Chairing of the Bard

The Chairing of the Bard (Welsh: Cadeirio'r Bardd) is one of the most important events in the Welsh eisteddfod tradition. The most famous chairing ceremony takes place at the National Eisteddfod of Wales, and is always on the Friday afternoon of Eisteddfod week.[1] Winners are referred to as Y Prifardd (literally "The Chief Bard"). The custom of chairing the bard is, however, much older than the modern eisteddfod ceremony, and is known to have taken place as early as 1176.[2]

The chairing ceremony of the 1958 National Eisteddfod; the victorious poet was T. Llew Jones[3]
The chair posthumously awarded to Taliesin o Eifion at the Wrexham Eisteddfod in 1876[4]
Robin Llwyd ab Owain chaired in 1991

A new bardic chair is specially designed and made for each eisteddfod and is awarded to the winning entrant in the competition for the "awdl", poetry written in a strict metre form known as cynghanedd. It is possible for the chair to be withheld, if the standard of entries is not considered high enough by the judges. This was the case in 1889, when a chair made for a minor eisteddfod at Bagillt, in Flintshire, was not awarded. The chair in question made news in 2006, when it was returned to Wales after being acquired by a local Welsh society in Canada.[5] The withholding of the chair happened most recently in 2013 at the Eisteddfod in Denbigh.[6]

The National Eisteddfod ceremony is presided over by the Archdruid, who asks for a representative of judges to comment on the entries, before he announces the identity of the bard, using only the pen name that the winner has used to submit the work. Up to this point, no one knows the true identity of the bard, who is asked to stand and is then escorted to the stage. Local children perform a dance to honour the new bard.

In 1917, Hedd Wyn (Ellis Humphrey Evans) was awarded the Chair for his ode "Yr Arwr" ("The Hero"). On 6 September 1917, when the ceremony of Chairing of the Bard took place at the National Eisteddfod, held at Birkenhead Park, England, the adjudicators announced that the winning entry had been submitted under the pseudonym Fleur de Lys. After the trumpets had summoned the winner three times to stand forth from the audience, Archdruid Dyfed announced that he had been killed in action six weeks earlier. The winner's chair was then draped in a black sheet, and was thus delivered to the parents of Hedd Wyn. That year's eisteddfod is now referred to in the Welsh language as "Eisteddfod y Gadair Ddu" ("The Eisteddfod of the Black Chair").

The chair from that ceremony, which was made by a Belgian carpenter, Eugeen Vanfleteren (1880–1950), who had fled to Britain when Belgium was invaded and had settled in Birkenhead,[7] is on display at Yr Ysgwrn, the poet's former home.[8]

Winning the "double" of bardic chair and crown at the same eisteddfod is a feat that has only been performed a handful of times in the history of the eisteddfod. Alan Llwyd and Donald Evans have each performed the double twice.[9]

The first woman to win the Chair at the National Eisteddfod was Mererid Hopwood in 2001; she went on to win the crown at a later eisteddfod.

