I read a lot of historical romances (I mean…a LOT), but it’s
only recently occurred to me that there are very few Welsh heroes. We have
plenty of English dukes, earls and knights, Scottish lairds, Irish warriors,
Vikings, Roman tribunes and gladiators, but hardly any Welsh.
I can’t think why that should be, considering that, in my
opinion, Welsh men make the hottest heroes ever. For me, it’s got to be the
accent – just listening to those soft, melodic tones makes me want to close my
eyes and drift away. Admittedly, that makes it hard for me to hold a rational
conversation with a Welsh man…
Of course, a hero has to have more than a gorgeous voice. I
like a hero to be courageous, prepared to stand up for what he believes in,
fight for it if necessary. And, naturally, to protect those he loves. Here is
what Gerald of Wales, writing in 1188, says about the Welsh:
‘They anxiously study the defence of their country and their
liberty; for these they fight, for these they undergo hardships, and for these
willingly sacrifice their lives…’
As Bridget Jones would say – ding dong! These are the
qualities I have tried to give to Huw ap Goronwy, my very own Welsh Hero – the spy
of the King of Gwynedd.
In case I haven’t persuaded you, here are my top five Welsh
men for you to feast your eyes on. In no particular let me present to you:
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| 2. Luke Evans. If you want to know what I mean about the accent, watch him in his role as Bard the Bowman in The Hobbit. Also he’s dark, brooding, gorgeous. |
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| 3. Ioan Gruffudd. Dark, brooding, gorgeous. Yum! |
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| 4. Aneurin Barnard. Dark, brooding, gorgeous…beginning to see a pattern forming? |
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| 5. Andy Whitfield (who sadly died in 2011). He’s the closest in appearance to my Welsh hero, Huw ap Goronwy. When I was searching for a picture that I could put into my character page on Scrivener, the moment I saw him, I knew my search was ended. Huw’s colouring is slightly different, but the cheekbones and the strong brows are pure Huw. |
So what do you think? Have I persuaded you? If so, here’s
the begging bit – please read my chapter on the Mills and Boon blog and vote
for Huw!
The only way you can be certain of more Welsh heroes is to write them!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your first chapter btw. Whatever happens I hope you will submit it to HH editorial team...The fact that you made it thus far shows that they will want to see more. My fingers are crossed for you and your hero to go the distance.
My one minor problem with your chapter is that you name-checked a lot of men before actually introducing your hero. The reader always wants a name to glom on to....FWIW
Thanks, Michelle! Most of the heroes I've written so far are Welsh and I intend to keep writing more.
DeleteI did wonder about introducing other men before my hero. I'll remember that next time :)
Ioan Gruffud! Now you're talking Welsh heroes! As someone with a large percentage of Welsh blood (my birth name is Williams), I totally agree with you, Tora.
ReplyDeleteHe is yummy, isn't he. A friend of mine went to school with him - I'm so jealous of her!
DeleteI hadn't really thought about it, but you're right... Very few, if any, Welsh heroes spring to mind. I loved your chapter and am keeping my fingers crossed for you. I agree with Anne, Ioan Gruffud is yummy!
ReplyDeleteIt was Edith Pargeter's Brothers of Gwynedd Quartet that first got me hooked on Welsh history and heroes. I think Ioan Gruffudd would make a great Prince Llewelyn :)
DeleteOoh, thanks, Jan! I'll do my best to post about it tonight or tomorrow :)
ReplyDelete