The Welsh have an endearing habit of linking famous people with a Welsh heritage.
"Look at Nelson Mandela" they will say: "His granddad was from Merthyr Tydfil"
Or, even less probably: "Mother Theresa was Welsh, her family moved to Albania when she was two years old".
I have long become accustomed to such claims which, a Welsh friend claims, are a product of an insecure nation. He can say that, I could not possibly.
But now, it seems, an English author has lodged a claim that fairly and squarely (if true) places Wales on the map.
According to Michael Clark, Joseph of Arimathea is buried in Cardiff, capital city of Wales.
England also has a claim to Joseph of Arimathea who, allegedly, travelled to Glastonbury where he rammed his staff into the ground, whereupon it took root and is now known as 'the Glastonbury Thorn'.
Joseph was, of course, a trader and it seems highly likely that he did undertake voyages from time to time; but whether he made land in England or Wales is still, I suspect, a matter for conjecture.
But Mr Clark claims that Joseph's body is intact and located at the ruined chapel of St Mary, in Bute Park, Cardiff.
Furthermore, he also believes that Joseph was known in Wales as 'St Ilid' and that he founded a church at Llanelid, near Pencoed (if he indeed went to Pencoed he would have been lucky to leave with a coat on his back).
His claims are made in his book 'Maelgwyn of Llandaff and Joseph of Arimathea'.
Meanwhile, we labour on, happy in the knowledge that William Shakespeare, Albert Schweitzer, Abraham Lincoln, Robin of Locksley, Clark Kent, Alexander the Great, Elvis Presley and Alexander Fleming all had Welsh blood in them!
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| Elvis Presley aka Elvis Evans |
"Look at Nelson Mandela" they will say: "His granddad was from Merthyr Tydfil"
Or, even less probably: "Mother Theresa was Welsh, her family moved to Albania when she was two years old".
I have long become accustomed to such claims which, a Welsh friend claims, are a product of an insecure nation. He can say that, I could not possibly.
But now, it seems, an English author has lodged a claim that fairly and squarely (if true) places Wales on the map.
According to Michael Clark, Joseph of Arimathea is buried in Cardiff, capital city of Wales.
England also has a claim to Joseph of Arimathea who, allegedly, travelled to Glastonbury where he rammed his staff into the ground, whereupon it took root and is now known as 'the Glastonbury Thorn'.
Joseph was, of course, a trader and it seems highly likely that he did undertake voyages from time to time; but whether he made land in England or Wales is still, I suspect, a matter for conjecture.
But Mr Clark claims that Joseph's body is intact and located at the ruined chapel of St Mary, in Bute Park, Cardiff.
Furthermore, he also believes that Joseph was known in Wales as 'St Ilid' and that he founded a church at Llanelid, near Pencoed (if he indeed went to Pencoed he would have been lucky to leave with a coat on his back).
His claims are made in his book 'Maelgwyn of Llandaff and Joseph of Arimathea'.
Meanwhile, we labour on, happy in the knowledge that William Shakespeare, Albert Schweitzer, Abraham Lincoln, Robin of Locksley, Clark Kent, Alexander the Great, Elvis Presley and Alexander Fleming all had Welsh blood in them!
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