The Oskaloosa herald., 1903-01-15
THE EISTEDDFOD.
What the Term Means and How it
Originated.


The Welsh Eisteddfod has a very
ancieat origin, dating back to no less
distant a day than that of the Druids.
The word, 'Eisteddfod," means a SEES
sion or sitting. 1t consists of a con-
gress OF Welsh bards and musicians,
the purpose of which is to promote
the cultivation of the national poetry
and music, and secondarily to main
tain the traditions and customs of the
country, To-day, in Wales, the prime
purpose of the Eisteddfod seems to be
to restore the original Gaelic language
in which Ireland Scotland, the Isle of
Man and Brittany are equally inter-
ested. Congresses are held in the
principal Gaelic centers, drawing the
bards and musicians from far and
wide to participate in a contest such
as T~annhauser entered when the
stakes were life and love.
Although the Eisteddfod undoubted-
ly dates back to a period long previous
to the Christian era, the first meeting
of which there is any record was held
on the Conway in North Wales in the
sixth century, under the auspices of
Maelgyn Gwynedd, prince of the coun-
try. The prince, it is told, in desire
to prove the superiority of vocal song
over instrumental music, offered a re-
ward to such bards and Ministries as
should swim over the Conway. Ow-
ing to the injury the harps had re-
ceived from the water, the harpers
were unable to play, while the bards
were in as sweet tune as ever. But
the Gorsedd, from which the Eistedd-
fod sprung, is believed 20 have dated
back many centuries before the Chris
tian era, its influence declining only
after the destruction Of the political
~ascendancy of the Druids. According
to Welsh historical records, the Cor
sedd was long an institution of ma
tional character, its purpose being to
preserve the laws, doctrines and ira,
ditions of bardism.
The Eisteddfod in its present char.
acter appears to have originated at
the close of the fourth century, when
a Welshman was elected to the chief
sovereignty of the Britons on the de-
parture of the Romans. About the
beginning of the twelfth century, an
E~isteddfod was held at Caerwys in
Flintshire, ito which there repaired
all the musicians of Wales, and some
also from England and Scotland" The
prince of the time, Griffith ap Cynan,
woc horn in IrnIopd opd hod hrO,,obt
with him from that country great en-
couragement to bards, narpers and
minstrels, and framed a code of laws
for their better regulation. At Christ
mas time in 1907, Cadwgan, son Of
the prince of Powys, held an Eistedd-
fod in Cardigan Castle, to which he
invited the bards, harpers and min
strels, "the best to be found in all
Wales" and gave them chairs and
subjects of emulation according to the
custom Of the feasts of King Arthur"
The 'chair" is inseparably connected
with the E~isteddfod. In 1867, Queen
Elizabeth issued a commission for
holding an Eisteddfod at Caerwys in
the following year, and the terms of
the royal proclamation declared that,
according to custom, a silver harp"
would be bestowed on the chief of the
faculty of musicians, and a Silver
chair" upon the chief bard. In the if
teenth century the records tell of one
eminent bard, Dafydd alb Ermund, who
''signalized himself by his wonderful
powers of versiication in the Welsh
metres, and carried home on his
shoulders the silver chair which he had
fairly won" The great day of the
Eisteddfed, usually the last, is the
chair" day, when occurs the chair
ing" of the fortunate bards.
For the most part, those p~articipat-
ing in the Welsh Eisteddfod are I'M
trained singers. For several years,
the chief bard in Wales has been a
miner, living for the most part in the
bowels of the earth, but singing like
a skylark. Local ~Eisteddfods are now
being held all over the world, wher-
ever a few loyal sons Of Wales are
found gathered together.