Swansea(PART 2 OF 3)
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan.
Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands.
Swansea had a population of 169,880 in 2001 and is the second most populous city in Wales after Cardiff and the third most populous county in Wales after Cardiff and Rhondda Cynon Taf.
During its 19th century industrial heyday, Swansea was one of the key centres of the world copper industry, earning the nickname 'Copperopolis'.
History
Archaeological finds are mostly confined to the Gower Peninsula, and include items from the Stone Age, Bronze Age, and Iron Age.
The Romans visited the area, as did the Vikings.
Swansea is thought to have originally developed as a Viking trading post.
Some think that its name is derived from Sveinn's island (Old Norse: Sveinsey) – the reference to an island may refer to a bank at the mouth of the river Tawe, or perhaps an area of raised ground in marshes.
An alternative explanation is that the name derives from the Norse name 'Sweyn' and 'ey', which can mean inlet.
The name is pronounced Swans-y /ˈswɒnzi/), not Swan-sea.
The Welsh name first appears in Welsh poems at the beginning of the 13th century, as "Aber Tawy".
The earliest known form of the modern name is Sweynesse, which was used in the first charter granted sometime between 1158–1184 by William de Newburgh, 3rd Earl of Warwick.
The charter gave Swansea the status of a borough, granting the townsmen, called burgesses certain rights to develop the area.
A second charter was granted in 1215 by King John.
In this charter, the name appears as Sweyneshe.
The town seal which is believed to date from this period names the town as Sweyse.
Following the Norman Conquest, a marcher lordship was created under the title of Gower.
It included land around Swansea Bay as far as the River Tawe, the manor of Kilvey beyond the Tawe, and the peninsula itself.
Swansea was designated chief town of the lordship and received a borough charter some time between 1158 and 1184.
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SOURCE: Swansea,
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
You know what?...My Welsh given name is "Myfanwy."
Really?
Yes, it is. As you know, I always jot down "Myfanwy" in my mail. so I thought you figured it out.
No, I didn't. I thought that "Myfanwy" was your handle name. So you're a Welsh-Canadian, aren't you?
Yes, I am. By the way, Kato, how come you call her "Madame Taliesin"?
A good question, Diane...There is a theme park called "Karuizawa Taliesin" in Karuizawa. She loves and visits the park quite often. So I call her "Madame Taliesin."
Karuizawa Taliesin
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I see. Then how come the theme park is called "Karuizawa Taliesin" in the first place?
In Middle Welsh, "Taliesin" means "shining brow." In the Celtic mythology, Taliesin also means a wise man, who is related to a fairy, called "Taliesin", who promoted the art. Frank Lloyd Wright, an American architect, called his work place "Taliesin" and produced a lot of creative works. Sympathetic to the architect's idea, the creator of the theme park in Karuizawa also called his park "Karuizawa Taliesin" and wanted to make it as a base for new cultural power.
It's a long story, huh?
Yes, it is. You know what, Diane? You can see the same kind of facility in Swansea.
What is it?
It is called Taliesin Arts Centre.
Taliesin Arts Centre
The Taliesin Arts Centre is owned and managed by the University of Wales, Swansea and is located on the university campus. The venue hosts a broad programme of events including cinema screenings, an average of ten visiting exhibitions per year, and a variety of live performances, from dance and drama to jazz and world music. Taliesin Arts Centre also houses the Egypt Centre. The two-storey gallery contains an important collection of antiquities from Ancient Egypt.
The Taliesin provides a service to both students and the people of Swansea and acts as a regional centre. Performers in recent years have included Jamie Cullum, Clare Teal, Billy Cobham and Paco Pena.
In addition to hosting regular touring exhibitions, the Taliesin’s Oriel Ceri Richards Gallery also stocks a range of greetings cards as well as jewellery, ceramics and other craft items, and includes a café bar.
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SOURCE: Taliesin Arts Centre,
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Wow!... Taliesin seems prevailing all over the world, doesn't it?
Yes, indeed, it looks like it.
Kato, you're telling me about my ancestors, aren't you?
Yes, I am. Your forefather was a bard just like Taliesin, and liked to stroll in the Welsh woods with a lovely fairy.
What makes you think so?
'Cause you wore a fairy costume on the night of Halloween. Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ...
(To be continued)