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The Bard
In
modern English, the term The Bard has tended to be used to describe
William Shakespeare and whilst there is no doubt of the quality of his
work, there is more to the term than that. The Bard has a history that
is full of respect and to ancient Druidry, the one who was known as The
Bard was seen as being the keeper of tradition. The Druid had an
important role in keeping alive stories and ideals. In a day long
before newspapers, television and songs, the Bard was the person who
weaved the stories and guidelines for living and tradition into stories
that everyone could understand and pass on. It was a time when writing
stories and collecting them was uncommon so The Bard would have been
expected to remember stories by heart and pass on poems and tales to
all that they passed.
It was
not only stories that The Bard was responsible for but they played a
role in passing on grammar, folklore, law, philosophy and the alphabet
that was used at the time, the Ogham. Although this role was held in
ancient times, there was an importance and grading placed upon that
would exist today. As the student progressed through the stages of The
Bard, they entered at a level which was known as the Principal Beginner
stage. Traversing from this level, the student would move onto carrying
the Golden Branch where the more sophisticated title of Doctor of
poetry was bestowed upon them. The Golden Branch was reached after they
had memorized 350 stories so clearly there was a lot of work involved
to reach this prestigious level.
The
Branch was about more than symbolizing what level of poetry and
storytelling The Bard held though, the branch also had bells attached
to it. The bells would inform people that The Bard was about to begin
which would usher silence and reverence from those listening intently.
In the day, it was also common for the poets to summon their muse to
inspire them whilst reciting the stories and the bells would serve as a
signal for this to appear. So, it can be seen that the branch and
attached bells were an important part in the role of The Bard.
Aside
from the bell, a bard could be recognized by their sky blue clothing,
which many said was worn to symbolize harmony and truth, inferring that
they were noble and could be believed. The Bard was held in the highest
regard of the time and they were revered throughout the land for their
wisdom and knowledge.
©
2008 Druidsology.com
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