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The National Eisteddfod of Wales (
Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...
: ') is the largest of several
eisteddfod In Welsh culture, an ''eisteddfod'' is an institution and festival with several ranked competitions, including in poetry and music. The term ''eisteddfod'', which is formed from the Welsh morphemes: , meaning 'sit', and , meaning 'be', means, a ...
au that are held annually, mostly in
Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
. 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 Cardiff Bay ( cy, Bae Caerdydd; historically Tiger Bay; colloquially "The Bay") is an area and freshwater lake in Cardiff, Wales. The site of a former tidal bay and estuary, it serves as the river mouth of the River Taff and Ely. The body of w ...
with a fence-free '
Maes Maes may refer to: People * Maes (surname), including a list of persons with the name * Maes (rapper) (born 1995), French rapper of Moroccan origin * Maes Titianus, an ancient Roman traveler of Macedonian culture Fictional characters * Maes Hug ...
'. In 2020, the event was held virtually under the name AmGen; events were held over a one-week period.


History

The
National Museum of Wales National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...
says that "the history of the Eisteddfod may etraced back to a bardic competition held by the
Lord Rhys Rhys ap Gruffydd, commonly known as The Lord Rhys, in Welsh ''Yr Arglwydd Rhys'' (c. 1132 – 28 April 1197) was the ruler of the Welsh kingdom of Deheubarth in south Wales from 1155 to 1197 and native Prince of Wales. It was believed that he ...
in Cardigan Castle in 1176", and local Eisteddfodau have certainly been held for many years prior to the first national Eisteddfod. There have been multiple Eisteddfodau held on a national scale in Wales, such as the Gwyneddigion Eisteddfod of , the Provincial Eisteddfodau from 1819 to 1834, the Abergavenny Eisteddfodau of 1835 to 1851, and The Great Llangollen Eisteddfod of 1858, but the National Eisteddfod of Wales as an organisation traces its history back to the first event held in 1861, in
Aberdare Aberdare ( ; cy, Aberdâr) is a town in the Cynon Valley area of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, at the confluence of the Rivers Dare (Dâr) and Cynon. Aberdare has a population of 39,550 (mid-2017 estimate). Aberdare is south-west of Merthyr Tyd ...
. One of the most dramatic events in Eisteddfod history was the award of the 1917 chair to the poet Ellis Humphrey Evans,
bardic name A bardic name (, ) is a pseudonym used in Wales, Cornwall, or Brittany by poets and other artists, especially those involved in the eisteddfod movement. The Welsh term bardd ("poet") originally referred to the Welsh poets of the Middle Ages, who m ...
Hedd Wyn Hedd Wyn (born Ellis Humphrey Evans, 13 January 188731 July 1917) 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 ...
, for the poem ''Yr Arwr'' (The Hero). The winner was announced, and the crowd waited for the winner to stand up to accept the traditional congratulations before the chairing ceremony, but no winner appeared. It was then announced that Hedd Wyn had been killed the previous month on the battlefield at Passchendaele in Belgium. These events were portrayed in the
Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
nominated film ''
Hedd Wyn Hedd Wyn (born Ellis Humphrey Evans, 13 January 188731 July 1917) 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 ...
''. In 1940, during the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, the Eisteddfod was not held, for fear that it would be a bombing target. Instead, the BBC broadcast an Eisteddfod radio programme, and the Chair, Crown and a Literature Medal (as opposed to the usual Prose Medal) were awarded. From 1950 onward, a newly created rule required all competitions to be held in
Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...
. However, settings of the
mass Mass is an intrinsic property of a body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the quantity of matter in a physical body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physics. It was found that different atoms and different elementar ...
in Latin are allowed and this has been controversially used to allow concerts featuring international soloists. In recent years efforts have been made to attract more non-Welsh speakers to the event, with the official website stating "everyone is welcome at the Eisteddfod, whatever language they speak". The Eisteddfod offers bilingual signage and simultaneous-translation of many events though wireless headphones. There is also a Welsh-learners area called Maes D. These efforts have helped increase takings, and the 2006 Eisteddfod reported a profit of over £100,000, despite costing £2.8m to stage. The Eisteddfod attracts some 160,000 people annually. The National Eisteddfod in Cardiff (2008) drew record crowds, with over 160,000 visitors attending. It was proposed that the 2018 National Eisteddfod in Cardiff would use permanent buildings to host events rather than in the traditional
Maes Maes may refer to: People * Maes (surname), including a list of persons with the name * Maes (rapper) (born 1995), French rapper of Moroccan origin * Maes Titianus, an ancient Roman traveler of Macedonian culture Fictional characters * Maes Hug ...
site and tents. This was due partially to a lack of suitable land that could be repaired affordably after the festival. It was billed as an "Eisteddfod with no fence" in the media and was held at Cardiff Bay. The 2019 Eisteddfod in
Llanrwst Llanrwst ('church or parish of Saint Grwst'; ) is a market town and community on the A470 road and the River Conwy, in Conwy County Borough, Wales, and the historic county of Denbighshire. It developed round the wool trade and became known als ...
returned to the traditional
Maes Maes may refer to: People * Maes (surname), including a list of persons with the name * Maes (rapper) (born 1995), French rapper of Moroccan origin * Maes Titianus, an ancient Roman traveler of Macedonian culture Fictional characters * Maes Hug ...
. The 2020 Eisteddfod was postponed for 12 months because of the international
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
. This was the first year an Eisteddfod hadn't taken place since 1914, when the event was cancelled at short notice because of the outbreak of the
Great War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
.


