Eisteddfod
Eisteddfod (Welsh, ‘Session’, from eistedd, ‘to sit’. Plural Eisteddfodau). The nat. Welsh gathering of bards and celebration of Welsh language and culture, dating in its present form from 1817, though it is said to date back, in one form or another, as far as the 7th cent., with a suspension throughout the entire 18th cent. and a few years before and after it. It now takes place annually (in Aug.) alternately in towns in N. and S. Wales. Degrees conferred on musicians by Gorsedd Beirdd Ynys Prydain (Throne of Bards of the Isle of Britain) are Cerdd Ofydd (Music Ovate), Cerddor (Musician), and Pencerdd (Chief Musician). Many local Eisteddfodau exist in the form of competitive fests. An int. Eisteddfod, at which choirs and dancers from all over the world compete, has been held annually in Llangollen since 1947.
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Eisteddfod
