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Crowning of the Bard
Ceremony in an eisteddfod From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Crowning of the Bard (Welsh: Coroni'r Bardd) is one of the most important events in a Welsh eisteddfod.
National Eisteddfod
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The most famous such ceremony takes place at the National Eisteddfod of Wales, and is normally on the Monday afternoon of Eisteddfod week (it was formerly held on the Tuesday).[1]
A new bardic crown is specially designed and made for each eisteddfod and is awarded to the winning entrant in the competition for the Pryddest, poetry written in free verse.[2][3] According to Jan Morris, "When Welsh poets speak of Free Verse, they mean forms like the sonnet or the ode, which obey the same rules as English poesy. Strict Metres verse still honours the complex rules laid down for correct poetic composition 600 years ago."[4]
There are three judges and these have included past crowned bards, such as Mererid Hopwood and T. James Jones.[5]
The National Eisteddfod crown was first awarded in 1867.[6] The crowning ceremony is presided over by the Archdruid, who invites one of the judges to read the adjudication and judges' comments before announcing the identity of the bard, using only the pen name that the winner has used when submitting the work. Up to this point, no one knows the true identity of the bard, who is asked to stand and is then escorted to the stage and crowned.[7]
Winning the "double" of bardic chair and crown at the same Eisteddfod is a feat that has only been achieved a handful of times in the history of the Eisteddfod.
During the 1912 National Eisteddfod at Wrexham, T.H. Parry-Williams achieved a double victory for the first time. Parry-Williams later recalled returning home to Rhyd-ddu, where had been working as a hired hand on the farm of a relative. Upon telling his employer of his double-victory, Parry-Williams was advised to, "seek grace." When Parry-Williams then informed his employer that both victories had gained him £40, the relative shouted in angry disbelief, "Ac mi gwnest nhw i gyd ar dy din!!!" ('And you earned them all sitting on your arse!!!').[8]
More recently, both Alan Llwyd and Donald Evans have won a double victory twice.
In August 2018 the winner of the crown was awarded to Cardiff author, Catrin Dafydd, though during the ceremony the archdruid, Geraint Llifon, caused controversy by saying she couldn't have achieved this without men. Llifon later apologised.[9]
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Urdd National Eisteddfod
A junior version of the Crown is awarded at the Urdd National Eisteddfod, for the best piece or pieces of literature of more than 4,000 words.[10]
List of Crown winners at the National Eisteddfod of Wales
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See also
References
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