The Bard of Bath is the winner of an annual competition to find

Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Plac ...

's best poet, singer or storyteller. The Bard uses the title to develop artistic projects in the area and leads evening bardic walks around the city. The title resurrects an Iron-Age Celtic Druid tradition where

Druids A druid was a member of the high-ranking class in ancient Celtic cultures. Druids were religious leaders as well as legal authorities, adjudicators, lorekeepers, medical professionals and political advisors. Druids left no written accounts. Wh ...

were the law-makers, judges and ceremonial leaders,

Ovates In modern English, the nouns vates () and ovate (, ), are used as technical terms for ancient Celtic bards, prophets and philosophers. The terms correspond to a Proto-Celtic word which can be reconstructed as *''wātis''.Bernhard Maier, ''Dictio ...

were mediums, healers and prophets and

Bards In Celtic cultures, a bard is a professional story teller, verse-maker, music composer, oral historian and genealogist, employed by a patron (such as a monarch or chieftain) to commemorate one or more of the patron's ancestors and to praise ...

were poets, musicians and history-keepers. All of them held high status and a place in mystical/religious circles. Each Chaired Bard becomes a member of the

Gorsedd A gorsedd (, plural ''gorseddau'') is a community or meeting of modern-day bards. The word is of Welsh origin, meaning "throne". It is spelled gorsedh in Cornish and goursez in Breton. When the term is used without qualification, it usually ...

and retains their title (specified by year). The current Bard of Bath, as of February 2020, is Tick Rowley.

Winners

* Tim Sebastian, 1996–97 * Richard Carder, 1997-8 * Kevan Manwaring, 1998-9 * Olivia Hicks, 1999–2000 * Julian Landau, 2000-1 * Brendan Georgeson, 2001-2 * Mark Lindsey Earley, 2002-3 * Helen Moore, 2003-4 * Jordan Ashley Hill 2004-5 * Mo the People's Nun, 2005-6 * Ash Mandrake, 2006–2007 * Thommie Gillow, 2007–2008 * Master Duncan, 2008–2009 * Jack Dean, 2009–2010 * Jennifer Walter 2010-2012 (re-elected) * 2012-2013 No Chair awarded * Mark Westmore 2013-2014 * Sheila Broun 2014-2015 * Conor Whelan, 2019–20 * Tick Rowley, 2020-2021

References

External links

* British poetry awards History of Bath, Somerset Neo-druidism Culture in Somerset {{England-stub