Winners of the chair at the National Eisteddfod

Year Location Poem Poet[10] Bardic name
1876WrexhamThomas Jones[4]Taliesin o Eifion
1877CaernarfonIeuenctidWilliam Roberts (Porthmadog)Gwilym Eryri
1880CaernarfonAthrylithW B JosephY Myfyr
1881Merthyr TydfilCariadEvan ReesDyfed
1882DenbighDynNo winner
1883CardiffY LlongNo winner
1884LiverpoolGwilym HiraethogEvan ReesDyfed
1885AberdareY Gwir yn Erbyn y BydWatkin Hesekiah WilliamsWatcyn Wyn
1886CaernarfonGobaithRichard DaviesTafolog
1887LondonY Frenhines VictoriaRobert Arthur Williams
1888WrexhamPeroriaethThomas JonesTudno
1889BreconY Beibl CymraegEvan ReesDyfed
1890BangorY LlafurwrThomas JonesTudno
1891SwanseaYr HaulJohn Owen WilliamsPedrog
1892RhylY CenhadwrEvan JonesGurnos
1893PontypriddPulpud CymruJ Ceulanydd Williams
1894CaernarfonHunanaberthH. Elvet LewisElfed
1895LlanelliDedwyddwchJohn Owen WilliamsPedrog
1896LlandudnoTuhwnt i'r LlenBen Davies
1897NewportBrawdgarwchJ. T. JobJob
1898Blaenau FfestiniogAwenR. O. HughesElfyn
1899CardiffGladstoneNo winner
1900LiverpoolY BugailJohn Owen WilliamsPedrog
1901Merthyr TydfilY DiwygiwrEvan ReesDyfed
1902BangorYmadawiad ArthurT. Gwynn Jones
1903LlanelliY CeltJohn Thomas JobJob
1904RhylGeraint ac EnidMachreth Rees
1905Mountain AshGorau arf, DysgNo winner
1906CaernarfonY LloerJ. J. Williams
1907SwanseaJohn BunyanT Davies
1908LlangollenCeiriogJ J Williams
1909LondonGwlad y BryniauT. Gwynn Jones
1910Colwyn BayYr HafR. Williams Parry
1911CarmarthenIorwerth VIIGwilym Ceiriog
1912WrexhamY MynyddT. H. Parry-Williams
1913AbergavennyAelwyd y CymroT J ThomasSarnicol
1914Not held: First World WarN/AN/AN/A
1915BangorEryriT H Parry-Williams
1916AberystwythYstrad FflurJ Ellis Williams
1917PenbedwYr ArwrEllis EvansHedd Wyn
1918NeathEu Nêr a FolantJ T JobJob
1919CorwenY ProffwydCledlyn Davies
1920BarryYr Oes AurNo winner
1921CaernarfonMin y Môr MeurynR J Rowlands
1922AmmanfordY GaeafJohn Lloyd-Jones
1923MoldDychweliad ArthurCledlyn Davies
1924PontypoolI'r Duw nid AdwaenirAlbert Evans-JonesCynan
1925PwllheliCantre'r GwaelodDewi Morgan
1926SwanseaY MynachD. Gwenallt JonesGwenallt
1927HolyheadY DerwyddNo winner
1928TreorchyY SantNo winner
1929LiverpoolDafydd ap GwilymDewi Emrys
1930LlanelliY GalileadDewi Emrys
1931BangorBreuddwyd y BarddD. Gwenallt Jones
1932AberafanMamD J Davies
1933WrexhamHarlechEdgar PhillipsTrefin
1934NeathOgof ArthurW Morris
1935CaernarfonMagdalenGwyndaf Evans
1936FishguardTy DdewiSimon B Jones
1937MachynllethY FfinT. Rowland Hughes
1938CardiffRwy'n Edrych Dros y Bryniau PellGwilym R Jones
1939DenbighA hi yn dyddhauNo winner
1940Mountain Ash (radio)PererinionThomas Rowland Hughes
1941Old ColwynHydrefRowland Jones
1942CardiganRhyfel neu "Creiddylad"No winner
1943BangorCymylau AmserDewi Emrys
1944LlandybieOfnD Lloyd Jenkins
1945RhosYr Oes AurT Parry Jones
1946Mountain AshAwdl Foliant i'r AmaethwrGeraint Bowen
1947Colwyn BayMaelgwn GwyneddJohn Eilian
1948BridgendYr AlltudDewi Emrys
1949DolgellauY GraigRowland Jones
1950CaerphillyAwdl Foliant i'r GlowrGwilym Tilsley | Tilsli
1951LlanrwstY DyffrynBrinley Richards
1952AberystwythDwyloJohn Evans
1953RhylY FforddE Lloyd Williams
1954YstradgynlaisYr ArgaeJohn Evans
1955PwllheliGwrtheyrnG Ceri Jones
1956AberdareGwraigMathonwy Hughes
1957LlangefniCwm CarneddGwilym Tilsley
1958Ebbw ValeCaerllion ar WysgT. Llew Jones
1959CaernarfonY DringwrT Llew Jones
1960CardiffDydd Barn or "Morgannwg"No winner
1961RhosllanerchrugogAwdl Foliant i GymruEmrys Edwards
1962LlanelliLlef un yn LlefainCaradog Pritchard
1963LlandudnoGenesisNo winner
1964SwanseaPatagoniaR Bryn Williams
1965NewtownYr YmchwilW D Williams
1966AberafanCynhaeafDic JonesDic yr Hendre
1967BalaY GwyddonyddEmrys Roberts
1968BarryAwdl Foliant i'r MorwrR Bryn Williams
1969FlintYr AlwadJames Nicholas
1970AmmanfordY Twrch TrwythTomi Evans
1971BangorY ChwarelwrEmrys Roberts
1972HaverfordwestPreselauDafydd Owen
1973RuthinLlef Dros y LleiafrifoeddAlan Llwyd
1974CarmarthenY DewinMoses Glyn Jones
1975CricciethAfonGerallt Lloyd Owen
1976CardiganGwanwynAlan Llwyd
1977WrexhamLlygreddDonald Evans
1978CardiffY DdinasNo winner
1979CaernarfonGwyneddNo winner
1980Lliw ValleyY FfwrnaisDonald Evans
1981MachynllethY FrwydrJohn Gwilym Jones
1982SwanseaCilmeriGerallt Lloyd Owen
1983AngleseyYnysEinion Evans
1984LampeterY Pethau BychainAled Rhys Wiliam
1985RhylCynefinRobat Powell
1986FishguardY CwmwlGwynn ap Gwilym
1987PorthmadogLlanw a ThraiIeuan Wyn
1988NewportStormElwyn Edwards
1989LlanrwstY DaithIdris Reynolds
1990Rhymney ValleyGwythiennauMyrddin ap Dafydd
1991MoldAwdl Foliant Merch ein HamserauRobin Llwyd ab Owain
1992AberystwythA Fo Ben ...Idris Reynolds
1993LlanelweddGwawrMeirion MacIntyre Huws
1994NeathChwyldroEmyr Lewis
1995AbergeleY MôrTudur Dylan Jones
1996LlandeiloGrisiauR O Williams
1997BalaGwaddolCeri Wyn Jones
1998BridgendFflamauNo winner
1999AngleseyPontyddGwenallt Llwyd Ifan
2000LlanelliAgoredLlion Jones
2001DenbighDadeniMererid Hopwood
2002St David'sLlwybrauMyrddin ap Dafydd
2003MeifodDrysauTwm Morys
2004NewportTir NebHuw Meirion Edwards
2005SnowdoniaGorwelionTudur Dylan Jones
2006SwanseaTonnauGwynfor ab Ifor
2007FlintshireFfinT. James Jones
2008CardiffTir NewyddHilma Ll. Edwards
2009MeirionCyffroNo winner
2010Blaenau Gwent and heads of the valleysEnnill TirTudur Hallam
2011WrexhamClawdd TerfynRhys Iorwerth
2012Vale of GlamorganLlanwDylan Iorwerth
2013DenbighshireLleisiauNo winner
2014CarmarthenshireLlochesCeri Wyn Jones
2015Montgomery and borderlandsGweHywel Griffiths
2016MonmouthshireFfiniauAneirin Karadog
2017AngleseyArwrOsian Rhys Jones
2018CardiffPorthGruffudd Eifion Owen
2019LlanrwstGorwelionT. James Jones[11]
2020 Not held: COVID-19 pandemic N/A N/A N/A
2021 "Eisteddfod AmGen" (on-line virtual eisteddfod) Deffro Gwenallt Llwyd Ifan
2022 Tregaron Traeth Llŷr Gwyn Lewis
2023 Llŷn ac Eifionydd Llif Alan Llwyd

