| Dame Wales | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Real Name |
Mam Cymru |
|
First Appearance |
Unknown |
|
Created by |
Joseph Morewood Staniforth |
Origin[]
'Dame Wales' (or Mam Cymru) was a middle-aged woman dressed in the Welsh national costume, along with Welsh hat, who would embody Wales in a similar way that other cartoonists would use Britannia to symbolise Britain or the British Empire. Dame Wales was normally the voice of reason in Staniforth's cartoons and is often pictured attempting to discourage others from making decisions that would damage the country. When a spoken caption was required, Dame Wales would often be depicted talking in a working class valleys vernacular, which stands out against the language used by the more educated figures of authority she challenges. Other cartoonists would later take up the figure of Dame Wales, and would keep the same image in their work.