How to pronounce Eryri, Bannau and Brycheiniog as national parks focus on Welsh place names

The Brecon Beacons National Park has announced it is to change its name from Monday, April 17, so that it is officially known only by its Welsh name – Parc Cenedlaethol Bannau Brycheiniog.

The change comes into force on the 66th anniversary of the area being designated a national park. It will be known as “Y Bannau” for short, going forward.

Park bosses say the change is to reflect a commitment to Welsh culture, language and heritage and in direct response to the planet’s ongoing climate and ecological crisis. Bannau means ‘peaks’ and Brycheiniog refers to the old kingdom of Wales’ fifth century ruler, Brychan. The park’s managers said the present name – referencing wood-burning, carbon-emitting beacons – no longer fitted the park’s eco ethos, hence the rebrand, reports WalesOnline.

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The change comes after another Welsh national park decided to use its Welsh name last year. In November 2022, Snowdonia National Park Authority, as it was, voted to refer to Wales’ highest mountain, by its Welsh name. The decision came after thousands of people signed a petition calling for the change.

Rather than Snowdon and Snowdonia, the mountain and mountain range is now referred to as Yr Wyddfa and Eryri. The authority said that it took “decisive action” after more than 5,000 signed a petition calling for action to be taken. A North Wales Live poll, showed a small majority still preferred calling it Snowdonia. The park authority now refers to itself solely as Eryri.

But what is the history behind the names and how do you pronounce them?

For Parc Cenedlaethol Bannau Brycheiniog, the Welsh name originates from a 5th century King, King Brychan. Brycheiniog was an independent kingdom whose borders roughly mimic those of the national park today. It is pronounced ban-aye bruch-ein-iog, with the ch making the same sound as in loch.

Eryri is thought to originate from the Latin term oriri (to rise), with recent evidence suggesting that direct translations mean highlands. For a long time it was a common belief that the name Eryri derived from the word for Eagle. Eryri is pronounced “Er-ruh-re”.

The Brecon Beacons has been renamed Parc Cenedlaethol Bannau Brycheiniog (Image: PA)

Y Bannau chief executive Catherine Mealing-Jones said that the previous name, Brecon Beacons, was “nonsense” and pointed out it “doesn’t really mean anything in Welsh.” She added: “Given that we’re trying to provide leadership on decarbonisation, a giant burning brazier is not a good look. Our park is is shaped by Welsh people, Welsh culture, and after looking into it we realised the name we’ve got is a bit of a nonsense. It doesn’t really make any sense – the translation Brecon Beacons doesn’t really mean anything in Welsh.

“We’d always had the name Bannau Brycheiniog as the Welsh translation. We just felt we needed to put that front and centre as an expression of the new way we want to celebrate Welsh people, Welsh culture, Welsh food and Welsh farming. All these things need to come with us as we go through this change in the management plan.”

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