Two familiar faces will trace their family history asking the question, ‘Am I a Celt?’.
Dewi Prysor feels firmly rooted to his local area in North Wales and feels strongly that his land and language are essential to his identity. He is also convinced he belongs to a tradition and family dating back to a time before the Romans arrived in Wales and that he is a Celt. Author Catrin Dafydd also considers herself a Celt, with her family coming from North and West Wales and Bardsey Island. But she also defines herself in more modern terms as ‘Welsh European’.
The programme follows Catrin and Dewi as they question a number of experts about the idea of being a Celt. They witness ‘Celtic’ events and take a ground-breaking DNA test which will establish their genetic heritage through science.
“I’m fairly sure I go back to the ancient Britons because my dad’s family have been in the Traws, Harlech and Llanuwchllyn areas for generations,” says Dewi Prysor. “But Edward I spent a night in Prysor Castle, just 500 yards from my childhood home. I wonder whether he had his wicked way with any of the local women? It’d create a hell of a stir if I turned out to be related to him.”
“The idea of genetic heritage has always appealed to me,” says Catrin Dafydd. “I think that a lot of people, particularly in the modern age, are searching for an anchor – a feeling of belonging.”
But turning to the world of science, the results of the DNA are a cause of great amazement for both Dewi and Catrin.
© 2008 S4C
O Gymru / Made in Wales