1176 Cardigan eisteddfod
cardigan eisteddfod commonly described cultural tournament involving bard musician held ground cardigan castle cardigan west wale lord rhys ap gruffydd though term eisteddfod commonly used several century later gathering commonly claimed earliest recorded forerunner modern national eisteddfod event rhys ap gruffydd became ruler uniting whole deheubarth covering southwest wale followed year battle english king henry ii rhys made lord ystrad tywi commonly lord rhys followed period relative peace security early henry ii sought friendship rhys confirmed leadership deheubarth rhys rebuilt cardigan castle stone political military statement making chief residence welsh prince commonly patronised professional bard time return wrote poetry praising sponsor gathering cardigan castle recorded medieval chronicle brut tywysogion next eisteddfod wale certainty took place circa carmarthen according brut tywysogion lord rhys announced event year advance throughout wale england scotland ireland island suggests event unprecedented scale participant came far away ireland france held cardigan castle christmas cardigan castle newly restored stone holding tournament rather traditional base deheubarth dinefwr lord rhys making statement old norman welsh ruler according history wale great feast held many hundred english norman others coming aberteifi cardigan honourably received courteously entertained prince rhys rhys called bard poet throughout wale come thither bard seated answer rhyme rhys awarded two chair prize one winner poetry competition music poetry chair went bard gwynedd music prize went son eilon crythwr member rhyss court chair valuable asset normally reserved people high status conjectured idea cultural festival music poetry cardigan may originated similar festival france known puy rhys may known tradition via connection norman french soldier returning continent next recorded eisteddfod held carmarthen powerful nobleman area gruffudd ap nicholas wanted emulate lord rhys probably bard wanted strengthen bardic tradition cadair arian silver chair awarded prize bard flintshire next recorded eisteddfod th century chair awarded prize first chair made modern form eisteddfod carmarthen event became regular prize national eisteddfod introduced foot high eisteddfod chair created installed top cardigan castle east tower centrepiece exhibition wale eisteddfod chair incorporated interpretative detail would important lord rhys including carved lion head two bronze horse modern restaurant cardigan castle named reference lord rhyss gathering novel event entitled song castle luke waterson published book imagined festival journey made participant like