History
People always ask me about the Eisteddfod. Usually, those people are Americans or Canadians who've learned about. Eisteddfod is a word that comes from Welsh, meaning literally "sitting" (eistedd) and "to be" (bod). It is always held somewhere in Wales each August purely in the Welsh language, ever since 1176.
The first such gathering took place at Cardigan Castle, organized by Lord Rhys – one of the leading princes of his time. He gathered poets and singers from all over Wales for a competition. As a prize, there would be a place at his dinner table. This symbolism of the chair has stuck with us. At each National Eisteddfod, the top prize is always Y Gadair, meaning The Chair.
However, the tradition experienced a resurgence after the 18th century in the wake of English domination. The central figure around whom this rebirth revolved was a man named Iolo Morganwg who was a poet, stonemason, and an adept forger.
Iolo Morganwg invented everything related to the druidic rituals we see today – from the garb to the stones, the sword, and the Archdruid position. This was nothing but a lie, and he claimed that it had been a practice followed by the Celts for thousands of years before him.
The Black Chair
A story I usually mention. It's about a young shepherd poet from Trawsfynydd in north Wales who gained the Chair, the ultimate award back in 1917. He used the bardic name Hedd Wyn. As his name was called out, no one got up.
That's because he was dead, killed at Passchendaele just six weeks earlier.
Black drapes were hung over the empty Chair and this year went down in history as Eisteddfod y Gadair Ddu or the Eisteddfod of the Black Chair. The Chair is now in his family's home in Trawsfynydd and I have shown visitors around to see it.
What it is now
The contemporary Eisteddfod takes place during the first complete week of August on a large open space, referred to as Y Maes, which is always in a different part of Wales each year, switching back and forth between northern and southern Wales. Rather than considering the Eisteddfod to be one event, it is more of a town built up and disappears for a week.
More than 6,000 individuals participate in the contests. In total, there will be over 100,000 people attending throughout the week at the Eisteddfod, There are contests in poetry, prose, theater, choral music, solo voice, traditional singing, dancing, art, and crafts. All of the contestants are assessed anonymously, with the victors being announced during the live presentation ceremonies. The revelation of their names creates an incredible experience.
Since 1950, everything has been done only in Welsh. No knowledge of Welsh is required to appreciate the ambiance, the music, and the ceromonies!
