Gorseth Kernow
Encyclopedia
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
organisation, which exists to maintain the national Celt
Celt
The Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages.The earliest archaeological culture commonly accepted as Celtic, or rather Proto-Celtic, was the central European Hallstatt culture , named for the rich grave finds in Hallstatt, Austria....
ic spirit of Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
History
The Gorseth Kernow (GorseddGorsedd
A gorsedd plural gorseddau, is a community or coming together of modern-day bards. The word is of Welsh origin, meaning "throne". It is occasionally spelled gorsedh , or goursez in Brittany....
of Cornwall) was set up in 1928 at Boscawen-un
Boscawen-Un
Boscawen-Un is a Bronze age stone circle close to St Buryan in Cornwall, UK. It consists of 19 upright stones in an ellipse with diameters 24.9m and 21.9m, with another, leaning, stone just south of the centre. There is a west-facing gap in the circle, which may have formed an entrance. It is...
by Henry Jenner
Henry Jenner
Henry Jenner FSA was a British scholar of the Celtic languages, a Cornish cultural activist, and the chief originator of the Cornish language revival....
, one of the early proponents of Cornish language
Cornish language
Cornish is a Brythonic Celtic language and a recognised minority language of the United Kingdom. Along with Welsh and Breton, it is directly descended from the ancient British language spoken throughout much of Britain before the English language came to dominate...
revival, who took the name "Gwas Myghal", meaning "servant of Michael
St Michael
St Michael was a brand that was owned and used by Marks & Spencer from 1928 until 2000.-History:The brand was introduced by Simon Marks in 1928, after his father and co-founder of Marks & Spencer, Michael Marks. By 1950, virtually all goods were sold under the St Michael brand...
". He and twelve others were initiated by the Archdruid of Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. It has been held every year since, except during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. 1,000 people have been Cornish bards, including Ken George
Ken George
Kenneth J. George, writing as Ken George, is an oceanographer, poet, and linguist noted as being the originator of Kernewek Kemmyn, an orthography for the Cornish language supporters claimed to be more faithful to Middle Cornish phonology than its precursor . Kernewek Kemmyn was introduced in 1987...
, R. Morton Nance
Robert Morton Nance
Robert Morton Nance was a leading authority on the Cornish language, nautical archaeologist, and joint founder of the Old Cornwall Society....
("Mordon") and Peter Berresford Ellis
Peter Berresford Ellis
Peter Berresford Ellis is an English historian, literary biographer, and novelist who has published over 90 books to date either under his own name or his pseudonyms Peter Tremayne and Peter MacAlan. He has also published 95 short stories...
.
After 1939 the Council of the Gorsedd of Cornwall approved additional regalia, and asked Francis Cargeeg
Francis Cargeeg
Francis Bertram Cargeeg was a British maker of copperware.-Early life:Francis Cargeeg was born on the 14 Sept 1893 in Carnsew, Hayle, Cornwall, South West England...
to design and execute new regalia for the Grand Bard, the Deputy Grand Bard and the Secretary, and two headpieces for the Marshal's staves. Over time, and up to 1970, additional pieces were added, including Plastrons for past Grand Bards, also produced by Francis Cargeeg
Francis Cargeeg
Francis Bertram Cargeeg was a British maker of copperware.-Early life:Francis Cargeeg was born on the 14 Sept 1893 in Carnsew, Hayle, Cornwall, South West England...
.
The Gorseth Kernow has now opened up to all forms of revived Cornish and states its aim as "to maintain the national Celt
Celt
The Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages.The earliest archaeological culture commonly accepted as Celtic, or rather Proto-Celtic, was the central European Hallstatt culture , named for the rich grave finds in Hallstatt, Austria....
ic spirit of Cornwall". As such it supports the revival
Language revival
Language revitalization, language revival or reversing language shift is the attempt by interested parties, including individuals, cultural or community groups, governments, or political authorities, to reverse the decline of a language. If the decline is severe, the language may be endangered,...
of the Cornish language
Cornish language
Cornish is a Brythonic Celtic language and a recognised minority language of the United Kingdom. Along with Welsh and Breton, it is directly descended from the ancient British language spoken throughout much of Britain before the English language came to dominate...
. The Gorseth also encourages the study of the arts and history. It has been held annually since and has become an important institution in Cornwall's cultural and civic life. Its competitions attract many applicants and the "open Gorseth" is attended by many Cornish people. There is also extensive coverage on local media.