Multiple wins

Name Number of wins Years
Evan Rees 4 1881, 1884, 1889, 1901
Thomas Jones 3 1876, 1888, 1890
John Owen Williams 3 1891, 1895, 1900
Alan Llwyd 3 1973, 1976, 2023
T Gwyn Jones 2 1902, 1909
JJ Williams 2 1906, 1908
TH Parry Williams 2 1912, 1915
Cledlyn Davies 2 1919, 1923
D Gwenallt Jones 2 1926, 1931
Dewi Emrys 4 1929, 1930, 1943, 1948
T. Rowland Hughes 2 1937, 1940
Rowland Jones 2 1941, 1949
Gwilym Tilley 2 1950, 1957
T Llew Jones 2 1958, 1959
R Bryn Williams 2 1964, 1968
Emrys Roberts 2 1967, 1971
Gerallt Lloyd Owen 2 1975, 1982
Donald Evans 2 1977, 1980
Idris Reynolds 2 1989, 1992
Tudur Dylan Jones 2 1995, 2005
Ceri Wyn Jones 2 1997, 2014
T James Jones 2 2007, 2019

References

  1. "Eisteddfod History". BBC. Archived from the original on 4 September 2009. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
  2. "The Chairing Ceremony". National Museum of Wales. Archived from the original on 7 January 2014. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
  3. "National Eisteddfod celebrates the 100th anniversary of the birth of celebrated writer T. Llew Jones". Wales Online. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
  4. Evans, William. "Jones, Thomas (Taliesin o Eifion; 1820 – 1876), poet". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
  5. "Bardic chair returns to village". BBC News. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
  6. "National Eisteddfod: Chair prize withheld from poets". BBC News. 2013-08-09. Retrieved 2021-07-22.
  7. Dehandschutter, Lieven (2001). Hedd Wyn. A Welsh tragedy in Flanders. Vormingscentrum Lodewijk Dosfel (Gent, Flanders, Belgium. p. 47.
  8. "BBC News – Wales honours: Libyan Mahdi Jibani MBE for medical and interfaith work". Bbc.co.uk. 2012-12-29. Retrieved 2014-05-19.
  9. "The Chairing of the Bard". National Library of Wales. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
  10. "Winners of the Chair". National Eisteddfod. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  11. Eryl Crump (9 August 2019). "Former Archdruid T James Jones wins the 2019 National Eisteddfod chair". Daily Post.
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