Song Note

• Song by Traditional
• Country of origin: Wales
• The lyrics to 'Men of Harlech' are said to tell the story of the seven-year siege of Harlech Castle during the War of The Roses. However, and perhaps more crucially for the Welsh, it has also been associated with 1408 siege of Harlech Castle when Welsh leader Owain Glyndŵr and his troops tried to hold out against the future Henry V of England. A story about the fight against the English and the need for self-determination that still evokes the same sentiment today.
• The earliest record of the published tune dates back to 1794. It was published that year, without words, in the second edition of The Musical and Poetical Relicks of the Welsh Bards. The words, meanwhile, were first published in 1830.

Folk song references:

• Roud-5512