Hedd Wyn was a Welsh-language poet who was killed on the first day of the Battle of Passchendaele during World War I. He was posthumously awarded the bard's chair at the 1917 National Eisteddfod. Evans, who had been awarded several chairs for his poetry, was inspired to take the bardic name Hedd Wyn from the way sunlight penetrated the mist in the Meirionnydd valleys.
In Welsh culture, an eisteddfod is a Welsh festival of literature, music and performance. The tradition of such a meeting of Welsh artists dates back to at least the 12th century, when a festival of poetry and music was held by Rhys ap Gruffydd of Deheubarth at his court in Cardigan in 1176, but the decline of the bardic tradition made it fall into abeyance. The current format owes much to an 18th-century revival arising out of a number of informal eisteddfodau. The closest English equivalent to eisteddfod is "session"; the word is formed from two Welsh morphemes: eistedd, meaning "sit", and bod, meaning "be". In some countries, the term eisteddfod is used for certain types of performing arts competitions that have nothing to do with Welsh culture.
A gorsedd plural gorseddau, is a community or meeting of modern-day bards. The word is of Welsh origin, meaning "throne". It is often spelled gorsedh in Cornwall and goursez in Brittany, reflecting the spellings in the Cornish and Breton languages, respectively.
Archdruid is the title used by the presiding official of the Gorsedd. The Archdruid presides over the most important ceremonies at the National Eisteddfod of Wales including the Crowning of the Bard, the award of the Prose Medal and the Chairing of the Bard. Although Iolo Morganwg was the first to preside over the Gorsedd when the National Eisteddfod came into being, his successor David Griffith, under the bardic name "Clwydfardd", was the first to be known by the official title "Archdruid".
The National Eisteddfod of Wales is the most important of several eisteddfodau that are held annually, mostly in Wales. Its eight days of competitions and performances are considered the largest music and poetry festival in Europe. Competitors typically number 6,000 or more, and overall attendance generally exceeds 150,000 visitors. The 2018 Eisteddfod was held in Cardiff Bay.
Thomas Llewelyn Jones was a Welsh language writer who, over a writing career of more than 50 years, was one of the most prolific and popular authors of children's books in Welsh. He wrote, and was generally known, as T. Llew Jones.
The Crowning of the Bard is one of the most important events in an eisteddfod. The most famous such ceremony takes place at the National Eisteddfod of Wales, and is normally on the Monday afternoon of Eisteddfod week.
Sir (Albert) Cynan Evans-Jones CBE, more commonly known within Wales by his bardic name of Cynan, was a Welsh poet and dramatist.
Rev. Rowland Williams, commonly known by his bardic name "Hwfa Môn", was a Welsh clergyman and poet, who served as Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales from 1895 to 1905.
Dewi Morgan, also known by his bardic name "Dewi Teifi", was a Welsh bard, scholar and journalist, who won the Chair at the 1925 National Eisteddfod of Wales in Pwllheli with his important awdl recounting the legend of Cantre'r Gwaelod.
T. James Jones is a Welsh poet and dramatist, and former Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales. He is also known by the bardic name Jim Parc Nest.
David Griffith, known by the bardic name of "Clwydfardd", was a Welsh poet and Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales.
Geraint Lloyd Owen is a Welsh-language poet, also known by his bardic name Geraint Llifon. He is a retired head teacher and is the Archdruid of the Gorsedd between 2016 and 2019.
Selwyn Griffith was a Welsh language poet and the Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales, known by the bardic name Selwyn Iolen.
Emrys Roberts was a Welsh language poet and author, who was Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales.
Christine James is a Welsh poet and academic who was Archdruid of Wales from June 2013 until June 2016, as the first woman to hold the title. She first presided over the ceremonies at the National Eisteddfod in the 2013 Eisteddfod in Denbigh. Like all holders, she qualified by winning one of the major literary prizes at a previous National Eisteddfod. She was elected Cofiadur (Recorder) of the Gorsedd of Bards at the National Eisteddfod in 2017, again as the first woman to hold the post. She is a recipient of the Wales Book of the Year.
Taliesin Williams was a Welsh poet and author, and son of notable literary forger Iolo Morganwg.
Myrddin ap Dafydd is a Welsh editor and prifardd. He was educated in the town schools and Coleg Prifysgol Aberystwyth. He founded the Gwasg Carreg Gwalch publishing company.
The 1176 Cardigan eisteddfod, as it is commonly described, was a cultural tournament involving bards and musicians, held in the grounds of Cardigan Castle, Cardigan, West Wales, by the Lord Rhys ap Gruffydd. Though the term 'Eisteddfodd' was not commonly used until several centuries later, the 1176 gathering is commonly claimed to be the earliest recorded forerunner of the modern national eisteddfod event.
