- Rassau
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Rassau, sometimes The Rassau (Welsh: Rasa) is a small village located in the historic county of Brecknockshire and the preserved county of Gwent. It currently lies on the northern edge of the county borough of Blaenau Gwent in Wales. According to the 2001 census, the population of Rassau is 3,190[1]. Due to the differing age and altitude of parts of the village, you will also hear residents referring to either Old Rassau and New Rassau or Bottom Rassau and Top Rassau.
Welsh language
According to the 1991 census, only 107 residents, or 2.7% of the population aged 3 and over could speak Welsh[2]. However, according to the 2001 census, 281 residents, or 8.8% of the population aged 3 and over can now speak Welsh[3]. It is likely that Welsh was still the everyday language of a number of residents throughout the early 1900s because in 1909, Theophilus Jones described the neighbouring village of Beaufort as bilingual, the language preference being English[4].
Customs
At one time the Mari Lwyd was widespread all over Gwent-especially the Welsh speaking areas of the north and west, but as the Welsh language lost ground so too did the Mari Lwyd. Its last recorded appearance in the Borough was in the Rassau during the 1880s[5].
References
- ^ Spreading the Word: the Welsh Language 2001
- ^ A Geography of the Welsh Language, 1961-1991
- ^ Spreading the Word: the Welsh Language 2001
- ^ The History of Brecknockshire Volume 3, page 202
- ^ Folklore of Blaenau Gwent
Coordinates: 51°48′01″N 3°13′14″W / 51.8002°N 3.2206°W
Categories:- Villages in Blaenau Gwent
- Geography of Blaenau Gwent
- Wales geography stubs
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