The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-11-20 00:00:00

THE WELSH EISTEDDFOD OF 1887.

The National Eisteddfod of Wales for the year of
her Majesty's Jubilee is to be held in London, and as no
such gathering can lawfully take place unless pre-
viously proclaimed in a "Gorsedd" of the Bards of -
the Isle of Britain convened in the place where the
Eisteddfod is to be held, the preliminary ceremony of
proclamation has been duly performed in the gardens
of the Inner Temple. The Gorsedd, which is named
in the Welsh Triads as the highest assembly of the
Isle of Britain, is required to be held in the open air,
"in the face of the sun, the eye of light." Upon the
green sward a circle some 30 yards in diameter was
marked out by 12 unhewn stones, a larger stone, also
anhewn, called the' Maen Llog, or Logan Stone, being
placed in the centre. Upon this stone the Arch
Druid, Mr. David Griffith. a veneratle Welshman
86 years': of age, known among his compatriots
by the bardic name of Clwydfardd, took his stand, a
bard being also placed at each of the 12 stones, to
guard the sacred circle, others remaining within the
circle to take part in the ceremony. Around the
circle some 600 or 700 visitors, principally Welshmen
resident in London, gathered to witness the proceed-
ings, which-were conducted in the midst of a steady
downpour of rain. The Arch Druid entered the circle
accompanied by the harpist, Mr. John Roberts
(Telyhor Cymru), and a large number of bards. These
gentlemen were distinguished by green or blue
rosettes, the " ovates " wearing a white badge. The
harpist wore what is supposed to be Druidic costume,
a flowing blue robe and cap, with a green cloak and
red girdle; and after be had sounded the trumpet
call the Arch Druid ascended the Logan Stone and
holding out a sword, upon which all the bards laid
hands, thrice demanded "A oes heddwch ?" (" Is it
peace ?"), to which the Welsh portion of the assembly
replied, " Heddwch " ("It is peace '')
The Arch Druid then descended from the stone and
gave place to the Rev. Rowland Williams (Ilvsfa
Men); who offered the ancient Gorsedd prayer. The
Gorsedd was then declared open, and the Arch Druid
read in Welsh the following proclamation, the printed
copy of which bore various mystic symbols. Certain
lines at the top of the document were explained to
represenl the rays of Divine Light, and the motto
quoted in text beneath, "The Truth against tbe
World," is that of the Gorsedd itself. The other four,
namely," God and all that is Good."" Heart to Heart,"
"0, Jesus, forbid Injustice," and "lie that slays shall
be slain," are the mottoes respectively of the Bardic
Chairs of the provinces of Glamorgan, Ds fed (South-
west Wales), Gwynedd (Northern Wales), and
Powys (Central Wales). The motto below these
"God and His Peace" is that of the Chair of King
Arthur and Round Table to which London, according
to Bardic tradition, is attached. The proclamation
itself ran thus: "On the day of Full Moon in the
Month of the Falling Leaves in the Winter Solstice,
1886. Be it known—That when the ap of Christ is
1887 and when the period of the Bards of the Isle of
Britain shall approach the Feast of the Solstice of
Autumn, namely the Equinox of the Harvest of
Corn, after the Notice and Summons here given to
all Wales at the sound of the Trumpet from this
conspicuous place in the hearing of Country and
Queen, a Gorsedd and Eisteddfod will be held in the
Chief City of Lud in Britain and thereunto all who
seek pnivilege and license in the Arts of Posey and
Song shall have right of access, and no weapon shall
be unsheathed against them. And at that Eisteddfod
the judgment of a Chair and Gorsedd will be pro-
nounced on Song and Poetry and upon the Poetic In-
spiration, the Character and the Attainments of all
who seek such privilege, degree, and license in the
protection of the Chair of Arthur and the Round
Table and that of Glamoraan and according to the
Rites and Privileges of the Bards of the Isle of Britain.
In the Face of the Sun, the Eye of Light."
After the proclamation of the Eisteddfod a number
of bards mounted the stone in succession, and re-
cited their poetical compositions in eulogy of the his-
tory, language, and literature of their native land.
One of the bards craved permission to address the
assembly in English, but was met with loud cr;es of
dissent, the gathering shouting, " Yn Cymraeg " (in
Welsh). Finally the Rev. R. Williams (Hwa's Mon)
delivered an impassioned address, in which he asked
whether the Welsh were ashamed of their history,
traditions, race, and language, each question being
answered by a shout of "No.' After dwelling upon
the ancient significance of the Gorsedd, he said
that the English language was of world-wide
use, but they placed the Welsh language beside it, and
applied to both the ancient mo.to "Heart to heart."
Idris Yycban next took possession of the stone, and
sang a number of pennillion (or improvised stanzas)
to the accompaniment of the harp. He was followed
by tile Rev. R. Parry (Gssalchmai), the second oldest
Welsh bard, who has attained the age of 82, and who
recited a poetic effusion, at the close of which the
bards again gathered round the Arch Druid and
placed their bands upon the sword. The question,
"Is it peace ? " having been repeated thrice, and
thrice answered in the affirmative, the Gorsedd was
declared to be at an end.