The Week Junior UK – 03 August 2019

20

This week’s big festival

The Week Junior•3August 2019

National Eisteddfod Associationwasformed.

ANational Eisteddfod has been

every year since,except in 1914

and 1940, because of the First a

SecondWorld Wars (1914–18 a

1939 –45).

Three specialceremonies ar

during Eisteddfod, torewardthe

poetry and writing. These are

overseen by the Gorsedd of

Bards,agroup of people who

have hadapositive impact on

theWelsh language. They are

led by the Archdruid, who

O

n3August, the 2019 National Eisteddfod festival

begins in Llanrwst, in northWales. Eisteddfod is

held in the first week of August every year and is a

celebration ofWelsh cultureand language. Each year,

it is hosted inadifferent part of thecountry.The

festival is based aroundaseries of artcompetitions,

with prizes for dance, drama, music and poetry.

The wordEisteddfod meansasitting inWelsh,

and the first festivalwasheld back in 1176. Thatwas

whenLord Rhys invited musicians and poets from

acrossWales to perform at hiscastle in Cardigan.

The best musician and poet wereawarded with a

seat at his table. Eisteddfod festivals werethen held

throughoutWales by other noblemen. In 1880, the

Acelebrationof Welshar ts

leads theceremonies.Forthe awards,

the bards wear specialrobes and local

n perform dances.

e on which Eisteddfod takes

wayscalled The Maes, which is

the field, and it is divided into

ctions, known as villages.

is aWelsh-language festival,

ut it is open to non-Welsh

eakers, too,who canuse

ion services.

festival runs until 10 August.

ut moreabout this year’sevent

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TheceremoniesofEisteddfod

The Crowning Ceremony

Thisceremony awardsacrown to the poet who

has written the best free-verse poem. These are

poems that don’t rhyme or follow any particular

patterns. This popularceremony usually takes

placeonthe Monday afternoon.

The Prose MedalCeremony

This medal is awarded to the best writer of prose,

which is any form of writing other than poetry.The

ceremony workslikethe CrowningCeremony,and

the winner’sidentity iskept completely secret until

it has been announced by the Archdruid.

The ChairingCeremony

Taking placeonFriday afternoon, this is the final

ceremony of the week, whenapoet is awarded the

Eisteddfod Chair for writing the best poem that

followsastrict pattern. Thisceremony is seen by

many as the highlight of the week.

Music isabig

part of theevent.