people envisioning nearly anything.

But mention Caernarfon. Mention Dinefwr. Mention Pembroke.

Suddenly, there are destinations to explore, inquiries to make, and tales to uncover.

The map begins to evolve into a realm you can navigate.

This is all well and good.

Before anyone wonders where I plan to keep the keys to fifteen castles (that remains a secret!), I should remind you this all started with the necessity to digitise my mother’s documents.

We are addressing one responsibility at a time.

The Flag that Unifies Us

Then we created a flag for this vision.

For this proposed flag, we retained the white above and green below, placing a golden dragon at the centre, where the red dragon typically resides. The red dragon embodies primal emotion, willpower, fire, and ash. We replace it with intention, love, and courage…

The white signifies the heavens.

The green represents the earth.

The golden dragon embodies our aspirations for Wales’ prosperity within the vision of the House of Rhodri.

To me, the colours reflect the belief that God created both the heavens and the earth. They merge the mystical and the terrestrial into one image.

As Above, So Below.

And beneath that imagery, our guiding principles:

Peace, Prosperity, Patience & Justice Under God.

• Peace – not a demand for unanimous agreement, but a commitment to avoid imposing consensus.

• Prosperity – not wealth concentrated in a few hands, but the flourishing of individuals, communities, culture, and land.

• Patience – because a future worth cultivating cannot simply be summoned into existence by proclamation.

• Justice – because none of the other promises hold much weight if individuals cannot expect fair treatment.

“Under God” conveys my unwavering faith and the accountability I feel within it. It is not necessary for everyone to share my beliefs.

No one should be required to profess a religion, accept a mystical assertion, or acknowledge something sacred in the dragon to enjoy equal dignity.

I would raise this flag as an invitation to contemplate a vision.

Not as permission to silence another’s voice.

What Do the Kingdoms Represent?

A map serves as an excellent starting point.

It is insufficient as a governing tool.

Eventually, someone is entitled to ask a practical question.

What would this signify for the individuals living here?

That is a valid inquiry.

A golden dragon is visually striking, but it cannot resolve grievances merely by shining more brightly.

The narrative requires a charter.

I do not recognise the current governmental structure as the future I envision for Wales. Yet, dissatisfaction, no matter how deeply felt, is just the beginning of a dialogue.

If I am to articulate a different future, I must be prepared to explain it.

Not just who would occupy the centre of the map.

How power would be constrained.

How individuals would be heard.

How someone could disagree with the House of Rhodri and remain just as free, just as safe, and just as Welsh as anyone else.

A Contemporary Charter for Our Future

To establish this foundation, we have chosen to draw inspiration from Cyfraith Hywel … the Laws of Hywel Dda.

This is not a literal restoration of every medieval law.

It is a modern charter grounded in that legacy, meticulously examined and tailored for the people who would live under it today.

This is the proposal we have begun to articulate.

No longer the Laws of the Sea, we demand the Laws of the Land …

Equal dignity.

Freedom of conscience.

Freedom of speech.

Leadership that is accountable for its decisions.

Justice that strives to remedy harm where possible while protecting those who have been injured.

Care for the land, the water, the minerals, the language, the traditions, and the places entrusted to us.

A meaningful voice for individuals throughout all five kingdoms.

These are commitments we must honour in practice, not just phrases to place beneath an attractive image.

The charter must accommodate individuals whose beliefs differ from mine.

There must be room for the mystic and the sceptic, the religious and the agnostic, the person who finds meaning in the dragon and the one who appreciates the artistry.

No one should have to share my mystical understanding to possess equal rights.

Justice Within the Castle Courts

Within this proposed future, the castles would serve a purpose beyond their geographical location.

We envision them as venues for courts: places where justice is administered within the communities they serve.

This is not merely the current judicial system with a new flag above its entrance, but a proposed alternative whose authority would derive from a mutually agreed charter and laws established openly with the consent of the people.

