<P> The red dragon is popularly believed to have been the battle standard of Arthur and other ancient Celtic / Romano - British leaders . There is considerable evidence to suggest that during this period the dragon was a symbol of the Romano - British monarchy and possibly Romano - British society more broadly, including some from Anglo - Saxon poetry . The dragon is particularly associated in Welsh poetry with Cadwaladr king of Gwynedd from c. 655 to 682 . The Dragons of Arthur and Cadwaladr were possibly based on the draco standards carried by Roman cavalry units stationed in Britain . The Draco originated with the Sarmatians, a unit of whom were stationed in Ribchester from the 2nd to 4th centuries . </P> <P> Despite the close link throughout early Welsh history, the dragon was not used exclusively as a symbol for Wales during this period, and it was used throughout Britain as a symbol of authority . In 1138, it was adopted by the Scottish as a royal standard, and Richard I took a dragon standard to the Third Crusade in 1191 . Henry III fought under the dragon at the Battle of Lewes and it was used later by Edward III at the Battle of Crécy . </P> <P> In 1400, Owain Glyndŵr raised the dragon standard during his revolts against the occupation of Wales by the English crown . Owain's banner known as Y Ddraig Aur or "The Golden Dragon" was raised over Caernarfon during the Battle of Tuthill in 1401 against the English . The flag has ancient origins, Glyndŵr chose to fly the standard of a Golden dragon on a white background, the traditional standard . Fifteen years later the English crown, under the rule of Henry V, used the red dragon standard itself during the Battle of Agincourt . The English forces during the battle utilised Welsh longbowmen, along with their own archers . In 1485, the most significant link between the symbol of the red dragon and Wales occurred when Henry Tudor flew the red dragon of Cadwaladr during his invasion of England . Henry was of Welsh descent and after leaving France with an army of 2000, landed at Milford Haven on 7 August . He made capital of his Welsh ancestry in gathering support and gaining safe passage through Wales . Henry met and fought Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth, and in victory took the English throne . After the battle, Henry carried the red dragon standard in state to St Paul's Cathedral, and later the Tudor livery of green and white was added to the flag . </P> <P> In 1807, the red dragon on a green mount was adopted as the Royal Badge of Wales, and on 11 March 1953 the motto Y Ddraig goch ddyry cychwyn (' The red dragon gives impetus' or' The red dragon leads the way') was added, a line from the poem by Deio ab Ieuan Du . The badge was the basis of a flag of Wales in which it was placed on a horizontal white and green bicolour . However, the flag was the subject of derision, both because the tail pointed downwards and because the motto was a potential double entendre, used in the original poem to allude to the penis of a copulating bull . In 1959, government use of this flag was dropped in favour of the current flag at the urging of the Gorsedd of Bards . Today the flag can be seen flying from the Senedd in Cardiff, and from the Wales Office in Whitehall, London each day . </P>

What does the dragon symbolize on the wales flag