The Bards played a very important role in Celtic society. They were not only poets, singers, and general entertainers, but they were also historians and linguists. These people were highly educated and had a vast knowledge of law, sociology, and semantics. These subjects were important to their lifestyle because they were the messengers of that time. In order to give officials good advice or information, they needed to know different languages, cultures, and law of that land.

In different parts of the British Isles, Bards had many different ranks. In Ireland, the fili were professional poets who had received around 12 years of training. The highest level in Ireland would have been the ollamh. They received enough education to have what we today call a Doctorate. In Britain, the Bards were poets and songwriters. The highest level would be called a pencerdd and the lowest would be a clerwr or minstrel. Those who were formally educated learned poetry, prose, and verse. Oral memorization was always needed as they had to memorize thousands of stories, verses, and other details.

The instruments that Bards used are definitely ranged from simple percussion to wind instruments. The traditional instrument of the bard would be the harp or lyre, a small stringed instrument that could be easily transported. Percussion instruments such as a small deerskin drum would also be an easily made and transported item. Ancient pottery shows evidence that the Celts of long ago used lyres and a small bronze trumpet was found among some other Celtic artifacts. The use of the bagpipes in Scottish culture can be traced back to Spain where in fact, the Gauls used to occupy before the Romans conquered that area.

Depending on who you talk to or where you get your information, Bards might have been highly revered, common musicians, or both. If you were a highly revered Bard, the citizens most likely listened intently to what you had to say and this could bring a king down to size. However, if you didn't play to the masses, you were probably not highly paid or recognized. If the king of that time was good, the Bard could be a praiser. Unfortunately, when a king was bad, the worthy Bard could be a satirist and damage the king's reputation even further.

The Bard was usually paid with food or livestock being that the people of the Isles were very agrarian. In other countries around Europe, the Bard would have been referred to as or associated with troubadours, minstrels, and court poets. They all did a great deal of traveling and entertaining. Unfortunately, there is no written record of ancient Celtic music as music was not being notated until about the 11th or 12th century. If anything had been recorded, it would have either been lost or destroyed by the Christian churches and the Inquisition.

Related Books, Web Sites and Used Sources:

On Bards, And Bardic Circles

The Druids by Peter Berresford Ellis (1994)

The Encyclopedia of Celtic Wisdom: A Celtic Shaman's Sourcebook by Caitlin and John Matthew (1994)