Attendance

(''incomplete'')


Overview

The National Eisteddfod is traditionally held in the first week of August, and the competitions are all held in the
Welsh language Welsh ( or ) is a Celtic language family, Celtic language of the Brittonic languages, Brittonic subgroup that is native to the Welsh people. Welsh is spoken natively in Wales, by some in England, and in Y Wladfa (the Welsh colony in Chubut P ...
. However, settings of the
mass Mass is an intrinsic property of a body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the quantity of matter in a physical body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physics. It was found that different atoms and different elementar ...
in Latin are allowed and this has been controversially used to allow concerts featuring international soloists. The venue is officially proclaimed a year in advance, at which time the themes and texts for the competitions are published. The organisation for the location will have begun a year or more earlier, and locations are generally known two or three years ahead. The
Eisteddfod Act In Welsh culture, an ''eisteddfod'' is an institution and festival with several ranked competitions, including in poetry and music. The term ''eisteddfod'', which is formed from the Welsh morphemes: , meaning 'sit', and , meaning 'be', means, ...
of 1959 allowed local authorities to give financial support to the event. Traditionally, the Eisteddfod venue alternates between north and south Wales; the decision to hold both the 2014 and 2015 Eisteddfodau in South Wales was thus seen as controversial, but the decision was later reversed and Montgomeryshire named as host county for 2015.Site for the Eisteddfod until 2016
at BBC Wales, 8 July 2010
Occasionally the Eisteddfod has been held in England, although the last occasion was in 1929. Hundreds of tents, pavilions and booths are erected in an open space to create the ''
Maes Maes may refer to: People * Maes (surname), including a list of persons with the name * Maes (rapper) (born 1995), French rapper of Moroccan origin * Maes Titianus, an ancient Roman traveler of Macedonian culture Fictional characters * Maes Hug ...
'' (field). The space required for this means that it is rare for the Eisteddfod to be in a city or town: instead it is held somewhere with more space. Car parking for day visitors alone requires several large fields, and many people camp on the site for the whole week. The festival has a quasi-
druidic 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. Whi ...
flavour, with the main literary prizes for poetry and prose being awarded in colourful and dramatic ceremonies under the auspices 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 r ...
of Bards of the Island of Britain, complete with prominent figures in Welsh cultural life dressed in flowing druidic costumes, flower dances, trumpet fanfares and a symbolic Horn of Plenty. However, 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 r ...
is not an ancient institution or a pagan ceremony but rather a romantic creation by
Iolo Morganwg Edward Williams, better known by his bardic name Iolo Morganwg (; 10 March 1747 – 18 December 1826), was a Welsh antiquarian, poet and collector.Jones, Mary (2004)"Edward Williams/Iolo Morganwg/Iolo Morgannwg" From ''Jones' Celtic Encyclopedi ...
in the 1790s, which first became a formal part of the Eisteddfod ceremonial in 1819. Nevertheless, it is taken very seriously, and an award of a crown or a chair for poetry is a great honour. The Chairing and Crowning ceremonies are the highlights of the week, and are presided over by the
Archdruid 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 and the Chairing of the ...
. Other important awards include the (first introduced in 1937) and
Welsh Learner of the Year List of winners of the Welsh Learner of the Year (''Tlws Dysgwr y Flwyddyn''), a competition held every year at the National Eisteddfod of Wales. * 1983 - Shirley Flower, Clwyd * 1986 - Alan Whittick, Powys * 1988 - Jenny Pye, Llanbedrgoch, Angle ...
award (first introduced in 1983). If no stone circle is there already, one is created out of
Gorsedd stones Gorsedd Stones ( cy, Cerrig yr Orsedd) are groups of standing stones constructed for the National Eisteddfod of Wales. They form an integral part of the druidic Gorsedd ceremonies of the Eisteddfod. The stones can be found as commemorative stru ...
, usually taken from the local area. These stone circles are icons all across Wales and signify the Eisteddfod having visited a community. As a cost-saving measure, the 2005 Eisteddfod was the first to use a temporary "fibre-glass stone" circle for the druidic ceremonies instead of a permanent stone circle. This also has the benefit of bringing the Gorsedd ceremonies onto the ''maes'': previously they were often held many miles away, hidden from most of the public. As well as the main pavilion with the main stage, there are other venues through the week. Some are fixtures every year, hosting gigs (Maes B/Llwyfan y Maes/Caffi Maes B). Other fixtures of the ''maes'' are the ''Pabell Lên'' (literature pavilion), the ''Neuadd Ddawns'' (dance hall), the ''Pabell Wyddoniaeth a Thechnoleg'' (science and technology pavilion), ''Maes D'' (learners' pavilion), at least one theatre, ''Y Cwt Drama'' (the drama hut), ''Tŷ Gwerin'' (folk house), ''
Y Lle Celf Y Lle Celf ( Welsh 'The Art Place', ) is an annual art, craft and architecture exhibition held during the National Eisteddfod of Wales, claimed to be the biggest temporary art exhibition in Europe. Description Y Lle Celf is created every year for ...
'' ("the Art Place") and hundreds of ''stondinau'' (stands and booths) where groups, societies, councils, charities and shops exhibit and sell. Since 2004, alcohol has been sold on the ''maes''; previously there was a no-alcohol policy.


