Eisteddfod, the

The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature | 2003 | 700+ words | Copyright

Eisteddfod, the. It has its origins in medieval Wales, in the formal gatherings of professional poets. The first may have been held in Cardigan in 1176. However, the structure and practices of the modern bardic establishment, the gorsedd, were devised in the late 18th cent. by the antiquary and opium addict Edward Williams, ‘Iolo Morganwg’. The ceremony of chairing the winning poet became an integral part of the local, regional, and school eisteddfodau, and of the national youth eisteddfod. The National Eisteddfod, a week-long peripatetic festival held annually in August, alternately in north and south Wales, is the most important. Prose, drama, music, dance, arts and crafts, and a host of fringe and youth activities have been added. The introduction of a ‘Welsh only’ rule in 1937 has helped to make it the most important cultural event in the calendar for Welsh speakers.

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MARGARET DRABBLE and JENNY STRINGER. "Eisteddfod, the." The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

MARGARET DRABBLE and JENNY STRINGER. "Eisteddfod, the." The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O54-Eisteddfodthe.html

MARGARET DRABBLE and JENNY STRINGER. "Eisteddfod, the." The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature. 2003. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O54-Eisteddfodthe.html

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