Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus! – Google celebrates St David’s Day for the 18th year

This article is old - Published: Tuesday, Mar 1st, 2022

Google`s iconic logo gets the annual St David’s Day makeover today marking the national celebration of the Welsh patron Saint.

Today’s Google Doodle is the latest in a long line of designs celebrating St. David’s Day on the search engine’s website dating back to 2004.

Google said: “In honor of St. David’s Day, known in Welsh as Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Sant, today’s Doodle is inspired by symbols of Welsh heritage and its ancient cultural legacy.”

Way, way back in the fifth century, a Celtic king named Vortigen discovered what he thought was the perfect place to build his castle on the Welsh hillside.

However, Myrddin Emrys (Merlin, the wizard) convinced Vortigen that there was a catch—a large fire-breathing one! The spot he had chosen was directly above the lair of two slumbering dragons; one red, one white.

Upon the castle’s construction, the two dragons were found in a fierce battle.

The red dragon emerged victorious and returned to rest in his subterranean lair, allowing Vortigen to complete the building of his fortress once the dust had settled.

The red dragon has since become an immortal symbol of the Welsh people and St. David’s Day, along with the daffodil which features on the Doodle artwork.

Although the tale of Dinas Emrys may sound like nothing but fantasy, a 1945 excavation of the site found remains of a fortress dating back to Vortigen’s time.

So take caution if you ever plan to venture to the ruins of Dinas Emrys… you may awaken a dragon.

Happy St. David’s Day!

Early drafts of the Doodle