Celtic origins
Originally, along with the Celtic people, Druidism ruled Wales. The druids and their long white toga have a strong link with nature. Nature must be respected as the source of all energy. They may be monotheists or pantheists, believing that everything is God, God is everything. They believe in the immortality of the soul, in reincarnation. We're part of the cosmos, part of a whole, both male and female, both good and evil. Thunder, moon and sun are venerated, as are mountains, rivers... Harmony between all is advocated. In Wales, the island of Anglesey is most associated with the druids. The best-known Druid is certainly Merlin. Diviciacos, on the other hand, is the only druid of antiquity whose existence has been historically confirmed. He played a major role with Julius Caesar and Cicero in 57 B.C. He was the political leader of the Aedui, the most powerful Celtic people of the time. The Aedui were notably based in France, in the present-day regions of Saône-et-Loire, Côte d'Or..
But little by little, Druidism disappeared, giving way to a strong evangelization at the beginning of the 5th century, under the impetus of solitary monks: Celtic Christianity. This branch of Christianity began in Ireland in 43 with Saint Patrick, and officially ended in Brittany in 818. One of the effects of the spread of Christianity was the development of writing and literature. Oral traditions gave way to written ones. This period saw the birth of Saint David, who would later become the patron saint of Wales. He was one of the first monks to preach the word of Christ among the Celtic tribes. As he drank neither wine nor beer, he was called Dewi Ddyfrwr, meaning "David, he who drinks only water". He also founded a monastery in the Pembrokeshire town of St Davids. In 1181, St Davids Cathedral was built on the site of the monastery, which had been destroyed many times.
The rise of the Methodist Church
The Methodist Church is a branch of Protestantism. It was founded in 1729 by two Oxford theologians, John and Charles Wesley. They are also called "Methodists" for the spirit of method and regularity they have in their religious practices. Preaching the Word of God is important.
The 17th century saw the arrival of religious texts translated into Welsh, even if mores retained the imprint of the Druidic era. Schools were established in which catechism was taught in both Welsh and English. Later, itinerant Methodist schools traversed the Welsh countryside to educate farmers. Soon, half the Welsh population was literate. By the mid-18th century, the Methodists had succeeded where the Anglicans had failed: educating the Welsh masses. The Methodist Church, born of a schism with the Anglican Church, became a cultural meeting place and rallying point for the Welsh people.
The majority of Welsh people are non-conformist Protestants. Calvinist Methodism remains the most developed branch, especially in Welsh-speaking areas. The Welsh Church, a member of the Anglican Communion, has its own bishops. It is the only Anglican church in the UK to allow women to become bishops, since September 2013. There is a sizeable Catholic minority in the north-east of the country. The church has long been a rallying point and a source of strength, especially in the 19th century, at the height of mining, where a small chapel was always improvised.
