"The three chief endeavors of a bard: to learn and collect knowledge;to teach; to make peace and put an end to all injury.
To act contrary to these three things is not usual nor fitting to a bard."
____ ancient British triad
How can these bardic tasks become part of our own spiritual path today? How can they be integrated into our culture? Each society needs knowledge that informs and is appropriate for its members: it does not want to hear about bygone lore. This means that every would-be bard should indeed research to the very roots of knowledge the thing that she wishes to convey, but she must also seek out the relevance and practical wisdom of that topic.
The ancient bards could inspire, encourage, enchant their listeners. The modern bard must learn the old art of oral performance rather than of written exposition. These skills may be learned from our spiritual allies, who are the true teachers of the bardic knowldge, as well as from situations in which the solution to difficulty is imparted by spontaneous, synaptic inspiration: where knowledge, problem and answer line up.
This leads to making of peace and the cessation of injury - skills that we need very badly in our own time. The bardic performance can bring the end of hostility, especially if music is part of the picture. In the presence of music, all people are brought into harmony and understanding as its universal language speaks to the soul. We may bring an end to injury and offense through the offices of a modern bard in times not so far distant from our own.
"Meditate upon the bardic teachers of your ancestry. Make a soul-flight to one of their schools and ask to meed with a bard who will teach you the skills necessary for bringing peace to our world."
[From: "The Celtic Spirit" by Caitlin Matthews]
Stories inspire transformations. Spiritual Ecstasy, Spiritual freedom, and front line environmentalism. The Branch of Peace (the silver branch) is shaken to silence those gathered … to call peace. Similarly, Beavers of the oral tradition, keepers of the past. They affirm the identity of our people, linking them with the land on which they depend. They offer a source of stability in a world where the future is less certain than the known. They give the people their roots … their foundation, and encourage people to achieve their potential. Using sensory deprivation has been common among Bard’s for centuries. It forces one to face the single point of tumulus within oneself, thus commonly cracking into Poetic Awen.
The Branch of Peace: Talk of grades within the kinship as “branches”. This is referring to a specific grade within The Branch of Peace.
A critical part of their task is to deepen and enrich the connection with the people and the land. In addition, within their tales are woven the laws of nature, with warnings to the un-weary.
Among our kin is a sense that the stories not only benefit the people, but also the land, as if within their telling it, the Bard is practicing the sacred art of honoring each tree, hill, lake, and lunar tide. In addition, with each reaction, she/he inspires, honors ancestors and all humanity.
Yes, it is so; the Bard is a magician of words. A Bard practices her/his craft to be a master of emotion and movement. Poetry weaves the right (spatial) and left (linear) parts of the brain; shifts perceptions of reality, concepts, boundaries and potentials. She/he uses her/his Awen to inspire others. Bard’s creativity stems from her/his own ability to listen, relax and receive the energy that inspirits her/him.
It is a matter of releasing words with honor, respect and the power to evoke change. It refers to an attempt to change oneself, often by focusing on one’s own human soul.
It pertains to a source of inspiration stemming from the beauty and power of the land (earth). Gorsedd, a word once meaning “high seat”, the ancient mound on which high Kings were inaugurated and where tribes collected together for important occasions; is now better known, or translated, as a gathering (not the mound itself) of Bards. Not all Bards begin as or become universally good poets.
A brief look on Celtic Bards from the past.
Whether you wanted a message delivered far across the land, or a great motivational speech for your military, a bard was the person to call. A bard was a type of person who specialized in oral communication, and was known for their ability to tell great stories, give messages from one person to another, and motivate armies before they were about to go to battle. The bard was also talented in musical instruments, writing poetry, and would often sing to people. Their music was considered beautiful and worthy among Gods.
The bards are found in Celtic cultures in countries like Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Most bards were the only type of messengers in these lands, and therefore could do what they wanted, sing when they wanted, and perform where they wanted. Nobody could harm or punish them for this, because without the bards, no news would travel the lands. The bards would have to be knowledgeable in their country’s history, the law that the land is ruled under, and the heritage of his or her King. They had to be able to tell tales and myths, whether they were true or not. The bards were also called to prepare soldiers for battle. They would come and sing or tell stories to calm the soldiers, and motivate them for the hard task that lay before them. Because of all the important roles bards played in society, they were highly honored and were just as significant as a high ranking soldier.
There are still bards amongst us in today’s world. However, they are not as highly honored, and are considered more of a musician than anything else. In order to become a bard, you have to have had lots of college Celtic history classes, and be able to play an instrument from that time period, such as a harp. You must also be able to write poetry, and play pieces of music that others have written, and write some yourself. Bards are some of the most influential group of people in the Celtic regions, and will more than likely be around for more years to come.
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