Golden Dragon of Wales Rises Once More

Immerse yourself in the vibrant heritage of Wales, explore the meaning behind the golden dragon, and envision a transformative future that encompasses five kingdoms, fifteen castles, and a modern charter inspired by the Laws of Hywel Dda.

Bringing Together Five Kingdoms: The Golden Dragon as Our Central Symbol

I am known as Goldie The Grey.

The reference to gold warrants further explanation, while the grey is quite apparent.

So, what’s the story behind that golden dragon?

A captivating tale is ready to unfold. Grab your favourite drink—whether it’s coffee, tea, or something a bit stronger. Sit back, relax, and allow yourself to be enveloped by the visions I present through my storytelling.

Starting the Journey of Discovery

Many may expect the adventure to begin with a sword, an ancient prophecy, or a shadowy figure emerging on a tempestuous night.

My personal journey commenced with the responsibility of digitising my mother’s paperwork for future generations.

That’s quite a task, wouldn’t you say?

Family documents often morph into something more than just paper. A name becomes a question. A branch evolves into a journey. Before long, you find yourself gazing at a family tree, pondering how much of your identity you understood before embarking on this quest.

Eventually, the story expanded beyond merely securing my mother’s documents.

Uncovering the Names that Link Us

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

This connection holds great significance. Researching these generations is crucial because a family tree signifies more than a simple link between a king and a modern descendant.

There are countless individuals between us.

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

People whose lives deserve more than a brief mention on the road to an illustrious name.

I long to learn about them as well.

I want to make room for family stories that cannot be neatly captured in a chart.

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

A House Rich in Diverse Traditions

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

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

Not everyone would use the same vocabulary. Each generation may have interpreted these concepts differently.

I do not suggest that every ancestor left behind documentation proving their unique gifts.

My mother already had more than enough paperwork to contend with.

Yet, these terms form part of the language through which I understand our family: love, intuition, mystical practices, inspiration, care, and experiences that often require more time to articulate than to perceive.

I can share these stories without expecting every person to interpret them in the same way.

They deserve to be heard on their own terms.

Finding My Own Expression

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 need their own telling. I do not wish to cloak them in borrowed mystery or imply that I have simplified something merely by labelling it mystical.

This space allows for belief.

This space also welcomes questions.

In sharing this narrative, I aim to distinguish between what I remember, what my family has shared with me, what I can verify, and what I perceive through my own mystical experiences.

The golden dragon can embody deep significance without serving as absolute proof of everything.

Owning My Kingdom

So, before anyone gets 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 take shape on the map.

Gwynedd.

Powys.

Seisyllwg.

Then Dyfed and Gwent.

Five Names, Five Colours: Envisioning a Unified Wales

This map originated from an interest in Rhodri’s realm. The dialogue goes beyond mere history.

The family narrative extends beyond the initial three coloured areas. As it grew, so too did the vision.

It is 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 expressed through narrative and art. Its borders outline 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 Guardian Dragon

Then the castles came into view.

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

Fifteen castles became our initial landmarks.

These are not the only castles in Wales, nor do they define 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 under the watchful eye of the golden dragon.

This is how we position them within the narrative; not by suggesting that they were all built by our ancestors, nor that their histories began with us. Each castle holds 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 uncharted connection. Some may serve as spaces for reflection, allowing us to consider what we wish the next chapter of Wales to embody.

Naming them brings the vision closer.

You can mention “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 transform into a realm you can navigate.

This is all well and good.

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

We are tackling one responsibility at a time.

The Flag that Unites 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 declaration.

• 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 Symbolise?

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 mean 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 Modern 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 contemporary charter grounded in that legacy, carefully 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.

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 Position 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.