The term Bard was used chiefly to signify a Celtic musician or poet.
The bard was a figure best known for his role in oral tradition. He sang great tales of the people and recounted splendid deeds of past and current kings. The bard, though, was not only a storyteller, but also a historian, wise man, genealogist, bringer of news, and an almost magical poet. These bards, as we know them today, were of high status and were granted honors befitting for a king. In fact, they were treated, quite literally, as kings.
Even kings themselves respected and held bards in high regard. In the time before the popularization of Christianity, “Irish society…ran on a “fame or shame” mentality” and Gaelic culture nearly revolved around their oral tradition (Judi). The kings of the Celtic people would hire men to sing their praises, curse their enemies, and perpetuate love for them. In Taliesen’s poems about his king, Urien, he constantly praises admirable attributes belonging to such rulers. They led comfortable lives, singing songs of adoration about their patrons and receiving countless benefits for their services. Such bards who served Gaelic rulers were referred to as “ollamh,” who were of the highest class that rivaled the king himself (Judi). When Englishmen came, during the Elizabethan era, “English nobility were horrified to see the Gaelic chieftains not just eating at the same table as their poets, but often from the same dish” (Judi).
However, once Christianity became popularized, the monk took over the keeping of records and wrote poems instead of memorizing them. The bards fell out of use and many saw their death as a step forward, for they had become too powerful for the liking of nobility. Along with the demise of the oral tradition, the human memory has shrunk from what it had once been. A single bard could recount scores of long, glorious poems, while a man today struggles to memorize a single paragraph or recall even what he had eaten for breakfast. Literacy is both a blessing and a curse. Why remember to do something when one could simply write a note to ensure it is done? The oral tradition was an invaluable part of the culture, but was swiftly replaced by writing.
Although bards have become obsolete, their memory lives on. People still sing today and songs continue to tell stories, though none as grand as those sung by men of old. Poems are still written and retold. Shakespeare himself is considered by some to be one of the final voices of the ancient bards. Today, musicians remember the bard and imitate the idea, either writing songs reminiscent of the bards or continuing to sing the older songs. An example of each is provided below.
In behint yon auld fail dyke,
I wot there lies o a new-slain knight
And naebody kens that he lies there-o
But his hawk, his hound, and his lady fair-o.
His hawk, his hound, and his lady fair.
-Twa Corbies – a Scottish song from Child’s Ballads (1600-1800s) rendered by The Old Blind Dogs
In a pleasant, wooded valley, lived a huntsman tall and able,
He relied on skill and cunning for the food upon his table.
He would walk the forest shadows with his little son in tow,
Teaching him the archer’s art and all that he should know.
-William Tell – a song written in modern times by Ken Theriot
Works Cited
Judi, and Admin. “The Fascinating History of the Irish Bardic Poets.” Old Moore’s Almanac, 6 Feb. 2019, https://oldmooresalmanac.com/the-history-of-the-irish-bardic-poets/.
