bardd teulu

The term "bardd teulu" refers to a specific role within the historical Welsh bardic system. This title translates to "bard of the king's war band" and represented the second grade within this order. Bards, in general, were poets, originally Celtic composers of eulogy and satire, who evolved into tribal poet-singers skilled in reciting verses about heroes and their deeds.12

While the institution of bards gradually disappeared in Gaul, it persisted in Ireland and Wales. In Wales, the word bardd has always meant poet, and the bardic order was codified into distinct grades by the 10th century. The Welsh bardic tradition, though it saw a decline, has endured and is celebrated today in the annual eisteddfod, a national gathering of poets and musicians. The cywydd, a Welsh verse form developed in the 14th century, shows affinities with the forms used by the bardd teulu.21