Our aim would be for all courts to convene within castle settings, wherever conservation, safety, and accessibility could be harmonised with that purpose. If a location could not accommodate an operating court, suitable facilities would need to be considered without compromising the site we wish to honour.

Because a symbol is meaningless for justice if access is restricted.

Judgment would be entrusted to peers within the community governed by the new laws we propose.

“the community” must never become another term for the loudest voices within it.

A person should not lose a case because they are unpopular, unfamiliar, impoverished, or different.

Knowledge of someone’s reputation must not be confused with understanding the evidence.

The charter would need explicit protections: impartial selection, the removal of anyone with a conflict of interest, independent legal counsel, and a fair opportunity for each party to present their case.

Anyone accused would be presumed innocent unless the evidence against them meets the legal standard. They would retain the right to comprehend the accusation, receive legal aid, contest the evidence, and pursue an independent appeal.

Those who report harm would deserve safety, dignity, and support throughout the process.

Decisions must be accompanied by justifications.

The laws themselves should be public, comprehensible, and open to scrutiny and revision through agreed procedures.

No one—not a leader, not a relative, nor the founder of this vision—would have the authority to dictate a verdict.

Including me.

Especially if I happen to be standing beneath a particularly impressive dragon at the time.

Where harm can be rectified, the court would seek meaningful restoration. Where protection is necessary, it must be provided. Forgiveness may be freely offered, but never demanded from someone who has suffered.

This is the justice I aspire for these castle courts to pursue.

Not spectacle.

Not vengeance.

Responsibility, fairness, and a path forward.

These proposals envision a potential future, not courts we can establish simply by proclaiming their existence. Until any changes are legally instituted, the vision would not replace existing courts or release anyone from their current legal obligations.

Understanding the Meaning of a House

When I use the term “House,” I intend it to convey a sense of responsibility.

My ancestry may help explain why I began this journey. It does not elevate my worth above those alongside me.

It does not exempt me from the law.

And it cannot, on its own, grant me authority over those who have not chosen it.

Any future political structure would require the freely expressed consent of the populace, achieved through peaceful and lawful means.

Otherwise, we would have delineated five kingdoms without addressing the most critical question:

Whose home are we referring to?

Wales is already home to individuals with their own lives, beliefs, aspirations, and conflicts.

A meaningful vision must accommodate them.

The House, as I envision it, must be capable of listening as well as speaking.

If its proposals do not withstand scrutiny, then those proposals require further refinement.

Awakening to New Realities

When I declare the Golden Dragon of Wales is awake, I am naming the awakening that resides at the core of this narrative.

My growing focus on family.

My quest for a language that encapsulates mystical experiences.

My desire to envision a Wales organised around belonging, responsibility, and justice.

The dragon serves as the symbol that unifies these elements.

Its awakening does not serve as proof that I possess all the answers.

It marks the beginning of my inquiry into how I intend to engage with these questions.

What does my ancestry demand of me?

What does my faith require in terms of how I treat those who do not share it?

What am I prepared to alter in my vision after listening to another’s perspective?

These questions are as integral beneath the flag as any declaration.

Our Place in the Narrative

This is our current position.

A lineage being traced.

My mother’s research.

My own attempts to articulate experiences that hold significance for me.

Five kingdoms illustrated on a map.

Fifteen castles identified within the vision.

A proposed flag of white, green, and gold.

And the inception of a charter: a document to discuss, test, question, and refine.

There remains much that I do not yet know.

This is not a justification for fabricating the missing elements.

It is a call to keep searching.

They call me Goldie The Grey.

The gold requires explanation.

The grey is self-explanatory.

If you arrived here expecting a demand for a throne, you may have to settle for a family narrative, a proposed charter, and an ambitious map.

All of which began with the quest to find a suitable place to store and digitise my mother’s research.

Peace, Prosperity, Patience & Justice Under God.

As Above, So Below.

The Golden Dragon of Wales is Awake.