The Chairing of the Bard, a Longstanding Welsh Tradition by Darkes Dunsmuir
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Bardic chair presented to the winning bard at the Royal National Eisteddfod of Wales, 1937 The Chairing of the Bard, a Longstanding Welsh Tradition by Darkes Dunsmuir The Welsh bardic traditions go back as far as the 12th century and the “chairing of the bard” in its modern day form, currently takes place once a year during the National Eisteddfod, a music and literary festival that happens during the first week of August (“Eisteddfod”). Each year, a different chair is built for the festival and awarded to the poet who wins the “awdl” competition (“Chairing of the Bard”), a specific type of poem built to a very strict metre. This structure, called cynghanedd, literally means “chiming” and is based on sound arrangement as well as stress and alliteration. The poems are traditionally written in Welsh, but a handful of poets have attempted to use the poem structure with English as well (Lewis). Along with the chair, the National Eisteddfod includes two more awards, one a crown and the other medal. They are for free verse and prose, respectively. The origins of the tradition of the bardic chair are complicated and require an understanding of two terms, “Gorsedd” and “Eisteddfod.” The two are integral to the modern- day chairing of the bard, but have only coexisted since 1819 (“History of the Welsh Eisteddfod”). The Gorsedd of the Bards of the Isle of Britain is an association of poets, musicians, writers and artists who have made significant contributions to the advancement of the Welsh language and their culture (“Gorsedd y Beirdd”). It was created in 1792 by a Welsh academic named Iolo Morganwg, and was actually started in London, not in Wales. His idea, however, was to emphasize that the Celtic culture belonged to the Welsh. It was due to him that the Gorsedd and the Eisteddfod began coexisting in 1819, after he arranged a ceremony in Carmarthen. It was held at the Ivy Bush Hotel and involved the Gorsedd performing within a circle of scattered pebbles (“Gorsedd of the Bards”). The Gorsedd is ruled by an Archdruid, a position that has existed since 1860. David Griffith is considered to be the first Archdruid, under his bardic name “Clwydfardd.” He held the office until he died. Since 1936, however, Archdruids have only been allowed to hold their office for three years before being replaced. As well, it was determined in 1932, that the Archdruid had to be a chaired or crowned bard. These rules were amended at the beginning of the twenty-first century to also include those who win the prose medal. (“A Gorsedd Who’s Who”). Eisteddfod, on the other hand, is a term meaning a festival of literature, poetry and music. It is a long-standing tradition that has its roots in a gathering that took place in 1176 at Cardigan Castle and was hosted by the Lord Rhys. Originally, eisteddfodau (the plural format of “eisteddfod”) were usually informal and held in various locations around Wales throughout the year (“Eisteddfod”). It wasn’t until 1858 that something akin to a national eisteddfod was held and it wasn’t until 1860 that a national body was formed for the eisteddfodau. Following this, the first National Eisteddfod was held in 1861 in Aberdare (“History”). The chairing of the bard exists between these two entities, as the competition is judged and hosted by the Gorsedd but is always held at the National Eisteddfod. It is one of the main events. In reference to the original meeting in 1819 with Iolo Morganwg, many towns and villages in Wales bear circles of Gorsedd stones, a sign of having hosted a National Eisteddfod. Nowadays, though, a set of man made stones goes from location to location (“What is the Gorsedd?”). The ceremony takes place on the Friday afternoon of the festival and is kept in as much secrecy as possible until the winner is escorted to the stage. If the judges feel that none of the submissions are up to the usual standards, they will skip a year (“Chairing”). This has happened multiple times, examples being in 1998, as well as in 2013 (“Winners of the Chair”). Originally, however, the awards were not the current chairs and crowns but were medals and miniatures. A collection of these medals is now on display at St. Fagan’s National Museum of History (“History”). The awarding of the chair began later, around 1880 (“Winners”). The next notable year in the history of the chair is in 1917, when something unusual and rather sad occurred. Because the winner of the chair is always kept a complete secret until the ceremony, people were confused