Many years ago King Gwrtheyrn was fighting against the Saxons. He decided to build a fort in a strategic place where he would be able to see the enemy from a distance. After a long search he found a suitable spot in Eryri, and so his men began to build the fort. By the end of the first day the fort had begun to take shape, but during the night the fort disappeared. The following day the same thing happened again, and on the third night. The King called his wise men together and asked for an explanation. One of the men answered; “If you wish to build a fort here in this place, you must first find a boy who lives on his own. You must kill him and scatter his blood over the land where the fort is to be built.” The King’s men immediately began to search for the young boy. After many days they found two boys hunting and arguing together. “It’s no wonder you live on your own,” said one of the boys, “no one would want to live with you.” When the soldiers heard this they seized the young boy and took him to the King. The King told the boy what the wise men had said, and that he would have to be killed. The boy was not frightened but asked to see the wise men. He took them to the spot where they had tried to build the fort and asked; “What is under these stones?” the wise men did not know what to say. No one could answer him. The boy told them that there was a lake under the stones, and when the soldiers began to dig they found this was true. When the boy was asked what was in the lake, he answered that there were two dishes in the lake, and in the two dishes were two tents. They found that this was also true, and in the two dishes were two sleeping Dragons. One was White the other Red. Suddenly they awoke and started fighting each other. In the beginning the White Dragon seemed to be stronger, but the Red Dragon retaliated and his sharp claws cut into the White Dragon’s flesh causing him to sink to the bottom of the lake. Gwrtheyrn could hardly believe his eyes, he asked for an explanation of what it could possibly mean. The boy replied; “The lake represents the world, the two tents are the two kingdoms-your kingdom and the Saxon kingdom. The white Dragon will attack the Red Dragon, but the Red Dragon will retaliate and conquer the White Dragon. This means that your soldiers will force the Saxons back to their own country, but if you wish to see this happen you must move from this place at once. Gwrtheyrn was very annoyed with his wise men for misleading him. He turned to the boy and said; “You are a very special boy, and I would like you to stay with me. But first I must know your name.” The boy replied “Myrddin Emrys.” That is how Myrddin Emrys became a wise man to King Gwrtheyrn and how the Red Dragon became the symbol on the Welsh flag. That is also how the saying “Y Ddraig goch ddyry cychwyn” (The Red Dragon gives impetus) began.
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