An important part of the open Gorseth is the awarding of bardships to individuals for meritorious work for Cornish culture. Thus the Gorseth acts in many ways as a form of "honours system". Bardships are awarded for study in the language, services to Cornish music, encouraging the arts (especially amongst children) amongst other things. Initiate Bards are given Bardic name
Bardic name
A bardic name is a pseudonym, used in Wales, Cornwall and Brittany, by poets and other artists, especially those involved in the eisteddfod movement....
s by the Grand Bard who welcomes them into the College of Bards. These names are in Cornish and will often refer somehow to the reason for their bardship: other Bardic name
Bardic name
A bardic name is a pseudonym, used in Wales, Cornwall and Brittany, by poets and other artists, especially those involved in the eisteddfod movement....
s refer to the Bard's personal or family name, or describe the Bards themselves,
The three major Gorseths in Britain are recorded in an ancient Welsh triad as being held at Moel Merw and Bryn Gwyddon in Wales and Boscawen-Un
Boscawen-Un
Boscawen-Un is a Bronze age stone circle close to St Buryan in Cornwall, UK. It consists of 19 upright stones in an ellipse with diameters 24.9m and 21.9m, with another, leaning, stone just south of the centre. There is a west-facing gap in the circle, which may have formed an entrance. It is...
in Cornwall (ref: Craig Weatherhill
Craig Weatherhill
Craig Weatherhill is a Cornish author both of fiction and non-fiction works about Cornwall.-Biography:Raised in St Just in Penwith and then in Falmouth, after serving in the forces he developed a career in conservation and architecture. In his younger days, the 6' 3" Weatherhill was a goalkeeper,...
). After domination of the Brythonic Celts by the Saxons the Bardic tradition fell into disuse and despite attempts at revival over the centuries lost all its prestige.
The Gorseth for 2008 was held in September 2008 in Looe
Looe
Looe is a small coastal town, fishing port and civil parish in the former Caradon district of south-east Cornwall, England, with a population of 5,280 . Looe is divided in two by the River Looe, East Looe and West Looe being connected by a bridge...
which coincided with the Dehwelans Kernow
Dehwelans Kernow
Dehwelans Kernow is a modern festival held in Cornwall intended to encourage people of Cornish descent from around the world.The festival celebrates Cornish Music, theatre, film, and has talks, walks and exhibitions....
festival. The 2009 Gorseth began on April 18 at Saltash
Saltash
Saltash is a town and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It has a population of 14,964. It lies in the south east of Cornwall, facing Plymouth over the River Tamar. It was in the Caradon district until March 2009 and is known as "the gateway to Cornwall". Saltash means ash tree by...
.
The first bards of Gorseth Kernow at Boscawen-Un
- Michael Ambrose Cardew, (Myghal An Pry)
- Charles G. HendersonCharles G. HendersonCharles Gordon Henderson was a historian and antiquarian of Cornwall.Charles Henderson's only quarrel with Cornwall was that it had given him no more than a quarter of his blood. His father, Major J. S. Henderson, was half Scottish and half of the Irish family of Newenham: his mother was a...
, (Map Hendra) - William Benjamin Tregoning Hooper, (Bras y Golon)
- James Dryden Hosken, (Caner Helles)
- Kenneth Hamilton JenkinKenneth Hamilton JenkinAlfred Kenneth Hamilton Jenkin was best known as a historian with a particular interest in Cornish mining, publishing The Cornish Miner, now a classic, in 1927.-Birth and education:...
, (Lef Stenoryon) - Sir Arthur Quiller-CouchArthur Quiller-CouchSir Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch was a Cornish writer, who published under the pen name of Q. He is primarily remembered for the monumental Oxford Book Of English Verse 1250–1900 , and for his literary criticism...
, (Marghak Cough) - Edgar Algernon Rees, (Carer Losow)
- George Sloggett, (Gwas Petrock)
- Rev. Thomas TaylorThomas Taylor (historian)Rev. Thomas Taylor was a priest, historian and scholar of Celtic culture.-Life and career:Taylor was born in Thurvaston, Derbyshire, England. He attended King Edward VI School, Macclesfield becoming head boy in 1874. He matriculated at St Catharine's College, Cambridge in 1877, and graduated in...
, (Gwas Ust) - Herbert Thomas, (Barth Colonnek)
- James Thomas, (Tas Cambron)
- John Coulson TregarthenJohn Coulson TregarthenJohn Coulson Tregarthen was a British field naturalist and author, described as "the best loved Cornishman of his time"....