when, on this year, no one stood up when the ceremony hit its peak. There was no winner and that was not due to a lack of talented submissions. It was then revealed that the winner, Elis Humphries Evans, had perished at Passchendaele mere weeks before the ceremony. The chair was draped in a black cloth and has been referred to as “the Black Chair” since then (Moore). The 2017 bardic chair was built in remembrance of Evans, better known by his bardic name, Hedd Wyn, for the 100th anniversary of his death. It was fashioned out of trees from Hedd Wyn’s land, ones that would have been alive when he was, and was skillfully crafted by Rhodri Owen. He explained his reasoning during the unveiling of the chair, prior to it being awarded, saying that it had been built with the central concept of “reincarnation and moving forward.” As well, he spoke of keeping in mind the tools that would have been used in 1917 and their shapes, as an important element to linking his design to the past (Crump). Another important moment in the history of the chair occurred in 2001, when the chair was first won by a woman. Mereid Hopwood was the first woman to win the chair and one of the only people to have won all three of the major bardic awards. She has won the chair, the crown, and the medal that is awarded for the prose contest. The photo to the right of the text, here, is from a visit to Mereid’s house. While attending Douglas College’s Wales Field School, I had the pleasure of getting to meet Mereid Hopwood with my classmates, and see the chair, crown and medal. As well, she had a handful of small chairs, roughly doll sized and built out of twigs and popsicle sticks that had been won by her children during their school years. During our visit, she told us about the commotion the chair had caused when it moved in. She practically had to hold an open house, with members of the community, neighbours and friends, all wanting to come to see the chair and get a chance to sit in it. This was not unwelcome ruckus to her, though, and when, shortly after she won, she had to hire someone to fix her roof, he was also invited inside to sit on the chair. The love of poetry, prose, books and music runs very deep within Welsh culture, as can also be seen in the existence of Hay-on-Wye, a town with more bookstores and stationary stores than I have ever seen in one location before. We spent the better part of a day there, exploring, and yet I don’t think a single one of us managed to visit every bookstore. This phenomenon can also be seen in the fact that the most listened to show on the Welsh BBC radio channel is a poetry show that has contestants composing poems within twenty-minute breaks in which the judges recite poetry from memory. They are expected to construct the poems to very exacting meters, despite the limited time frame (Lewis). The bardic traditions of Wales create a very interesting culture and social environment as, by its nature, such a love includes a need for community. Music and poetry is created not just as a sign of self expression, but to be performed and shared. Nowhere is this love more obvious than in the National Eisteddfod and the award ceremonies held within. The colours, the songs, the way that poetry is at the heart of the matter, all of this is what makes Wales, Wales. I was told numerous times when I was there that poetry is in their blood. Perhaps that is what made the experience so intoxicating. Just like those of us who love books may find ourselves discussing them for hours or finding solace in the library, so too, did the entire country of Wales call to me. The bardic chair is the result of a very complex history and the Welsh fight to hold onto their culture. It is a tradition with deep roots and a flourishing modern-day existence. Hopefully, I will be able to witness it up close once more. Works Cited “Chairing of the Bard.” Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chairing_of_the_Bard Crump, Eryl. “National Eisteddfod 2017 Chair and Crown handed over to festival officials.” Daily Post. June 12th, 2017. dailypost.co.uk/whats-on/arts-culture-news/national- eisteddfod-2017-chair-crown-13176037 “Eisteddfod.” Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eisteddfod “Gorsedd of the Bard.” Eisteddfod. eisteddfod.wales/gorsedd-bards “A Gorsedd Who’s Who.” National Museum Wales. July 25th, 2010. museum.wales/articles/2010-07-25/A-Gorsedd-Whos-Who/ “Gorsedd y Beirdd.” Gorsedd y Beirdd. gorsedd.cymru/ “History of the Welsh Eisteddfodau.” National Museum Wales. museum.wales/collections/eisteddfodau/ Lewis, Gwyneth. “Extreme Welsh Meter.” Poetry Foundation. Nov, 2014.