Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Cymru: 850 Years

 

Rhys ap Gruffudd, known as The Lord Rhys, was one of the most important princes of Wales in the 12th century. He was the ruler of Deheubarth in south-west Wales, and after the death of Owain Gwynedd in 1170, he was seen as the leading political force in Wales. Although he had a difficult childhood, marked by major losses for his family, he developed into a strong and determined leader. 

During his lifetime, Rhys succeeded in regaining his lands through fighting and by forming alliances with other Welsh princes. His relationship with the kings of England was complex, but in 1171 he was recognised as the lawful ruler of Deheubarth. He was also a major supporter of culture and the church in Wales. He is recognised as the patron of the first Eisteddfod, held at Cardigan Castle at Christmas in 1176. He died in 1197, and he is remembered today as a capable and influential leader in the history of Wales.

 

Eisteddfod 1176

In 1176, Lord Rhys ap Gruffydd held a historic gathering at his new castle in Cardigan, where poets, musicians and performers competed for the honour of the bardic chair. This occasion established a tradition that continues today in the National Eisteddfod of Wales, Europe’s largest travelling cultural festival, which celebrates the Welsh language, the arts and heritage. 

The event showed that Lord Rhys was a passionate supporter of Welsh culture. By organising the festival, he strengthened his position as the leading prince of Wales and helped to keep poetry, music and the Welsh language at the heart of national life in Wales. The history of the festival can be seen in the Chronicle of the Princes manuscript and every eisteddfod since then traces its roots back to this important festival in Cardigan.

 

Chronicle of the Princes, Peniarth 20, c. 1330

 

Cardigan Castle

The first castle at Cardigan was built around 1093 by the Normans, and ownership changed several times over the centuries. In 1166, Lord Rhys captured the castle, and in 1171 he began rebuilding it in stone as a symbol of his power. After his death in 1197, there was much fighting over the castle between Welsh princes and the Normans, and it was rebuilt several times. The remains seen today, overlooking the River Teifi, date from the 1200s. 

Later, the castle was damaged during the English Civil War and was used as a prison. In the 1800s, Castle Green House was built within the castle walls. By the 1900s, the buildings were in poor condition, but in 2003 the site was purchased by Ceredigion County Council and major restoration work began. Cardigan Castle reopened to the public in 2015. Today, it is home to accommodation, a restaurant, a heritage centre, historic gardens, and a venue for events and community activities.

 

Cardigan Castle by James Netwon, c. 1786

 

Celebrating the 850

In 2026, the National Eisteddfod is celebrating its 850th anniversary. As part of the celebrations, the Eisteddfod is running a project called Milltir Las: The Lord Rhys Journey. A giant puppet of Lord Rhys and his dog Teifi will travel around the Eisteddfod area in Pembrokeshire, south Ceredigion and west Carmarthenshire, visiting towns and villages that are home to some of Wales’s most famous poets. 

The project will end with a major event at Cardigan Castle. After a large procession through the town, leading poets of today and the Eisteddfod Chair will arrive at the castle in a flotilla on the river, and the Crown will arrive on horseback, before everyone is led into the castle for a major event to celebrate the Eisteddfod’s 850th anniversary. Many activities to celebrate will also take place on the Eisteddfod Maes in Llantwd from 1 to 8 August.

 

The Eisteddfod has a major impact on the culture of Wales by promoting the Welsh language across all kinds of arts. Through singing, music, poetry, drama and dance, it gives people a platform to use Welsh creatively and confidently. This helps to keep the language alive and relevant in the modern world. The Eisteddfod also supports modern Welsh culture. Alongside old traditions, there is space for contemporary bands, new artists, modern literature and contemporary art. This shows that the culture of Wales continues to develop and has not been left in the past. 

The impact is especially strong for young people. By taking part in competitions or visiting the Maes, many build confidence, learn new skills and develop pride in their Welsh identity. For some, the Eisteddfod is a first step towards careers in music, the media or the arts. 

More widely, the Eisteddfod brings communities across Wales together and promotes a sense of belonging. It celebrates the cultural diversity of Wales and shows that Welsh culture is alive, strong and relevant to everyone today.

 

Culture and The Eisteddfod

The Eisteddfod is an important festival that celebrates the Welsh language and the culture of Wales. People of all ages come together to take part and to enjoy what the Welsh language has to offer in an enjoyable and exciting way. Competition is a central part of the Eisteddfod. There are competitions in singing, music, poetry, recitation, dance and drama. These give people the opportunity to show their talents, build confidence and use Welsh in a creative way. 

