Public Eisteddfod, Corwen, Denbighshire, Wales, UK
Posted by: Groundspeak Regular Member Ddraig Ddu
N 52° 58.834 W 003° 22.426
30U E 474905 N 5870173
Corwen was the site of the first Public Eisteddfod, a cultural session/festival of Welsh origin, this plaque marks the site of this first event.
Waymark Code: WMFN8H
Location: North Wales, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 11/07/2012
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member Brentorboxer
Views: 2

"The date of the first Eisteddfod is a matter of much debate among scholars, but boards for the judging of poetry definitely existed in Wales from at least as early as the twelfth century, and it is likely that the ancient Celtic bards had formalized ways of judging poetry as well.

The first Eisteddfod can be traced back to 1176, under the auspices of Lord Rhys, at his castle in Cardigan. There he held a grand gathering to which were invited poets and musicians from all over the country. A chair at the Lord's table was awarded to the best poet and musician, a tradition that prevails in the modern day National Eisteddfod. The earliest large scale Eisteddfod that can be proven beyond all doubt to have taken place, however, was the Carmarthen Eisteddfod, which took place in 1451.

The next recorded large-scale eisteddfod was held in Caerwys in 1568. The prizes awarded were a miniature silver chair to the successful poet, a little silver crwth to the winning fiddler, a silver tongue to the best singer, and a tiny silver harp to the best harpist.

Originally, the contests were limited to professional Welsh bards who were paid by the nobility. To ensure the highest standard possible, Elizabeth I of England commanded that the bards be examined and licensed. As interest in the Welsh arts declined, the standard of the main eisteddfod deteriorated as well and they became more informal.

In 1789, Thomas Jones organised an eisteddfod in Corwen where for the first time the public were admitted. The success of this event led to a revival of interest in Welsh literature and music."

With thanks to;- (visit link)
Type of Historic Marker: Plaque

Historical Marker Issuing Authority: Denbighshire Council

Age/Event Date: 01/01/1789

Related Website: [Web Link]

Give your Rating:

Visit Instructions:
Please submit your visiting log with a picture of the object and include some interesting information about your visit.
Search for...
Geocaching.com Google Map
Google Maps
MapQuest
Bing Maps
Nearest Waymarks
Nearest UK Historical Markers
Nearest Geocaches
Create a scavenger hunt using this waymark as the center point
Recent Visits/Logs:
There are no logs for this waymark yet.