, (Mylgarer)
Morton Nance became the second Grand Bard in 1934. He said, "One generation has set Cornish on its feet. It is now for another to make it walk." Although the early Gorseth used the Unified form
Unified Cornish
Unified Cornish is a variety of revived Cornish. Developed gradually by Morton Nance during and before the 1930s, it derived its name from its standardisation of the variant spellings of traditional Cornish MSS...
, in June 2009, members voted overwhelmingly to adopt the new Standard Written Form
Standard Written Form
The Standard Written Form or SWF of the Cornish language is an orthography standard that is designed to "provide public bodies and the educational system with a universally acceptable, inclusive, and neutral orthography"...
as their standard.
1899 - 1928
1899, Wales- John Hobson Matthews (Mab Cernyw)
- Reginald Reynolds (Gwas Piran)
- Hettie Tangye Reynolds (Merch Eia)
1903, Brittany
- Henry JennerHenry JennerHenry Jenner FSA was a British scholar of the Celtic languages, a Cornish cultural activist, and the chief originator of the Cornish language revival....
(Gwas Myghal)
1904, Wales
- Katherine Lee Jenner (Morvoren)
- L. C. R. Duncombe Jewell (Bardd Glas)
1928, Wales
- Albert Marwood Bluett (Gwryghonen Vew)
- Revd James Sims Carah (Gwas Crowan)
- Revd Canon Gilbert Hunter DobleGilbert Hunter DobleGilbert Hunter Doble was an Anglican priest and Cornish historian and hagiographer.-Early life:G. H. Doble was born at Penzance, Cornwall on 26 November 1880. His father, John Medley Doble shared his enthusiasm for archaeology and local studies with his sons. He was a scholar of Exeter College,...
(Gwas Gwendron) - Robert Morton NanceRobert Morton NanceRobert Morton Nance was a leading authority on the Cornish language, nautical archaeologist, and joint founder of the Old Cornwall Society....
(Mordon) - Annie Pool (Myrgh Piala)
- Trelawney Roberts (Gonader A Bell)
- Joseph Hambley Rowe (Tolzethan)
- William Charles David Watson (Tirvab)
Venues in Cornwall since 1929
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Penryn, Cornwall Penryn is a civil parish and town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated on the Penryn River about one mile northwest of Falmouth... Hayle Hayle is a small town, civil parish and cargo port in west Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated at the mouth of the Hayle River and is approximately seven miles northeast of Penzance... St Columb Major St Columb Major is a civil parish and town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. Often referred to locally as St Columb, it is situated approximately seven miles southwest of Wadebridge and six miles east of Newquay... Bodmin Bodmin is a civil parish and major town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated in the centre of the county southwest of Bodmin Moor.The extent of the civil parish corresponds fairly closely to that of the town so is mostly urban in character... Saltash Saltash is a town and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It has a population of 14,964. It lies in the south east of Cornwall, facing Plymouth over the River Tamar. It was in the Caradon district until March 2009 and is known as "the gateway to Cornwall". Saltash means ash tree by... Illogan Illogan is a village and civil parish in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated two miles northwest of Redruth.Originally a rural area supporting itself by farming and agriculture, Illogan shared in the general leap into prosperity brought about by the mining boom, which was experienced by the... St Just in Penwith St Just is a town and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The parish encompasses the town of St Just and the nearby settlements of Trewellard, Pendeen and Kelynack: it is bounded by the parishes of Morvah to the north-east, Sancreed and Madron to the east, St Buryan and Sennen to... Antony House Antony House is the name given to an early 18th-century house, which today is in the ownership of the National Trust. It is located between the towns of Torpoint and the village of Antony in the county of Cornwall, United Kingdom... , Torpoint Torpoint Torpoint is a civil parish and town on the Rame Peninsula in southeast Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated opposite the city of Plymouth across the Hamoaze which is the tidal estuary of the River Tamar.... Poldhu Poldhu is a small area in south Cornwall, England, UK, situated on the Lizard Peninsula; it comprises Poldhu Point and Poldhu Cove. It lies on the coast west of Goonhilly Downs, with Mullion to the south and Porthleven to the north... , Mullion Mullion, Cornwall Mullion is a civil parish and village in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated on the Lizard Peninsula approximately five miles south of Helston.... Marazion Marazion is a civil parish and town in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated on the shore of Mount's Bay, two miles east of Penzance and one mile east of Long Rock.St Michael's Mount is half-a-mile offshore from Marazion... Bodmin Bodmin is a