DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.61904#0127
CONWAY AND ITS CASTLE. I 15
and when a poem by Mrs. Hernans was read, a contribution
by her to the poetical department.
After her death, an elegy to her memory being propofed as
one of the fubjecls of bardic compofition, the prize was won
by Thomas Parry, a brother of the Rev. Richard Parry, him-
felf alfo a bard of great repute, and whofe medals equal, if not
exceed in number, thofe of his brother.
Befides the more ferious bufinefs of the old Eifteddfods there
were triennial meetings of the Bards, at which the monarch
prefided and awarded the prizes.
The compofitions produced on fuch occafions, at a time
when the moft momentous events of the country were never
committed to writing, aflumed an important character, being
the hiftorical records of the time, the expreffion of public
opinion, and the affertion and maintenance of whatever great
truth was agitating the beft minds of the nation. A chief bard,
—the Bardd Cadeiriog, or chaired bard,—prefided over the
order, and by virtue of his rank was placed on a feat or chair
of dignity, and wore on his bread: a little filver or gold chair
as a badge.
Both bards and minftrels were originally a branch of the
Druidical hierarchy : the bard being the compofer of fong,
the poet in fa<St; the minftrel, the mufician who played on the
harp, or who alfo fang with it. The pennillion finging of
Wales is very ancient and remarkable ; it is improvifed finging
to the equally improvifed mufic of the harper.
All knowledge, civil or religious, was anciently preferved
orally, and in a metrical form for the more eafy committal to
memory. The metre of their verfe was a triad or ftanza of
three lines, each line compofed of feven fyllables ; the firft and
fecond containing only the fubject of the poem, and the third
conveying fome divine or moral precept. The bards Hill
and when a poem by Mrs. Hernans was read, a contribution
by her to the poetical department.
After her death, an elegy to her memory being propofed as
one of the fubjecls of bardic compofition, the prize was won
by Thomas Parry, a brother of the Rev. Richard Parry, him-
felf alfo a bard of great repute, and whofe medals equal, if not
exceed in number, thofe of his brother.
Befides the more ferious bufinefs of the old Eifteddfods there
were triennial meetings of the Bards, at which the monarch
prefided and awarded the prizes.
The compofitions produced on fuch occafions, at a time
when the moft momentous events of the country were never
committed to writing, aflumed an important character, being
the hiftorical records of the time, the expreffion of public
opinion, and the affertion and maintenance of whatever great
truth was agitating the beft minds of the nation. A chief bard,
—the Bardd Cadeiriog, or chaired bard,—prefided over the
order, and by virtue of his rank was placed on a feat or chair
of dignity, and wore on his bread: a little filver or gold chair
as a badge.
Both bards and minftrels were originally a branch of the
Druidical hierarchy : the bard being the compofer of fong,
the poet in fa<St; the minftrel, the mufician who played on the
harp, or who alfo fang with it. The pennillion finging of
Wales is very ancient and remarkable ; it is improvifed finging
to the equally improvifed mufic of the harper.
All knowledge, civil or religious, was anciently preferved
orally, and in a metrical form for the more eafy committal to
memory. The metre of their verfe was a triad or ftanza of
three lines, each line compofed of feven fyllables ; the firft and
fecond containing only the fubject of the poem, and the third
conveying fome divine or moral precept. The bards Hill