It’s safe to say that Wales can be considered a nation of animal lovers; indeed, the 2021 National Survey for Wales revealed that 52% of Wales’s households own a pet. While this might be considered the norm these days, I was keen to find examples that showed different perspectives of our relationship with our animals.
On cats..
Firstly, the great T. Gwynn Jones (1871-1949) translated a great deal of Irish poetry into Welsh, which can be found in ‘Awen y Gwyddyl’. Readers can find his translated version of the 9th century poem ‘Pangur Bán’, in which a monk fondly writes that both he and the cat have found purpose and meaning in what they do- every day, the cat diligently catches mice, and the monk patiently hones his scribing skills.
Another example of affection towards our feline friends were a few lovely letters found in the Maxwell Fraser Papers sent to family members, where the travel book author ‘gives her regards’ (file O/51) to Joe the cat. Clearly, Joe had a firm place in her thoughts and affections, no matter where she was in the world.
On dogs..
Our most faithful friend, and for good reason. The Library has a great deal of items that highlight our relationship with canines, from the medieval illustrations in the Laws of Hywel Dda (Peniarth 28), to the much more modern archive of Clifford ‘Doggie’ Hubbard (1913-2000) Papers. A nickname never suited a man more, as he devoted his life’s work to the research on the care, breeding and history of dogs.
Additionally, a quirky sketch of a dog by the poet Dylan Thomas (1914-1953) has been digitized and can be found on our website.
And on everything in between
While not technically considered as pets, livestock have contributed towards shaping Welsh life for centuries, so it would be remiss of me to not to give them a mention. They have been deeply embedded in Welsh legal, economic, and cultural identity for centuries, and are a symbol of not only monetary value, but perhaps of emotional value too. An item which is a particular favourite of mine is this sheep register, which shows hand-drawn illustrations of sheep and their unique earmarks in the Port Talbot area, 1930-1940.
The NLW Catalogue has so many items on animals and pets, it’s hard to narrow down to a short blog. There are hundreds of photos, archives, artworks, and printed material that celebrate our relationship with animals; take a look and see what you discover.
Sources: Welsh Government, ‘National Survey for Wales early data: April to June 2021’.
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