Tywyn and the Welsh Eisteddfodic tradition

[QuentinDeakin]

The theme of the society's first meeting of 2023 on January 16th was the history of Eisteddfodau, for which Dr Dylan Foster Evans, Head of Welsh Studies at Cardiff University, was the ideal speaker. Dylan began his talk with a concise and erudite account of this significant Welsh tradition rooted in Druidic mythology and Bardic history. These elements were combined in the nineteenth century by Iolo Morgannwg, then resident in London, to form present-day Eisteddfodau, which continues to evolve.

The bulk of the talk was devoted to a detailed description of the 1871 unofficial National Eisteddfod staged in Tywyn, organised by local residents. Leading figures in the arts from a wide area were invited as performers and honoured guests. Dylan's account was as entertaining as it was informative and delighted his audience with its local references. A lively discussion followed and Dylan, himself a native of Tywyn, was warmly thanked for his talk and his continued interest in and support for the society.