Frostburg mining journal., 1880-07-17
WELSH BARDS AND SINGERS.

ton, Pa, are already making prepara-
tions to hold their next bardic and
choral contest in New York, where it
will continue for more than week, in
accordance with its ancient character.
AS an institution of great antiquity,
preserved through the demoralizing
influences of exile by people whose
principal calling is of precarious Or
der, the Eisteddfod merits consider
able attention. In a utilltarian age
like this, when most great gatherings
are held to promote some political or
pecuniary object, it is refreshing to
see 5000 persons composed principal
ly of the mining population of Penn
sylvania, meeting to engage in con-
tests of literature and song, conduct
ed in the language spoken by their
fathers in the time of Caesar. Such a
gathering, expressing its thoughts
through a CYmric tongue, may
we'll arrest the attention of think
ing people and set them asking
"What is there in our social customs
to endure the stress of thirteen CEN
turies, to weather the storms of exile
/
and engraft itself on the civilization
of central Africa or New Zealand,
whichever may prove the focus of
progress and prosperity ?"
The Eisteddfod, just closed in this
city, was designed to attract univer-
sal attention. The contestants for
the palm in essay and poetry repre-
sented Welsh scholars in Canada,
Wales, and England as we'll as the
United States, while the character OF
the musical contests, which were prin-
cipally choral, may be deduced from
the fact that Dudley Buck and MIR.
George Simpson OF New York and
Carlyle Petersilea of Boston were the
adjudicators, and spoke of the work
in terms of praise. The Eisteddfod
was held under tie auspices Of the
Welsh Philosophical Society Of Scran-
ton, a body of miners, merchants, and
lawyers, who meet every Saturday
evening at their rooms to engage in
historical and scientific debates, which
are mostly carried on in the Cymric
tongue. The main object of this as
sociation in holding the Eisteddfod is
to establish it as an institution among
the Welsh people of America, and
restore to it in the New World a
share of the lustre which it enjoyed
centuries ago in Wales, when kings
and princes presided at its delibera-
tions and participated in its proceed
ings. In early days the Eisteddfod
was chiefly confined to trials Of liter
ary and oratorical skill among the
bards, who achieved such popularity
and power as class that they excit-
ed the anger and jealousy of Edward
l., who had number of them put to
death lest their patriotic songs should
incite the Welsh to strike out for
their independence once more. One
can readily imagine, after witnessing
the recent Eisteddfod held in Scran-
ton, and seeing the degree of enthusi-
asm inspired by the singing of "Har-
lech," in which three thousand per-
sons joined, how readily such thrill
ing anthem would arouse the fears Of
monarch who felt that his hold on
the affections of his subjects was of a
slender character. 1t is a grand pro-
duction--sweet as the zephyr, and
terrible as the tempest-without any
of the sanguinary suggestions which
made the Marseillaise Hymn the
psalm of the French sans culottes
The audience rose like flash and
united in singing it, while their eyes
dilated and their cheeks glowed with
patriotic pride as the grand storm oi
song swelled with a diapason equal
in the majesty of its might to the song
of the rolling sea.
Although the Eisteddfod was an
institution of Wales as early as the
sixth century, the greatest gathering
of the kind recorded in early history
was that held in the year 100 al
Caerwys, under the auspices of Gruf'
ydd alb Cynan, Prince of North Wales
Gruffydd was horn in Ireland during
his fathers exile, and, having been
brought up there as became his noble
birth, acquired a knowledge of the
native Celtic literature, as well as
that spoken by the Dane-Norse in.
vaders. His Eisteddfod attracted an
immense gathering Of Welsh and
Irish bards. and became noted for the