minstrel: Cecily's ideas

[hrjones at socrates.berkeley.edu]

On Mon, 12 Oct 1998 yarrowp at mscd.edu wrote:

> >From: "Ken Theriot" <lnktheriot at csi.com>, (Adelaide)  on 10/10/98 5:12 PM:
> >"bard" is a good gaelic word and it means "poet", thereby implying WORDS. 
> 
> Actually, no.  The Welsh triads mention "harp bards" as well as the poet 
> variety.

I'm not familiar with the use of this phrase in period Welsh works on
bards and the performing arts, although goodness knows, I haven't read
_all_ the primary sources on the topic.  The majority of the medieval
Welsh triads that concern appropriate behavior and standards for various
classes of vocal and instrumental performers are contained in the class of
literature generically known as "bardic grammars" (containing both
classical "grammar books" as well as information on how to compose
specific forms of poetry, and additional material on general behavior and
standards including the triads). In this particular genre, the use of the
word "bardd" (bard) tends to be rather at odds with our usual image of the
bards of heroic society.  Most often, the word appears in the phrase
"bardd teulu" (i.e., "household bard") indicating someone attached to a
particular patron or family whose primary duty was to compose and perform
in praise of their patron. 

Curiously, the writers of these bardic grammars (which date primarily from
the 15th century and later) appear to treat the "bardd teulu" as the
middle rank of the various classes under discussion, with the greatest
praise and admiration reserved for the "prydydd" (lit.  "maker", perhaps
best translated as "composer" but normally in the sense of poetry rather
than music), who ideally appears to have been viewed as an independent
artist -- most likely an independently wealthy member of the gentry class
-- rather than someone composing "for hire". The lowest class of performer
discussed was the "clerwr", usually translated as "minstrel" (sorry
folks!) which was the only class for whom it was considered appropriate to
perform satirical, comic, and bawdy material.

Now, three guesses as to which class the writers of these "bardic
grammars" fell into! (First two don't count.) So, while the sentiments
expressed in the grammars cannot at all be considered disinterested
observations, they do give _one_ view of the various categories of
poet/performer in existence in Wales around the 15th century.

The material on similar subjects in the medieval Welsh laws (dating
generally to two centuries earlier) also curiously dodges using the word
"bardd" as a technical term.  Here the distinction is made between the
"teuluwr" (lit. "household-er", perhaps = "bardd teulu"?) who was clearly
closely attached to a patron (restrictions were given for the
circumstances under which a teuluwr could be absent from his lord's side)
and the "pencerdd" (lit. "head/chief of song") who, similarly to the
"prydydd" in later literature, is viewed as a more independent
functionary, less tied directly to a patron, with stricter requirements
for achievement, and an implied higher prestiege.

In both the laws and the bardic grammars, it is implied that any of the
higher-status poets/performers will own and be familiar with the harp, but
the only reference I can bring to mind about harp-instrumentalists (as
contrasted with harp-accompaniment) comes in the description in the Brut y
Tywyssogion (Chronicle of the Princes) of the late 12th century Eisteddfod
held by Rhys ap Gruffudd where two separate competitions with two separate
(but identical) prizes were held: one for the bards and poets ("bardd" and
"prydydd") and one for the "harpers and crowders and pipers and various
sorts of musical craft" (telynorion a chrythorion a phibyddion ac
amrafaelion genedloedd gerdd music).

In general, my experience with period Welsh usage is that while a "bardd"
might normally be expected to be able to play the harp, the use of "bardd"
as a technical term emphasizes poetic composition/performance -- although
it's worth noting that "bardd" itself seems not to be in use as a strictly
defined technical term, although it frequently appears as a purely
descriptive term. (The use of the doublet "bards and poets" in reference
to the above competition need not be interpreted as implying that these
two terms had contrastive technical meanings. It is a very common formula
in Medieval Welsh literature -- and particularly legalistic literature --
to use homonymous doublets, such as "tir a daear" (land and earth), that
do not imply and contrastive use.)

Tangwystyl

*********************************************************
PLEASE NOTE ==> New E-mail address

WAS <hrjones at uclink.berkeley.edu>
NOW IS <hrjones at socrates.berkeley.edu>
                ^^^^^^^^
**********************************************************



-------------------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe from this list, send email to majordomo at pbm.com containing
the words "unsubscribe minstrel". If you are subscribed to the digest version,
say "unsubscribe minstrel-digest". To contact a human about problems, send
mail to owner-minstrel at pbm.com