Poetry awards

The Eisteddfod's most well-known awards are those for poetry.


Chairing of the Bard


Crowning of the Bard


Welsh-language album of the year

In 2014, the Eisteddfod began to award a Welsh-language Album of the Year (Albwm Cymraeg Y Flwyddyn) during its Maes B event.


National Eisteddfod venues

(Venues in England are in italics) The Eisteddfod has visited all the traditional counties of Wales. It has visited five of the six cities in Wales: Bangor, Cardiff, Newport, St David's and Swansea; it has never visited
St Asaph St Asaph (; cy, Llanelwy "church on the Elwy") is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and community (Wales), community on the River Elwy in Denbighshire, Wales. In the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011 Census it had a population of 3,355 ...
, which has only been a city since 2012.


See also

*
Gold Medal (National Eisteddfod of Wales) The Gold Medal (Welsh: ''Medal Aur'') of the National Eisteddfod of Wales is awarded annually in three categories for excellence in Fine Art, Architecture, or Craft and Design. Background The National Eisteddfod of Wales is Wales' most important n ...
*
Royal National Mòd The Royal National Mòd ( gd, Am Mòd Nàiseanta Rìoghail) is an Eisteddfod-inspired international Celtic festival focusing upon Scottish Gaelic literature, traditional music, and culture which is held annually in Scotland. It is the largest ...
*
Welsh Learner of the Year List of winners of the Welsh Learner of the Year (''Tlws Dysgwr y Flwyddyn''), a competition held every year at the National Eisteddfod of Wales. * 1983 - Shirley Flower, Clwyd * 1986 - Alan Whittick, Powys * 1988 - Jenny Pye, Llanbedrgoch, Angle ...


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:National Eisteddfod Of Wales Welsh music awards Arts festivals in Wales Eisteddfod Music festivals in Wales Welsh-language music Music festivals established in 1861 Annual events in Wales August events Celtic music festivals 1861 establishments in Wales Summer events in Wales