civil parish and major town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated in the centre of the county southwest of Bodmin Moor.The extent of the civil parish corresponds fairly closely to that of the town so is mostly urban in character... St Just in Penwith St Just is a town and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The parish encompasses the town of St Just and the nearby settlements of Trewellard, Pendeen and Kelynack: it is bounded by the parishes of Morvah to the north-east, Sancreed and Madron to the east, St Buryan and Sennen to... Hayle Hayle is a small town, civil parish and cargo port in west Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated at the mouth of the Hayle River and is approximately seven miles northeast of Penzance... Falmouth, Cornwall Falmouth is a town, civil parish and port on the River Fal on the south coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It has a total resident population of 21,635.Falmouth is the terminus of the A39, which begins some 200 miles away in Bath, Somerset.... Pensilva Pensilva is a village in east Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated at approximately four miles northeast of Liskeard. Nearby settlements include Charaton Cross and Middlehill.... Truro Truro is a city and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The city is the centre for administration, leisure and retail in Cornwall, with a population recorded in the 2001 census of 17,431. Truro urban statistical area, which includes parts of surrounding parishes, has a 2001 census... Wadebridge Wadebridge is a civil parish and town in north Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The town straddles the River Camel five miles upstream from Padstow.... Redruth Redruth is a town and civil parish traditionally in the Penwith Hundred in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It has a population of 12,352. Redruth lies approximately at the junction of the A393 and A3047 roads, on the route of the old London to Land's End trunk road , and is approximately west of... Looe Looe is a small coastal town, fishing port and civil parish in the former Caradon district of south-east Cornwall, England, with a population of 5,280 . Looe is divided in two by the River Looe, East Looe and West Looe being connected by a bridge... Saltash Saltash is a town and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It has a population of 14,964. It lies in the south east of Cornwall, facing Plymouth over the River Tamar. It was in the Caradon district until March 2009 and is known as "the gateway to Cornwall". Saltash means ash tree by... St Ives, Cornwall St Ives is a seaside town, civil parish and port in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The town lies north of Penzance and west of Camborne on the coast of the Celtic Sea. In former times it was commercially dependent on fishing. The decline in fishing, however, caused a shift in commercial... |
List of Grand Bards of the Gorseth Kernow since 1928
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John Bolitho John Bolitho was born in Bude in Cornwall, and spent his working life in the Royal Navy, the theatre and television , and business.He was the Grand Bard of the Gorseth Kernow between 2000-2003 with the bardic name of "Jowan an... ) 2000-2003 Rod Lyon Rod Lyon was born in Cornwall and trained as a civil engineer. After spending some early years at sea, he worked until retirement as a Local Government Officer. He was the Grand Bard of the Gorseth Kernow between 2003-2006 with the bardic name of "Tewennow"... ) 2003-2006 Vanessa Beeman Vanessa Beeman was born Vanessa Hocking in Nairobi and at a younger age lived in Tanzania. Her father Kaspar Hocking was employed as a Government entomologist in East Africa.-Early life:... ) 2006-2009 Mick Paynter Michael Kenneth Paynter is a Cornish civil servant, trade union activist, and poet.Apart from a period of study at the University of Newcastle, his home has always been in Saint Ives .... ) 2009- |
List of Deputy Grand Bards of the Gorseth Kernow since 1928
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John Bolitho John Bolitho was born in Bude in Cornwall, and spent his working life in the Royal Navy, the theatre and television , and business.He was the Grand Bard of the Gorseth Kernow between 2000-2003 with the bardic name of "Jowan an... ) 1997-2000 Rod Lyon Rod Lyon was born in Cornwall and trained as a civil engineer. After spending some early years at sea, he worked until retirement as a Local Government Officer. He was the Grand Bard of the Gorseth Kernow between 2003-2006 with the bardic name of "Tewennow"... ) 2000-2003 Vanessa Beeman Vanessa Beeman was born Vanessa Hocking in Nairobi and at a younger age lived in Tanzania. Her father Kaspar Hocking was employed as a Government entomologist in East Africa.-Early life:... ) 2003-2006 Mick Paynter Michael Kenneth Paynter is a Cornish civil servant, trade union activist, and poet.Apart from a period of study at the University of Newcastle, his home has always been in Saint Ives .... ) 2006-2009 |