American creator explains their ‘obsession’ with Cymru

An American content creator known for her medieval and fantasy-inspired posts has explained her fascination with Wales in a viral video.

Camdyn Alys, who posts under the handle @Thatgirlfromavalon, regularly shares images in knight’s armour as well as information about Arthurian and other medieval legends.

Avalon is an island that features in legends of King Arthur, where his sword Excalibur was forged. In some writings it is said to be ruled by King Arthur’s sister, Morgan.

Though Avalon is thought to be in modern-day Somerset, many of Camdyn Alys’s social media pictures were taken in Wales, and are often accompanied by a reference to King Arthur, a Welsh flag, or even a brief phrase in Welsh.

The Alaska-based creator, who has 102k followers on Instagram, recently took to the site to answer the frequently-asked question: “Avalon girl, why are you so obsessed with Wales? Or Cymru?”

Camdyn Alys said the main reason is that King Arthur is considered to have hailed from Wales.

“Before we get into that,” she explains, “you should know that the word Wales actually comes from the Saxon colonisers’ word for foreigners.

“In case you forgot, the Saxons were this group of people from the area of Saxony, Germany, that came over around the 5th or 6th century and fought a whole bunch of battles against the indigenous people who were there, as well as some of the leftover Romans.

“And considering the earliest literature we have about Arthur is his life’s work being to drive out the Saxons, I think he’d prefer it. Cymru.”

She goes on to point to early Welsh literature as evidence for the link, referencing texts in which Arthur appears as a warrior figure associated with battles against the Saxons.

“The earliest thing we have about him comes from the Welsh poem Y Gododdin, where he is briefly mentioned as a warrior, not specifically Saxons. Then after that, we have Nennius’ Historia Britonum, where he is specifically talked about defeating Saxons.

“And then after that, we have everybody’s favourite, The History of the Kings of Britain by Geoffrey of Monmouth, where [Arthur] is again talked about defeating Saxons. That’s actually where we have these cool red dragons from.

“Arthur represents the red dragon, the Saxons represent a white dragon. It’s also still the dragon that’s on the Welsh flag today. And kind of their national symbol.”

The creator then shows off her fluffy Welsh dragon teddy which she picked up in Caerleon on a visit to Wales, as well as her two Welsh flags which appear in the background of the video and feature across many of her atmospheric images.

Y Ddraig Goch, now the national flag of Wales, was officially adopted in 1959. However, the Welsh kings of Aberffraw are said to have used the dragon in the fifth century to display their power in the wake of the Roman withdrawal.

Geoffrey of Monmouth associated the dragon with Arthur in the 1120s, writing that Myrddin prophesied a centuries-long battle between a red dragon and a white dragon, the Welsh and the Saxons, respectively.

 

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A post shared by Camdyn Alys (@thatgirlfromavalon)

She continues: “Oh, and I almost forgot, we also have Annales Cambriae, which talks about him carrying around a cross on his back for three days before fighting a battle against the Saxons, the Battle of Badon. It’s a lovely scene to think about.

“There’s also all sorts of other Welsh folklore. We have Culhwch and Olwen, which even though it was written down later, there’s evidence to suggest it was much older. It was probably an oral story that people told.

“So all that to say, we have it on fairly good authority that Arthur would have been from, and they’ve claimed him, the area which is now modern Cymru.

“Maybe he wasn’t from the specific geographic area of modern-day Cymru, but that border has been pushed back significantly since his time. And in theory, if he really did do the things that people said he did, it was pushed back significantly after he died.

“So anyways, if you love King Arthur, remember that it is a legend from Cymru, and do something Welsh in your life. Diolch yn fawr.”

Welsh users took to the comments to share their gratitude for the creator’s enthusiasm, with one writing: “I’ve never seen an American obsessed with Wales before. It’s beautiful.”

Another added: “As a proud Welshman, it’s wonderful to see a foreigner so enthusiastic about Cymru! We are a small, ancient, and truly beautiful nation. Thank you for sharing our history, mythology, and language. Diolch yn fawr iawn! Cymru am byth!”

Camdyn Alys also received praise for her use of Welsh, as a commenter shared: “It’s a shame Arthur has become twisted and thought of as an English legend around the world, but with more people like yourself sharing, hopefully others will learn. I’ve learned a lot myself in the last few years too! Da iawn (Well done) on the Cymraeg! Diolch yn fawr!”

To follow more of Camdyn Alys’s battles, you can find her on Instagram and Facebook. Ave Dux Artorius!