Rules of entry to the Bardic Trials

  1. This contest is open to all within a day's walking distance from Glastonbury.
    • Note: The catchment area is defined as the distance that the Bard can reasonably be expected to walk into Glastonbury, perform their duties and return home again within the daylight hours. This is reckoned to be somewhere around 12 miles radius from the Tor.
  2. The winner will be the holder of the Bardic Chair of Ynyswitrin for the following year, a title which will revoked after a year and day.
  3. The entry may be of any form, but the judges will consider relevance to the theme, adherence to the time limit and performance from memory as important in making their decision.
  4. The judges have the right to refrain from selecting a Chaired Bard if they feel none of the candidates are of sufficient quality or ability to fulfil the role. In this case the outgoing Chaired Bard will remain in office for another year and a day.
  5. The judges' decision is final. No correspondence will be entered into.
  6. The attention of the chosen and Chaired Bard will be drawn by the Council to 'The role and responsibilities of the Chaired Bard of Ynyswitrin' (hereto appended).
  7. Previous winners of the Bardic Chair of Ynyswitrin may re-enter after 3 years.
  8. The holder of the Chair is expected either to undertake to maintain the condition of the Chair, Ceremonial Robes, Silver Branch and Book, or to request the Secretary to make appropriate arrangements for their curation. The official artifacts must be returned to the Bardic Council at the next Annual Open Gorsedd.
  9. The Gorsedd retain the right to change these rules as necessary by committee meeting.

What the judges are looking for in the contenders

Judges' Criteria:

The Chair of Ynyswitrin will probably be awarded for a more performance based take on Bardism than the Welsh tradition. It is also important that the incoming Bard is able to "bring something to the role".

Bards are primarily judged on their use of words, but other musical and performance skills may also be considered as relevant.

Prizes available:

Responsibilities of the Chaired Bard

Photo: The Bardic Chair and Silver Branch. The primary responsibility of the holder of the Chaired Bard is to ensure the advancement of the Bardic Chair of Ynyswitrin by presiding over the organisation of the next year's contest, attending Bardic Council and Gorsedd Committee meetings and handing over the title on St. Dunstan's day of that following year. Beyond that the Bard may be called upon to perform in public. The area of jurisdiction is defined as being 'Within walking distance of the Tor'. That is, the distance one can be reasonably expected to walk, perform one's duties and walk back in a day.

The tenure of each Chaired Bard is 1 year and 1 day; this means that on St Dunstan's Day itself there are actually two Bards, the outgoing one and the new one.

The post is largely an honorary one. The purpose of the award is to honour the best wordsmith in the community who chooses to compete for the Chair. It is up to the recipient of the prize to assist in the elevation of the word and promote the Chair in a manner appropriate to the position. The Chaired Bard may decide to include the following suggested roles among their duties. Where the incumbent is either unwilling or unable to fulfil any of these duties it defaults to the Gorsedd Committee to appoint a deputy drawn from the lineage of accepted Bards. A time limit may be applied in such cases.

The Chaired Bard may:

Choose the theme for the contest;
Invite five people to judge the trials;
Serve as a Judge themselves;
Perform the Awen initiation ceremony to bring new Bards into the order;
Help to prepare graduates for initiation;
Use the title "Chaired Bard of Ynyswitrin" for all public performances they make during the year as well as use the title in their promotional materials.

We hope that the Chaired Bard is able to act as a cultural ambassador for the town of Glastonbury and its surrounding area.

This year, the Gorsedd of Ynyswitrin is proud to institute a new prize:

The Tim Sebastian Memorial Trophy

Photo: The Tim Sebastion Memorial Trophy.

  1. The Trophy is to be awarded annually, as part of the Open Gorsedd in May, by the Gorsedd judges, who will interpret its purpose, 'the elevation of the Word', as they see fit.
  2. Eligibility for the award of the Trophy is the same as that for membership of the Gorsedd.
  3. Candidates for award are to be nominated. One nomination will be accepted from any one individual. Multiple nominations of the same person shall not be treated as votes. Nominations shall be invited at the Bardic Gathering in March.
  4. Nominations are to be sealed and passed to the Chair of the panel of Judges. The Secretary of the Council shall make such arrangements as are necessary to allow this.
  5. The deadline for nominations shall be set by the Judges, allowing themselves enough time to reach a decision before its announcement at the Finals of the Open Gorsedd.
  6. The holder of the Trophy is expected either to undertake to maintain its condition, or to request the Secretary to make appropriate arrangements for its curation.


From small acorns do great oaks grow.