St. David's Day Programmes

Radio Record, Volume VI, Issue 33, 24 February 1933, Page 23

St. David's Day Programmes

The Welsh National Emblem

Bors 2YA and 3YA are celebrating St. David’s Day with special programmes. Next Tuesday 2YA will broadeast a musical and historical tour of Wales, with Mr. Rees-Jones, President of the Welsh Society of New Zealand, as narrator, while on Wednesday 3YA will present a special commemorative programme. Various reasons are assigned by a Welsh for wearing the leek on St. David's Day. Some affirm it to be in memory of a great victory obtained over the Saxons. It is said that, during the conflict, the Welshmen, by ordér of St. David, put leeks into their

hats to distinguish themselves from their enemies. To quote the Cambria of Rolt, 1753 :- Tradition’s tale Recounting tells how famed Menevia's priest Marshalled his Britons, and the Saxon host Discomfited: how the green leek his bands Distinguished, since by Britons annual worn, — Commemorates their tutelary saint. In the Diverting Post 1705, we have the following lines :+- "Why, on St. David’s Day, do W elshmen seck To beautify their hat with verdant leek Of naysecous smell? For honour ‘tis hur say, "Dulee et decorun est pro patria’~ Right, Sir, to die or fight it is, I think? But how ist Dulce, when you for it stink? Shakespeare makes the wearing of the leek to have originated at the battle of Cressy. In the play of "Henry Vv." Fluellin, addressing the monarch, says :- "Your grandfather, of famous memory, an’t please your majesty, and your great uncle, Hdward the Black Prince of Wales, as I have read in the chron-

icles, fought a most prave patile here in France. King: "They did, Fluellin!" Fluellin: "Your Majesty says yery true; if your Majesty is remembered of it, the Welshman did goot service in a garden where lecks did grow: wearing leeks in their Monmouth caps. which your Majesty knows to this hour is an honourable padge of the service; and I do believe your Majesty takes no scorn to wear leek upon St, David’s Day." The obseryance of St. David's Day was long countenanced by royalty. Eyen sparing Wenry VII. could disburse two pounds among Welshmen ou their saint’s anniversary; and among the household expenses of the Princess Mary for 1544, is an entry of a gift of fifteen shillings to the’ Yeomen of the © King’s Guard for bringing a leek to Her Grace on St. David's Day. Mission, alluding to the custom of wearing the leek, records that His Majesty William IIT. was compluisant . enough to bear his Welsh subjects conpany, and two years later we find the following paragraph in "The Flying Post" (1699) :-"Yesterday, being St. David’s Day, the King, according to custom, wore a leek in honour of the Ancient .Britons, the same being pregented to him by the sergeant-porter. whose place it is, and for which he claims the clothes His Majesty wore that day; the courtiers in imitation of His Majesty wore leeks also." We cannot say now us Hierome Por. ter said in 1682, "that it is sufficient theme for a jealous Welshman to ground a quarrel against him that doth not honour his cap" with the leek on St. David's Day; our modern headdress is too ill-adapted for such verdant decorations to allow of their being worn, even if the national sentiment wus as vigorous as ever; but gilt leeks are still carried in procession by the Welsh branches of Friendly Societies, and the national badge may be seen decoratine the mantelpiece of Welsh houses on the anniversary of the patron saint of the Principality. Whatever may be the conflicting opinions on the origin of wearing the leek in Wales, it is certain that this yegetable appears to have been a favourite dish with Welshmen as far back as we enn trace their history. In Caxton’s "Description of Wales," speaking of the Maners and Rytes of the Welshmen. he says :-- They have gruell to potage. And leekes kynde to companage. As also :- Atte mecte, and after eke. Her solace is salt and leekr, | Worlidge mentions the love of the Welsh for this alliaceous food. "I have seen the greater part of a garden there stored with leeks, and part of the remainder with onions and garlic." Owen, in his "Cambrian Biography," 1803, observes that the symbol of the leek, attributed to St. David, probably originated from the custom of Cymhortha, when the farmers, assisting each other in ploughing, brought their lecks to aid the eominon repast.

Perhaps the linglish, if not the "Welsh, reader will pardon us for expressing our inclination to believe that: the custom has no romauti¢c origin ‘whatever, but merely sprung up in allusion to the prominence of the leek in the cuisine of the Welsh people,