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bardd

Bardd is the Welsh word for a bard or poet. In traditional Welsh culture, a bardd was a professional poet who served at courts, composed praise poetry for patrons, and preserved history and genealogies through oral and written composition. Bards were part of a learned, temple-like tradition and were skilled in the formal arts of Welsh verse, especially the intricate structures and musicality of cynghanedd.

Historically, the bardic profession flourished in medieval Wales. Bards created and recited awdlau (long poems), cywyddau

In the modern era, the term bardd remains a vital part of Welsh literary life. The revival

See also: Welsh poetry, cynghanedd, englyn, awdl, Eisteddfod, Gorsedd of Bards.

(verses
in
a
popular
metre),
and
englyns,
while
also
acting
as
genealogists
and
custodians
of
oral
history.
They
travelled
between
noble
households,
maintaining
memory
of
lineages,
heroes,
and
events.
The
plural
form
of
the
word
is
beirdd,
used
for
bards
collectively.
of
Welsh
culture
in
the
18th
and
19th
centuries
elevated
the
bardic
figure
within
the
ceremonial
Gorsedd
of
Bards,
founded
in
association
with
the
Eisteddfod,
a
festival
of
literature
and
music.
Today,
the
National
Eisteddfod
of
Wales
preserves
bardic
traditions,
awarding
prizes
such
as
the
Chair
for
the
best
long
poem
in
strict
metre
and
the
Crown
for
other
forms
of
poetry,
reflecting
the
enduring
ideal
of
mastery
in
language,
form,
and
performance.