The Maes is a busy and colourful place where there is a great deal to see and do. There are live performances, stalls, family activities and opportunities to meet new people. The Maes shows that Welsh is a living language which is part of modern life. The Eisteddfod is very important to our language and culture today. It encourages people to use Welsh and to be proud of it. By bringing people together, the Eisteddfod helps to keep Welsh strong for the future. 

The Eisteddfod has a long history dating back to 1176, when Lord Rhys held an Eisteddfod at Cardigan Castle. There, poets and musicians came together to compete and receive prizes for their talents. From the beginning, the Eisteddfod was a way of celebrating and keeping the culture of Wales alive. The modern National Eisteddfod began as an annual festival in 1861, and since then it has travelled around Wales every year. The Eisteddfod today combines old traditions with modern culture, reflecting the development of Wales and the Welsh language over time. 

Important ceremonies are at the heart of the Eisteddfod, such as the Chairing and the Crowning, which honour poetry of the highest standard. Alongside these, there is a wide range of other competitions, including singing, music, dance and drama. The Blue Ribbon, for example, is a very important singing competition for young voices. Over the years, many famous winners have emerged through the Eisteddfod. The world-famous opera singer Bryn Terfel is an example of an artist who succeeded on the Eisteddfod stage and went on to have an international career. Contemporary poets such as Mererid Hopwood, Rhys Iorwerth and Guto Dafydd have also won major prizes, showing that the Eisteddfod continues to be an important centre for our language and culture today.

 

The National Eisteddfod is a major project that brings communities together. Preparations begin up to two years before the festival, with a public meeting where everyone can come to hear more and get involved. A working committee is elected, and local people then begin thinking about creative ideas. They also create the list of subjects – the competitions for things like poetry, singing and writing. 

As the planning moves forward, the community is divided into areas (or wards), and fundraising and promotion begin. Many activities take place, such as social evenings, concerts and community events, to raise money and let people know that the Eisteddfod is on its way. Sometimes, this is the first time some people attend Welsh-language or bilingual events, which helps make the language feel more familiar and more appealing. 

All of this helps people feel that the Eisteddfod belongs to them. During the festival, the area is able to show its own character and identity. After the Eisteddfod has finished, some people decide to learn Welsh, and many of the activities continue. That is what makes the Eisteddfod special – it is not just a week of enjoyment, but something that makes a difference to the community for years afterwards.

 

Creating the National Eisteddfod begins almost as soon as the previous festival ends, and it takes months of careful planning. First, the organisers need to find a suitable site with enough flat land to create the Maes, as well as space for caravans, camping, parking and Maes B for young people. The plan changes again and again as the organisers try to get everything just right – in fact, there can be up to 25 different versions before the official map for Eisteddfod week is ready. 

Work on the site begins in June, with the first stage focusing on building the infrastructure – temporary roads, electricity and water pipes. Then the buildings and stalls are put in place, creating a lively festival site. During planning, many factors have to be considered, such as how flat the land is, keeping noisy areas apart, and making sure there is a good mix of activities and stalls to make the experience exciting for everyone. Many preparations also happen in advance at the workshop in Llanybydder, Carmarthenshire, where sets, decorations and parts of the stages are built before being transported to the Maes in large lorries.

But building the Maes is not the only important part – the creative work matters just as much. The local community begins preparing about 18 months to 2 years in advance, creating the artistic programme and drawing up the list of competition themes. This includes choosing different topics for poetry, music and literature, and organising hundreds of activities for people to enjoy. During the week itself, the numbers are astonishing – around 450,000 gallons of sewage, 5 miles of toilet paper, 6 miles of electric cables and 3 miles of water pipes! Every year, the Eisteddfod is different, with the character and voice of the local community making each one unique.

 

Maes B set materials in storage for the Eisteddfod

 

Pavilion building works

 

The National Eisteddfod of Wales is a major cultural festival that celebrates the Welsh language and the culture of Wales. It was first held in 1861, and since then it has taken place almost every year, making it one of the oldest continuing cultural festivals in Europe. There have been only three occasions when the festival has not been held in its usual form: in 1914 when the First World War began, and in 2020 and 2021 when the world was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

During the Second World War, it was not possible to hold a full Eisteddfod, so in 1940 a special radio Eisteddfod was held instead. Competitions, music, and the Chairing and Crowning ceremonies were broadcast on the radio so that people across Wales could still be part of the experience, even during a very difficult time. 

Apart from those times, the Eisteddfod has travelled between north and south Wales every year for over 150 years, visiting different areas to share the festival with communities across the country.

