At its recent meeting in the Blaenau Gwent and the Heads of the Valleys National Eisteddfod, the Gorsedd of the Bards discussed a radical scheme, creating the most major changes to the Gorsedd since the time of Iolo Morganwg himself.
Due to the nature and size of the proposed changes, it was decided that this matter will be discussed again in August 2011, giving the Gorseddigion ample opportunity to discuss and voice their opinions in the meantime. But what exactly is the scheme, and how is it so radical that it needs a year-long discussion before the final decision is announced?
The aim of the scheme is to ensure that everyone who becomes a member of the Gorsedd from 2012 onwards do so at the same level, thus abolishing the ‘Ovate’ and ‘Druid’ classing system. Under this scheme, the Gorseddigion would continue to wear different coloured robes, with the colours representing their specialism or talent in a specific area. The Gorsedd is also discussing the possibility of creating a new colour, for those received to the Gorsedd on the basis of their contribution to society or the sporting world. The final decision regarding these colours has not yet been made.
Only those who have won the National and Urdd Eisteddfod’s main competitions will be awarded the White Robes in future, and the White Robes will continue to represent the special relationship between the Gorsedd and the Eisteddfod itself.
The Gorsedd is eager to ensure that new members are all accepted on the same level, and that all specialisms are treated equally, with the honour of joining the Gorsedd of equal weight across the board. These changes would also help to eradicate the idea that any one colour is more important than another. To support this, the Gorsedd has also been discussing the concept of changing the order of the colours in the Procession, and even looking again at the placing of the different colours in the Circle and on the Pavilion stage.
Additionally, the proposed scheme also stipulate s that no one individual can propose or second more than three different people to join the Gorsedd in any one year.
The scheme outlined above will be further discussed at the Gorsedd’s general meeting in the Wrexham and District National Eisteddfod, next August. In the meantime, the Gorsedd is eager to encourage debate on this subject, and anyone wishing to voice their opinions should do so, in the first instance, by contacting the Gorsedd Recorder, Penri Tanad. If the scheme is agreed in Wrexham next year, the Gorsedd hopes to introduce these radical changes at the Vale of Glamorgan National Eisteddfod in 2012, when the Eisteddfod visits the home of Iolo Morganwg himself.
