Eisteddfod
(Redirected from National Eisteddfod)
The Eisteddfod (literally 'sitting', plural: eisteddfodau) is a Welsh festival 
of literature, music, and song. The tradition of such a meeting of Welsh artists 
dates back to at least the 12th century, but with the decline of the bardic 
tradition fell into abeyance. The present-day format owes much to an eighteenth 
century revival arising out of a number of informal eisteddfodau. 
The most important eisteddfod is the National Eisteddfod, held annually and 
usually alternating between North and South Wales, and taking place entirely in 
the Welsh language. It has a heavy druidic flavour, with the crowning and 
chairing ceremonies for the victorious poets being attended by bards in flowing 
white costumes, dancing maidens, trumpet fanfares and a symbolic horn of plenty. 
However, the heritage of this ceremony is of dubious provenance and owes its 
existence within the Eisteddfod structure to Iolo Morganwg, whose Gorsedd 
ceremonies were adopted by the Eisteddfod from 1819. 
Nevertheless, it is taken very seriously, and an award of a crown or a chair for 
poetry is a great honour. One of the most dramatic events in Eisteddfod history 
was the award of the 1917 chair to the poet Ellis Humphrey Evans, bardic name 
Hedd Wyn, for the poem Yr Arwr (The Hero). The winner was announced, and the 
crowd waited for winner to stand up to accept the traditional congratulations 
before the chairing ceremony, but no winner appeared. It was then announced that 
Hedd Wyn had been killed the previous month on the battlefield in Belgium. These 
events were portrayed in the Academy Award nominated film Hedd Wyn. 
Another important eisteddfod in the calendar is 'Eisteddfod Yr Urdd', or the 
youth eisteddfod. Organised by Urdd Gobaith Cymru, the Youth League of Wales, it 
brings together children from the age of 7, up to young adults of 24, from all 
across Wales, for a week of competition of singing, recitation, dancing, acting 
and musicianship. 
Another Eisteddfod is the International Eisteddfod, held annually in Llangollen. 
Choirs, singing groups, folk dancers and other groups attend from all over the 
world, sharing their national folk traditions in one of the world's great 
festivals of the arts. 
National Eisteddfod venues
  1861 - Aberdare 
  1881 - Merthyr Tydfil 
  1882 - Denbigh 
  1883 - Cardiff 
  1884 - Liverpool 
  1885 - Aberdare 
  1886 - Caernarfon 
  1887 - London 
  1888 - Wrexham 
  1889 - Brecon 
  1890 - Bangor 
  1891 - Swansea 
  1892 - Rhyl 
  1893 - Pontypridd 
  1894 - Caernarfon 
  1895 - Llanelli 
  1896 - Llandudno 
  1897 - Newport, Monmouthshire 
  1898 - Blaenau Ffestiniog 
  1899 - Cardiff 
  1900 - Liverpool 
  1901 - Merthyr Tydfil 
  1902 - Bangor 
  1903 - Llanelli 
  1904 - Rhyl 
  1905 - Mountain Ash 
  1906 - Caernarfon 
  1907 - Swansea 
  1908 - Llangollen 
  1909 - London 
  1910 - Colwyn Bay 
  1911 - Carmarthen 
  1912 - Wrexham 
  1913 - Abergavenny 
  1914 - Not held 
  1915 - Bangor 
  1916 - Aberystwyth 
  1917 - Birkenhead 
  1918 - Neath 
  1919 - Corwen 
  1920 - Barry 
  1921 - Caernarfon 
  1922 - Ammanford 
  1923 - Mold 
  1924 - Pontypool 
  1925 - Pwllheli 
  1926 - Swansea 
  1927 - Holyhead 
  1928 - Treorchy 
  1929 - Liverpool 
  1930 - Llanelli 
  1931 - Bangor 
  1932 - Aberavon 
  1933 - Wrexham 
  1934 - Neath 
  1935 - Caernarfon 
  1936 - Fishguard 
  1937 - Machynlleth 
  1938 - Cardiff 
  1939 - Denbigh 
  1940 - Eisteddfod Radio, Bangor 
  1941 - Hen Golwyn 
  1942 - Cardigan 
  1943 - Bangor 
  1944 - Llandybie 
  1945 - Rhosllanerchrugog 
  1946 - Mountain Ash 
  1947 - Colwyn Bay 
  1948 - Bridgend 
  1949 - Dolgellau 
  1950 - Caerphilly 
  1951 - Llanrwst 
  1952 - Aberystwyth 
  1953 - Rhyl 
  1954 - Ystradgynlais 
  1955 - Pwllheli 
  1956 - Aberdare 
  1957 - Llangefni 
  1958 - Ebbw Vale 
  1959 - Caernarfon 
  1960 - Cardiff 
  1961 - Rhosllanerchrugog 
  1962 - Llanelli 
  1963 - Llandudno 
  1964 - Swansea 
  1965 - Newtown 
  1966 - Aberavon 
  1967 - Bala 
  1968 - Barry 
  1969 - Flint 
  1970 - Ammanford 
  1971 - Bangor 
  1972 - Haverfordwest 
  1973 - Ruthin 
  1974 - Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Cymru Caerfyrddin 1974 
  1975 - Criccieth 
  1976 - Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Cymru Aberteifi 1976 
  1977 - Wrexham 
  1978 - Cardiff 
  1979 - Caernarfon 
  1980 - Dyffryn Lliw 
  1981 - Machynlleth 
  1982 - Swansea 
  1983 - Llangefni 
  1984 - Lampeter 
  1985 - Rhyl 
  1986 - Fishguard 
  1987 - Porthmadog 
  1988 - Newport, Monmouthshire 
  1989 - Llanrwst 
  1990 - Cwm Rhymni, Bargoed 
  1991 - Mold 
  1992 - Aberystwyth 
  1993 - Builth Wells 
  1994 - Neath 
  1995 - Colwyn Bay 
  1996 - Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire 
  1997 - Bala, Gwynedd 
  1998 - Pencoed, near Bridgend 
  1999 - Anglesey 
  2000 - Llanelli 
  2001 - Denbigh 
  2002 - St David's, Pembrokeshire 
  2003 - Meifod, near Welshpool 
  2004 - Newport 
  2005 - Faenol 
  2006 - Swansea 
 
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