 

1914

In 1914, everything was ready for the National Eisteddfod in Bangor. The pavilion had been built, the competitions had closed, and there were only a few weeks to go until Eisteddfod week. But on 4 August 1914, the First World War began, and everything changed. People were worried about safety, travel by train, and the national situation. After much discussion, it was decided to postpone the Eisteddfod for a year, because the war had become everyone’s priority. 

Because the Eisteddfod was postponed so late, the work had already been completed. The judges had read the entries and made their decisions, but there was no permission to open the envelopes or announce the winners. So all the work was sealed and kept safe for a whole year – the poems and literary essays in the strong room, and the artwork in special rooms. This was very unusual and difficult for the poets, writers and artists, who had to wait a very long time to hear the results. 

People in Bangor were very disappointed, as they had worked so hard to organise the festival, but many also understood that postponement was the right decision. Aberystwyth, which had been due to host the Eisteddfod the following year, also had to wait. In the end, the Bangor Eisteddfod was held in 1915, but it was very different from usual – fewer people, fewer competitions, and the shadow of war over everything. Even so, the festival was held, proving that the Eisteddfod continues even in difficult times.

 

Yr Herald Cymraeg, 15 August 1914

 

1940

In 1940, in the middle of the Second World War, the National Eisteddfod was not held in the usual way. There were fears that a large crowd on the Eisteddfod Maes could attract bombs, as enemy aircraft were targeting towns and large events. People’s safety was far more important than holding the festival as normal, so it was decided not to hold a traditional Eisteddfod that year. 

Even so, the Eisteddfod was not going to disappear completely. Instead, a special radio Eisteddfod was organised through the BBC, so that people across Wales could still take part from their homes. During the broadcasts, the Chair, the Crown, and the Literature Medal (instead of the usual Prose Medal) were awarded. This was a unique and innovative way of keeping the tradition alive during a difficult period, and it showed that the Eisteddfod could adapt and continue even when facing major challenges.

 

2020

In 2020, the National Eisteddfod of Wales was due to be held in Ceredigion. Local people had been working hard for around a year and a half to raise money and organise the festival, with a great deal of the work already completed. Everyone was full of excitement and looking forward to welcoming visitors from all parts of Wales. 

The Eisteddfod had to be postponed because of the global COVID-19 pandemic. The decision was a very difficult one, and many people felt disappointed and sad, because so much work and planning had already taken place. It was a bleak period in Wales, as in the rest of the world, with people having to stay at home and keep their distance from one another.

 In order to be fair to competitors, the Eisteddfod decided to follow the pattern of 1914, when the festival had been postponed because of the First World War. All the entries were sealed and kept safe until it would be possible to hold the Ceredigion Eisteddfod in the future. This meant that the judges, poets and writers had to wait a very long time to hear the results. 

Although the Eisteddfod could not take place on the usual Maes, a special online festival called Eisteddfod AmGen was organised to support performers and artists and to lift the spirits of the public. The festival ran for three months, with performances, sessions for children and learners, and a range of lectures. A full week of events was also held during the first week of August with media support. It is all still available today on the Eisteddfod’s YouTube channel.

 

Elan yn Holi…Eden, Eisteddfod Amgen, 2020

 

2021

In 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic was still affecting everyone’s lives, and so the Ceredigion Eisteddfod had to be postponed for another year. After the success of Eisteddfod AmGen in 2020, it was decided to follow the same idea again, but this time in a more ambitious way, with more content and more opportunities for people to take part. 

A large number of special programmes were produced for YouTube, including full concerts and gigs by popular artists such as Pedair, Bryn Fôn and Cowbois Rhos Botwnnog. This meant that people at home could still enjoy Welsh music and culture, even though the Eisteddfod could not be held on the Maes. 

It was also decided to keep the entries that had been received for the 2020 Eisteddfod, so that they could be awarded at the Eisteddfod when it was eventually held in Ceredigion. At the same time, brand new competitions were organised, with a Chair and Crown created by the Eisteddfod’s craftsperson. Stage competitions were held under COVID restrictions at Pontio in Bangor and at St David’s Hall in Cardiff, and competitors were also able to upload videos from home in order to compete. 

The competitions were shown on television, much like a normal Eisteddfod, with ceremonies led by a small representation of the Gorsedd of Wales. By August, the restrictions had eased somewhat, and it was possible to hold a weekend of music at the Arts Centre in Aberystwyth. The small audience was very pleased to be part of the hidden Eisteddfod, and everyone was grateful when COVID-19 eased enough for a normal Eisteddfod to be held in Tregaron in 2022.

 

Bryn Fôn, the hidden Eisteddfod (Gudd), 2021