ALT UCLan students at work cleaning trench under blue sky

ALT Longhorn cattle grazing in front of Lowther Castle

ALT Jim Morris introducing the trench looking at the possible earliest phase of thr medieval village

ALT Medieval pottery found in the possible later phase of the medieval village

ALT Page 269 from The Song of Simon de Montfort

ALT Page 270 from The Song of Simon de Montfort

ALT This article surveys how the Welsh and their territory have been described, from the early Middle Ages to the present. It begins by examining the terms used by Welsh writers in the early medieval period, before proceeding to consider English nomenclature and the important shift from Brit(t)ones to Walenses in the twelfth century. This shift is re-examined through the lens of the Vita Griffini, which reveals the political motivations behind the increasing focus on Wales and the Welsh. Despite this development in nomenclature, the island of Britain remained central to the identity of the Welsh. This is evident in vernacular texts, especially poetry, and this article explores the different names used in this context. It concludes with a brief foray into the early modern period, ultimately illustrating the continued relevance and significance of the identities fashioned in the early Middle Ages to writers in subsequent centuries.