Engedi 2.0 — Something unexpected is stirring in the West

The Techies are heralding the dawn of a new era. A new paradigm of decentralised economics that will change fundamentally the way the world works. While we reach new heights of technical achievement, in parallel our physical economy is highly unsustainable and the planet is at the brink of systemic environmental collapse. This article is about a thread of ancient culture that’s held strong for thousands of years and how it’s now being woven into a vision for a state-of-the-art high-tech sustainable region in rural Gwynedd.

Snowdonia was an inspiration to Tolkien

Way out west, beyond the green valleys and misty mountains of Snowdonia, out where the Menai Strait broadens before opening to the Irish sea, nestled on the mainland bank is the castle town of Caernarfon. The only royal town in Wales, Caernarfon has a deep and interesting history that stretches back beyond 2000 years to the time of the ancient kings of Britain.

Môn, the sacred Island of Gaul, lies on the other side of narrow strait. 2000 Years ago this is where the Druids made their last stand against the Roman war machine. Priests of an ancient nature religion, they were the common cultural element that united the various regional tribes, and now it was end-game. The Roman forces were poised to eradicate the threat of Celtic uprising. Roads, coins, sophisticated weaponry and merciless military tactics were all alien to the Celts, and across Europe their people were being sucked into the new centralised slave-economy centred on Rome.

In AD 60, the remaining Druids, alongside local warriors, stood defiant on the banks of Môn. Thanks to Tacitus and Roman record keeping, we know that dark haired women brandishing flaming brands ran howling and casting spells on the Roman soldiers, such that they “stood frozen”. Was this maybe the last indigenous matriarchy of Europe? We may never know, however, they were certainly a force to be reckoned with.

The first assault was a shock defeat for Rome and caused considerable upset. The need for new forces and a second attack lead to an uprising with Boudica ransacking Londinium and much of Roman Britain. Though it ran close, Nero was determined, and the second assault brought the final solution. Genocide, and the destruction of the sacred groves of Môn. Their wisest were now gone. Despite overwhelming numbers Boudica’s forces suddenly collapsed and Rome would control Britain for another three hundred years.

Impression of a druid from the limited historical descriptions

The druids lefts no written tradition, and scarcely any artifacts. Only a few ancient monuments remain. However some will claim their wisdom and magic was not destroyed. Hidden from the world, but not lost. Despite English becoming the dominant global language, and the centuries of political and economic oppression, a remarkable and resilient culture has endured to this day in Wales which still retains its own unique and ancient language, the oldest in Europe.

Today the battle of empire is a battle of global market share, ideology and financial war. Subjugation and competition brought us many wonders, even as they have brought our species to the brink of catastrophe. Perhaps this most remarkable, resilient and unassuming of cultures has more to offer the global conversation than we might think.

It was not until the time of Constantine that the Roman Empire began to adopt Christianity, whereas before he was born, even before his father came to Britain, Wales had already embraced it. In time, Rome’s armies retreated and the Anglo-Saxons, followed by the Normans took charge of England. Imperial might was replaced with the softer power of Catholicism. Wales remained a threat to be suppressed and only centuries later, after the War of the Roses, did a Welsh house rise to take the English throne. The House of Tudor, whose origins are on Môn, united England and Wales into a single kingdom. They also decided that this new Britain could again interpret its own God, as well as manage its own information and cast off the yoke of Roman religion. It was the 16th Century. The world had become round and the great age of global exploration began.

It’s worth knowing the Welsh word for “sail” is used throughout the language in many beautiful metaphors. To wish someone “big-sail”, is the way to wish good-bye, and by the way also means “big-fun”. What magic this land of Merlin played on the high seas to influence Britain’s destiny is unclear, since much of what shaped the world in the ages of privateers happened on a ‘deniable basis’. That the ancient Celts were strong sailors is as clear from the language as from the distribution remaining Celtic enclaves across the peninsulas of north west Europe. Perhaps this culture of sailing and the yearning for freedom from imperialism is what made the Welsh amongst the greatest pirates of the age.

By the end of the Tudor dynasty, the red haired Elizabeth had asserted it was the Welsh who first discovered America, centuries before Columbus. She had made deals with Pirates, and permitted the Welsh to have a bible in their own language. When all the naval might of Catholic Spain was thrown against her, the spirit of the sea was firmly with her and Spain was ruined. Britain went on to rule the waves and the world, ushering in a new Global age largely though naval might.

Today our world is in the process of globalising. Since WWII, only nations with the power to unleash massive nuclear strikes, and trigger mutually assured destruction, can really be assured of their absolute sovereignty. Geopolitical reality, even in the Western block, is that those that don’t must be deferent to one of the major powers to protect their economic interests. While the call for freedom still burns defiantly in the hearts of many, Welsh is an enduring culture that has never sought dominion over others. A Wales that either uses the British Pounds created by the Bank of England, or Euros from the European Central Bank, could hardly call itself independent. The clear fact is that global warming is the greatest threat to the people of Wales, and the most valuable independence is to freedom to structure the economy in a way that best safeguards the survival of the people.

Through history, Wales has often secured its survival through compromise. Nations remain powerful concepts, but as the old paradigm of imperial domination and competing nation states fails to further serve humanity, can Wales now leverage its commitment to the Union with England and be in exchange granted the freedom to develop itself in a sustainable way. Even if just the amount Wales contributes to the British military was directed into sustainable technology and infrastructure, the nation could prosper and go on to lead the world in developing sustainability.

Welsh flag — image from Walesonline.co.uk

For centuries the red dragon has been a powerful symbol of Wales. Similar to the Greek god Pan, the dragon has also been associated with the forces of nature and the occult, and has been made into a demon by a Christianity that was also an imperial oppressor. For what reason it is not clear, but the Welsh dragon was not incorporated into the Union Jack flag, and Wales’ contribution to the British Union is often overlooked when British culture is being exported. Wales’ official national brand marketing budget was indeed never very large, so that there are many overseas today who are surprised to learn about this small and mythic nation.

Wales has the cultural strength to take a lead in the development of a peaceful and sustainable future. In Caernarfon the dragon flies proud above Edward’s castle on the Welsh National flag, a symbol of the spirit of the resilience of indigenous Welsh culture. The flag of England is that of St. George, the dragon slayer. Today, there are sustainability visionaries in Wales who question whether the red dragon of Wales was ever slain, or was only hiding and is now ready to re-emerge and lead Britain in a green economy revolution.

In Caernarfon there is an important Chapel called Engedi where the the first meeting were held that led to the establishment of a Welsh speaking colony in Patagonia, South America, aptly named in Welsh, Y Wladfa, which translates as ‘the little country’.. In spite of significant adversity, there too the language has endured, and is still spoken today.

An abandon Chapel in Caernarfon is being reclaimed as a home for Art, Technology and Sustainability

In recent years the chapel has fallen into disrepair, however, now a group of Social Entrepreneurs have acquired the building and are embarking on a revolutionary cultural project. Engedi 2.0 seeks to embody the ancient spirit of Welsh culture through catalysing a local revolution in high-technology, sustainable, decentralised green economy. The project was conceived by the creativity accelerator Astralship.org, it will employ state of the art methods, and boldly promises to foster technology start ups, nurture the local green economy and a spirit of knowledge sharing. The project will lead with art and culture, it aims to resolve ancient cultural conflict and invite the world, including the English, to share in the beauty of Welsh language.

The project is still in its infancy, but is planning to launch a crowd funding campaign later this year.