Tynged yr Iaith facts for kids

Tynged yr Iaith (meaning "The Fate of the Language") was a very important radio talk given in Welsh by Saunders Lewis. He gave this talk on 13 February 1962. It caused big changes in the way people thought about politics in Wales.

Many people believe this talk was the main reason for starting Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg (the Welsh Language Society). This society began a time of "direct action" to help the Welsh language. Direct action means taking peaceful steps like protests or sit-ins to make a change. The talk also made the movement for the Welsh language separate from general Welsh politics.

The talk led to many important things happening for the Welsh language:

• The creation of Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg.
• Peaceful protests against offices, road signs, and TV masts.
• Efforts to create more Welsh-language schools.
• Giving extra support to the Welsh language.
• Using a special method (like the Israeli model) to help adults learn Welsh.
• The creation of the Secretary of State for Wales in 1964.
• The Welsh Language Act 1967, which gave more rights to the Welsh language.
• The start of S4C, a Welsh-language TV channel.
• A big increase in Welsh books, films, and music.

The Important Radio Talk

Saunders Lewis's talk, Tynged yr Iaith, was part of the BBC Welsh Region's yearly radio lectures in 1962. You could also get it as an LP record (you can hear a part of it here). It was also printed as a small book.

Lewis gave his talk before the results of the 1961 census about Welsh language use were known. He thought the numbers would be "shocking and disappointing." He believed that if things didn't change, Welsh would stop being a living language around the year 2000.

Welsh Language History

In his talk, Lewis looked back at the history of the Welsh language. He talked about the Act of Union in 1535. This law made English the official language for law and government in Wales. Lewis felt that the government wanted to get rid of Welsh. He also said that if Welsh people disagreed, their voices were not heard.

He mentioned the "Blue Books" from 1847. These were reports about education in Wales. They criticized the Welsh language and Nonconformist religion. Lewis agreed with one part that said Welsh speakers moving to cities couldn't get ahead because of their language. He felt that industrial areas didn't add much new to Welsh culture or literature.

Lewis said that even though the "Blue Books" made people angry, nothing was done. He felt that Wales, especially the Nonconformist churches, accepted the reports' ideas. He thought that in the late 1800s, Welsh could have been used more in schools and government. But by 1962, he believed it was too late for that.

A Call for Action

Lewis then talked about the situation in 1962. He said the government no longer saw the Welsh language as a threat. In fact, they could even support both Welsh and English. But Lewis saw this as just a way for Welsh to "die a respectable and peaceful death."

He believed that if Wales truly demanded Welsh to be an official language like English, the strongest opposition would come from within Wales itself. He also spoke about the Tryweryn valley being flooded. He said the government saw how weak Welsh Wales was and didn't worry about it anymore. They left language issues to local Welsh councils.

The Beasley Family's Stand

This led Lewis to talk about Trefor and Eileen Beasley from Llangennech. Between 1952 and 1960, they refused to pay their local taxes. They wanted their tax bills to be in Welsh. In 1951, 84% of people in their area spoke Welsh. All the local council members and staff were Welsh speakers. After an eight-year fight, where their furniture was taken three times, they finally got bilingual tax demands.

Lewis saw the Beasley family's actions as a good example for the future. But he added that this kind of action would only work in areas where many people spoke Welsh. He suggested making it impossible for local and national government to work without using Welsh. He called this a "revolution" for areas where Welsh was spoken every day.

What Happened Next

Historian Gwyn Alf Williams said that Lewis's talk had different effects. Many middle-class people, both English and Welsh speakers, became very keen to support the language. However, he also felt that applying language policies everywhere made some English-speaking working-class people feel left out. He thought this feeling contributed to the "No" vote in the 1979 Welsh devolution referendum. In that vote, people's opinions were often divided by language.

In 1976, Clive Betts pointed out that the language movement was spreading its efforts too widely. He said they were ignoring Lewis's idea that action should only happen in Welsh-speaking areas, known as the Bro Gymraeg. He suggested a policy like the one in Quebec, Canada, for these specific Welsh-speaking areas, just as Lewis had proposed.