DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.61904#0130
118
CONWAY AND ITS CASTLE.
and a large fword figure confpicuoufly, various candidates,
women as well as men, are admitted to the enjoyment of the
bardic and other honours and dignities.
As regards the ftone and the fword of this ceremony, Mr.
Parry fays,—“ In the opening proclamation it is always ex-
prefled ‘ where there is no naked fword againft them,’ or
‘ where there is no weapon unfheathed againft them,’ a fymbol
intended to fignify that the bard is a teacher of peace. The
prefiding bard never takes the fword in hand by the hilt, but by
the fcabbard, half unfheathed, which the bards then graduated
pufh up to be finally fheathed, not touching the blade. One
of the queftions put to the candidate for bardic orders at the
gorfedd is, ‘ Wilt thou, on word and confcience, declare that
thou wilt exert all thy influence to maintain peace ?’
‘‘The ftone Chriftianity was introduced to Wales in the
apoftolic age ; but, in fact, it was Chriftianity engrafted on
Druidifm ; a mixture of both. Druidifm had its eflence, by
tradition, from the Patriarchal religion of the land of Canaan.
The ftone, or the cromlech, reprefented Druidifm : hence the
ancient motto ‘ Da’r maen gyda'r efengyf or ‘ The ftone is
good with the gofpel.’ ”
Nor, as may be fuppofed, is colour without its fymbolifm in
thefe ancient rites. The bard wears blue ribbon; the Ovate, a
branch of the Druidic order reprefenting the philofophers,
phyficians, mechanics, &c., green-, and the Druids white.
Here alfo we may mention, though fomewhat out of place,
the pretty pifturefque ancient Welfh coftume worn by two
young girls for the occafion, and which is always worn by a
certain Mary Salfbri of Conway, who received a reward of five
pounds from Lady Llanover in confequence.
In the meantime we enter the caftle, the interior court of
which has been transformed for the occafion into a magnificent
CONWAY AND ITS CASTLE.
and a large fword figure confpicuoufly, various candidates,
women as well as men, are admitted to the enjoyment of the
bardic and other honours and dignities.
As regards the ftone and the fword of this ceremony, Mr.
Parry fays,—“ In the opening proclamation it is always ex-
prefled ‘ where there is no naked fword againft them,’ or
‘ where there is no weapon unfheathed againft them,’ a fymbol
intended to fignify that the bard is a teacher of peace. The
prefiding bard never takes the fword in hand by the hilt, but by
the fcabbard, half unfheathed, which the bards then graduated
pufh up to be finally fheathed, not touching the blade. One
of the queftions put to the candidate for bardic orders at the
gorfedd is, ‘ Wilt thou, on word and confcience, declare that
thou wilt exert all thy influence to maintain peace ?’
‘‘The ftone Chriftianity was introduced to Wales in the
apoftolic age ; but, in fact, it was Chriftianity engrafted on
Druidifm ; a mixture of both. Druidifm had its eflence, by
tradition, from the Patriarchal religion of the land of Canaan.
The ftone, or the cromlech, reprefented Druidifm : hence the
ancient motto ‘ Da’r maen gyda'r efengyf or ‘ The ftone is
good with the gofpel.’ ”
Nor, as may be fuppofed, is colour without its fymbolifm in
thefe ancient rites. The bard wears blue ribbon; the Ovate, a
branch of the Druidic order reprefenting the philofophers,
phyficians, mechanics, &c., green-, and the Druids white.
Here alfo we may mention, though fomewhat out of place,
the pretty pifturefque ancient Welfh coftume worn by two
young girls for the occafion, and which is always worn by a
certain Mary Salfbri of Conway, who received a reward of five
pounds from Lady Llanover in confequence.
In the meantime we enter the caftle, the interior court of
which has been transformed for the occafion into a magnificent