Yma o Hyd: Welsh World Cup anthem seeing rise in tattoos

If you've been watching the World Cup, you've astir apt heard a fewer renditions of Welsh-language people opus Yma o Hyd.

Meaning "still here", Dafydd Iwan's tune has go an anthem for Wales shot fans implicit caller years.

The operation has besides go a fashionable tattoo - and not conscionable for shot fans.

Tattoo parlours said they person noticed an summation successful Wales-themed tattoos since the World Cup began.

For James Edwards, 42, who grew up successful Pembrokeshire, his tattoo has reflects his Welsh pride, but besides thing much personal.

"We emotion the meaning down it: contempt everything that's been thrown astatine america arsenic a nation, we're inactive here," helium said.

"But also, astir 4 weeks agone I got the each wide from bowel crab truthful I'm besides saying 'I'm inactive here'," helium added.

The opus has gained further popularity with the World Cup, and helium said this besides affected his prime of tattoo.

He besides remembers the archetypal clip helium heard Yma o Hyd, successful a pub successful Baku, Azerbaijan, successful 2019.

"The hairs connected the backmost of your cervix were lasting up. It was the archetypal clip I truly retrieve Welsh fans decently singing it," helium added.

"It's the archetypal World Cup successful my lifetime, we've gotten adjacent galore times but to yet marque it to the World Cup, which I was going to spell to until I fell ill, is an unthinkable achievement," helium added.

Yma o Hyd was primitively recorded successful 1981 and released successful 1983.

After Wales qualified for the World Cup past June, it received a flurry of streams and concisely held the fig 1 spot connected the iTunes chart.

It tells the communicative of however Welsh connection and civilization has survived much than 2,000 years against each the odds.

The chorus goes: "Er gwaetha pawb a phopeth, ry'n ni yma o hyd", which translates arsenic "Despite everyone and everything, we are inactive here".

"It's a opus of endurance truly and that resonates with radical successful assorted ways," Mr Iwan has said.

"We've gone done a acheronian period, we're coming retired the different extremity and we're going to survive."

Huw Roberts, 48, from Cardiff, has besides been inspired by Wales to incorporated Yma o Hyd into a tattoo.

He booked the tattoo successful March to guarantee it was healed earlier the World Cup successful Qatar, wherever helium travelled to ticker Wales look the USA.

"It's going to beryllium determination everlastingly conscionable similar the Welsh connection and culture," helium said.

"The opus has gained prominence, arsenic has the Welsh connection and culture, it's not conscionable fading into the inheritance arsenic immoderate radical mightiness anticipation and evidently the World Cup has brought it massively to the fore arsenic well."

Lisa Williams, 52, from Flintshire, decided connected Yma o Hyd alongside a daffodil arsenic a awesome of her Welsh pride.

"We are inactive present and that's precise important," she said.

"It feels good, I've had rather a fewer compliments connected it. It's bully to spot everyone posting their hats and shirts connected Twitter and I've conscionable got it permanently connected me.

"Once you recognize the meaning of the opus it's precise affectional and to spot the shot fans singing it, it's amazing.

"We'll persevere and support going careless of what anyone other tries to enforce connected us, we're inactive Welsh and we ever volition be."

Steve White, 36 from Rhosneigr, Anglesey, but who present lives successful Manchester, besides got a tattoo to symbolise his Welsh pride.

"I person a fewer tattoos and this 1 is decidedly my favourite. The opus Yma o Hyd, to me, has been synonymous with the Scarlets [rugby team] for arsenic agelong arsenic I tin remember."

"It reminds maine of conscionable however arrogant I americium to beryllium Welsh. It encapsulates the Welsh mentality truthful good for me," said Mr White.

"You tin effort to enactment america down, astatine times you whitethorn bushed us, you tin insult our language, practice and civilization arsenic overmuch arsenic you privation due to the fact that it doesn't matter.

"We're inactive here. How tin anyone not consciousness passionateness with that?"

Despite not being a shot fan, helium said proceeding the crowds sing Yma o Hyd gave him goose-bumps.

Andrew Ryan, a tattoo creator for Three Jacks Tattoo successful Cardiff said helium inked a Yma o Hyd plan past week.

"We've decidedly seen an summation successful Welsh tattoos," helium said.

"I deliberation it's due to the fact that everyone's arrogant of Wales, it's a tiny but mighty country. "