Fw: minstrel: bardd

[Kirsten Garner]

Greetings...

> this double definition fits with the usage in gaelic
> where a muscian and a poet are not separate .
>
> in gaelic bard does mean untrained muscian. the
> trained muscian/poets are called filidh(fili in modern
> irish). they were required to play the harp and at
> least two other instruments, and in thier harp
> apprentiship they went through the art of luthiere and
> string making.

 One thing to remember. Wales does not equal Ireland and vice versa. They
 both have languages of Celtic derivation, and they both had societies which
 retained some Celtic social elements, but that's where the similiarities
 end. It would be like saying that what goes in England is the same for the
 US because they share a common root language and society.

 That said, a "bard" in medieval Wales was first and foremost a poet. The
 earliest bards, Taliesin and Aneirin, wrote poetry, most specifically odes
 and elegies if I am remembering correctly (don't have the exact sources
with
 me at the desk at the moment). If you look at the documentation for the
 eisteddfod that Yr Arglywdd Rhys held at Caerdydd in 1176 (I think), there
 were two categories - bardic and musical. We know they were distinct
 competitions because a harpist from the court of the said Rhys won the
 instrumental competition, whilst a poet from the court of Gwynedd walked
off
 with the bardic prize.

 We also have Gildas in the 6th century who raves against one of the early
 Welsh/Briton princes (Maelgwn, I think), saying how he doesn't want to
 listen to the sweet *singing* of the ecclesiastics but would rather hear
the
 laudatory *words* of his bards.

 Hmm.. .what else. There was a feast... early 1100s given by Cadwgan ab
 Bleddyn where he invites the best bards, singers and musicians in all Wales
 (straining the memory here (and I'm sure Tangwystl will correct me if I get
 this wrong :), but I believe the phrase is "beirdd ar cerddorion tafawd a
 thant goreu a gaid yn holl Gymru" - from the Gwentian Brut). And there's
 LOTS of extant references along this theme out there.

 You will also find that bards generally had harpists who accompanied them
 when they recited their works. This is not to say that bards did not
perform
 music at all. They did. But they were poets first.

 Towards the 14th century when the continental troubadour/minstrel tradition
 really hit the Welsh area, you start seeing a backlash against it by the
 bards  who considered it a substandard form of poetry/art. (OK, so Dafydd
ap
 Gwilym ran with the themes inherent in the troubadour tradition, but he's
 special :). Bards held themselves above mere minstrels because bards were
 first and foremost poets, whilst minstrels were "untrained musicians".

 In service,

 Julian