"Wales und die Waliser"

Name of traveller

Julius Rodenberg (1831-1914)

Reason for travel

• travelling as cultural tourist, self-improvement

Date of travel

autumn 1856

Das Wort "allman" ist in der walisischen Sprache dasselbe, was in der deutschen das Wort "welsch" ist; so daß die Schimpfnamen, welche sich die beiden feindlichen Nationen gaben, ihre historischen Namen geworden sind. (Rodenberg 151)

Content

• architecture:
  • small farm houses in north Wales similar to Swiss châlets
  • bridges across the Menai Strait praised as modern wonders of the world
• customs:
  • notes belief in fairies
  • no similar folk song tradition as in Ireland or Scotland owing to the professional character of the bardic tradition in Wales
  • relatively late development of popular penillion singing
  • harp as national instrument is omnipresent
  • notes general antiquity of folk customs and traditions
• literature:
  • ancient legends attached to specific locations
  • abundance of folk poetry and songs
• people:
  • general anglicisation of south Wales in contrast to retained Welsh-language culture in north Wales
  • character sketch of the Ladies of Llangollen, Eleanor Charlotte Butler (1739-1829) and Sarah Ponsonby (1755-1831)
  • reference to description of the Ladies of Llangollen in the travel account by Fürst von Pückler-Muskau (1785-1871)
• recreation:
  • lives with a family of smallholders
  • references Llandudno as seaside resort, especially for tourists from London
  • Llanberis established as base for Snowdon tours for great numbers of tourists
• territory:
  • sublime character and colourful beauty of north Wales mountains
  • mountains of north Wales responsible for the name "English Switzerland"
  • references difficulty of climbing Snowdon; great views from the summit
  • notes abundance of water in mountain areas and its impact on rich vegetation
  • southern, feminine character of area around Llangollen
  • mountain terrain serves as protective barrier for Welsh customs and traditions which have become endangered by new infrastructure and tourism
• transport:
  • reference to railway between Chester and Bangor along north Wales coast
  • abundance of donkeys and ponys for tours around Snowdon
• compare with detailed description of the same journey in an earlier monograph
• click here to read the full account

Nationality of traveller

German

Language of publication

German

Gender of traveller

Male

Type of publication

essay

Citation

Rodenberg, Julius. "Wales und die Waliser." Meyers Universum: Ein Jahrbuch für Freunde der Natur und Kunst mit Abbildungen der interessatesten Stätten der Erde. Ed. Hermann I. Meyer. 3rd vol Hildburghausen: Verlag des Bibliographischen Instituts, 1864. 149-55. Print.