Has anyone seen Sky 1’s new series Britannia? I endured 3 episodes before my love of history for the better of me, but in that time I noticed that when the stoner, face-painted, scantily-clad ‘ancient Britons’ were casting spells or some other indigenous spooky practice, they used a language which, if not actual Welsh (my recognition skills are as yet undeveloped) certainly had Welsh words in it. Was it Welsh, or some kind of Telly-Elvish with a few recognisable words thrown in for authenticity?
I gave up after seeing, Rhossili beach, quick run…path to Fall Bay, OK…wait, what?? They can’t do that in an area of Natural Beauty…oh I see, they are filming in lots of …But the Romans never even came to Gower, much less LANDED there! And who invented these customs? But, yes, Cymraeg was spoken briefly. No Latin that I noticed, but something else as well, I think! History? Rubbish! How did you stand 3 episodes?
There was bugger all else on telly, and I’m an eternal optimist. Plus I was waiting for an exp!anation as to why the Druids’ eyes were so unnaturally large and what was wrong with Mackenzie Crook’s face.
Can’t say for myself, as I don’t have Sky so don’t watch it, but apparently (thanks to Steve Powell on the SSiW FB page for saying so), it’s Welsh dialogue, albeit in a Danish accent, courtesy of Nikolaj Lie Kaas’s weird Druid Divis.
Ah, well done Nikolaj Lie Kaas, great Danish actor - who looks as if he’s having loads of fun with the role of the smelly druid outcast. So it IS real Welsh! Thank you Siaron!
'Twas very much Welsh, and very good to hear on a mainstream production as well. Could have done with a bit of fine tuning in places, but hey, that’s semantics innit!
I actually enjoyed this series immensely. There’s a lot of nonsense in it if course, quite 'Horrible Histories: esque in parts- but that’s part of the draw for me. The bloody bits are bloody, and the politics and empire building is immense.
I think the Butterworth brothers must be stoners though, because this is a great watch when you’re lit.
Series 4 please!