HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF THE WELSH BARDS

At the weddings of the prince or any of the royal blood, the singer original OCR: "finger" attended to the illustrious bride, and at those entertainments was expected to skillfully carve every kind of fowl that might be served to him.

Such, and so varied, were the regular Bards. Through a novitiate and probation of an appointed term of years, and by performing poetical and musical exercises, they earned degrees in the Eisteddfod a traditional Welsh festival of literature, music, and performance. As that venerable assembly existed long before the period I am describing, a description of it perhaps should have already been presented; however, I chose to wait until I could display it in its most perfect form, under the patronage of a prince to whom our poetry and music are forever indebted.

The Eisteddfod was a triennial assembly of the Bards. It was usually held at Aberffraw (formerly the royal seat of the princes of North Wales, situated in Anglesey), Dinefawr (the royal castle of the princes of South Wales, in Carmarthenshire), or Mathrafael (the royal palace of the princes of Powis, in Montgomeryshire). Its purpose was the regulation of poetry and music, the conferring of degrees, and the advancement of rival candidates to the "chair" of the Eisteddfod through poetical and musical contests—or confirming the Chief Bard who already held that honorable seat.

Wishing to convey a clear idea of this important subject to my readers, I have included an extract, faithfully translated, from the statute of Prince Gruffudd ap Cynan concerning the manner of holding an Eisteddfod:

"When the congress has assembled at the appointed place, according to the notice and summons previously issued, they shall choose twelve umpires skilled in the Welsh language, poetry, music, and heraldry. These umpires shall give the Bards a subject to sing upon in any of the twenty-four metres the twenty-four codified meters of Welsh specialized poetry, but not in alternating songs original: "amæbean carols"; songs where two singers answer each other or any such frivolous compositions. The umpires shall ensure that the candidates do not descend into satire or personal insults, and shall allow each person sufficient time to compose his Englyn or Cywydd specific forms of Welsh poetry, or whatever other task they assign. Furthermore, they shall record the names of the various Bards present who intend to sing, so that everyone may be called by name in order to the chair to perform his composition. The unsuccessful candidates shall acknowledge in writing that they are overcome and shall deliver their acknowledgment to the Chief Bard (that is, to him who wins the chair). Everyone shall drink to the health of the Chief Bard and pay him fees; he shall govern them until he is overcome in a future Eisteddfod."

From this injunction, it appears that the duties which belonged to the "judge of the palace" during the reign of Hywel Dda were later held by a commission of umpires.

What served greatly to increase the competition among the Bards—if they needed any additional incentive—was the presence of the prince, who usually presided over these contests. The compositions delivered on these occasions are frequently based on historical subjects and are valuable for their authenticity; for it was the business of the Eisteddfod not only to set the rules for poetry and music, but to eliminate falsehoods and establish certainty in the reporting of events.

Notes on the Fourth Song of Poly-Olbion.

"A custom so good," says Michael Drayton an English poet, 1563–1631, "that had it been judiciously observed, the truth of history would not be so uncertain. For there was, we suppose, a correction of what was faulty in form or matter, or at least a judgment by the hearers upon what was recited. Some have wished for a revival of this practice, so that either the correction of opinions or a change of purpose in publishing might prevent the spread of errors."

Before anyone could be enrolled in the Eisteddfod, the permission of the prince or lord within whose jurisdiction he lived was necessary. If he desired to pursue degrees in poetry, he was obliged at his presentation to explain the five Englyn metres and sing them in such a way that one of the principal Bards would declare, upon his conscience, that the candidate was competent to be admitted. He then became the pupil of one of the principal Bards, whom he was required to attend annually during Lent. Without his teacher's approval, he could make no composition public. For three years (that is, until the next Eisteddfod), he remained a non-graduate and was called a Difgybl Yspas John Rhydderch’s Welsh Grammar, pages 188, 189. cerdd dafod original: "cerdd dafawd"; literally "art of the tongue," referring to vocal or literary craft, or a probationary student of poetry.

At the next Eisteddfod, after three years had expired, the Difgybl Yspas was examined for the degree of Difgybl Disgyblaidd, or Bachelor of the Art of Poetry. He was required to be well-versed in the five Englyn metres, the four Cywydd metres, and three Awdl metres, and to produce scholarly compositions of his own that were free from the fifteen common errors.

After the same interval, the Bard took the degree of Difgybl Penceirddiaidd, or Master of the Art of Poetry, for which he was required to understand the rules of grammar and rhetoric, and to analyze and explain the alliterative...