The term “bardic tradition” refers to the cultural, judicial, scientific, artistic, and religious institutional systems of Celtic and pre-Celtic peoples of Europe, dating back to at least the 7th century BCE. Records of this tradition can be found in the writings of Greek and Roman historians around the 1st century BCE. They mention three different but interconnected groups: bards, ovates, and druids. An individual could belong to one or all three of these groups. It is assumed that bards were the oldest and fundamental group of this tradition, ovates were the honorary group, and druids were the ceremonial group. More specifically, bards were involved in the arts, ovates in divination, and druids in law, philosophy, and science. The tradition almost became extinct with the Roman Empire, although it managed to survive in the British Isles with great bardic sages and poets, the greatest of whom was the Welsh Taliesin, experiencing a renaissance during the so-called Dark Ages of the 5th century. Since then, the bardic ideal has continued to inspire and flourish under different names in every European revival. It can be a valuable source of inspiration for our time.
A Bard is “one who creates expression”, a composer who traverses invisible worlds, receiving divine inspiration and giving it shape and expression. Poetically described as a “slave of the harp”, the bardic ideal is the ideal of service in which love, knowledge, and truth are the most important in speech and composition, the “three divine drops from the cauldron of Ceridwen”. Seeking to understand and give shape to these “three divine drops or three golden apples”, bards sought to “teach the youth the art of self-observation and self-examination” and caution against pride, cruelty, etc., and to embed heroic deeds in the annals of folk wisdom. The bardic ideal is both artistic and educational. Bards could come from any background, ethnicity, race, or gender, but they could attain elite status in society based on their dedication to the arts and the communities they served.
Starting from the “three divine drops”, they developed a system of shaping knowledge and wisdom in the form of triads, for example. Three main things are demanded of a bard: to preserve memory and knowledge; to maintain peace and civility; to uphold teachings and morality.
Triads are a universal form found in numerous Eastern and Western traditions, but they are particularly associated with the bardic tradition of Britain and Ireland.
The “poetic triad” provides insight into what is necessary for the development of poetic genius according to the bardic ideal.
From these few examples, we can understand that the art and ideal of the bard have roots in careful observation and connection with nature, in understanding and contemplating examples from nature, its movements, and its causes. We learn that it requires perseverance and effort, a willingness to accept one’s own mistakes and shortcomings without losing boldness of spirit. The bardic ideal does not encourage extravagant, romantic fantasy often associated with poetry, but rather the pursuit and expression of beauty that is united with justice. To make noticeable the great, the small, and their interconnectedness…
1 The goddess of poetic inspiration and wisdom.