Editing Bardic name

{{Short description|Pseudonym used by poets/artists in Wales, Cornwall or Brittany}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}}
A '''bardic name''' ({{Langx|cy|enw barddol}}, {{Langx|kw|hanow bardhek}}) is a [[pseudonym]] used in Wales, [[Cornwall]], or [[Brittany]] by poets and other artists, especially those involved in the [[eisteddfod]] movement.

The [[Welsh language|Welsh]] term '''bardd''' ('poet') originally referred to the Welsh poets of the [[Middle Ages]], who might be itinerant or attached to a noble household. Some of these medieval poets were known by a pseudonym, for example [[Cynddelw Brydydd Mawr]] ('Cynddelw the Master Poet'), fl. 1155–1200 and [[Iolo Goch]] ('Iolo the Red'), c. 1320 – c. 1398. The practice seems to have very ancient antecedents, as in the names of the presumably 6th century poets [[Talhaearn Tad Awen]], [[Blwchfardd]] and [[Culfardd]], mentioned by the Welsh historian [[Nennius]] alongside [[Taliesin]] and [[Aneirin]], the last referred to as ''Aneurin Gwenithwawd'' ('Aneurin of the Corn Poetry').

The revival of bardic names became something of a conceit following the reinvention of medieval tradition by [[Iolo Morganwg]] in the 18th century. The usage has also extended to [[Breton language|Breton]] and [[Cornish language|Cornish]] poetry.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/guides/ztbk87h BBC iWonder - "Druids, bards and rituals: What is an Eisteddfod?"]. Accessed 7 October 2015</ref> In Cornwall, some of the pioneers of the [[Cornish language]] movement are referred to by their bardic names, e.g., "Mordon" for [[Robert Morton Nance]], and "Talek" for [[E. G. Retallack Hooper]].<ref>[http://www.gorsethkernow.org.uk/english/archives/newbards/bardlist.htm List of new Cornish bards / bardic names] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071119161350/http://www.gorsethkernow.org.uk/english/archives/newbards/bardlist.htm |date=19 November 2007 }}</ref>

Many surnames in Wales derive from [[patronymics]] rather than, for instance, places of origin. Many people therefore share a limited number of surnames, and many people can share even the full name, so it was common practice to add a nickname to distinguish between people with similar names. For some people, this might be a reference to their occupation within the village, but for those with a literary reputation, whose name would be known across the land, it was common practice to take, or be awarded, a [[sobriquet]].

For example, [[John Jones (Talhaiarn)]] took his bardic name from his place of origin, to distinguish him from contemporaries with the name [[John Jones (disambiguation)|John Jones]]. The minister [[Joseph Harris (Gomer)]] selected his bardic name from the Bible. Others, such as [[Hedd Wyn]], used poetic inventions.

The name could be a [[pen name]] but it could also be an accolade. A bardic name, in the context of the [[eisteddfod]], is a particular accolade, as it is adopted when inducted into the Orders of distinguished bards and writers.

The sobriquet could be:
* added to the surname, as in '''William Williams ''Pantycelyn''''' – as a suffixed accolade.
* placed instead of the original surname, as in: '''William ''Pantycelyn''''' – to preserve a distinction between the [[literary persona]] and the private persona. Although it is not an exact parallel, one writer had a personal life as the ''Lady Mallowan'' but continued to write murder-mysteries as (Dame) [[Agatha Christie]] and wrote non-fiction as Agatha Christie Mallowan.
* stand alone, as in: '''''Pantycelyn''''' – in the same way that the literary name of [[John le Carré]] is widely recognised without further elaboration, possibly better known than the writer's real name of David ''Cornwell''.

==See also==
{{Portal|Cornwall}}
* [[Gorseth Kernow]]
* [[List of Welsh-language poets (6th century to c. 1600)]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Celts|state=collapsed}}
{{Iolo Morganwg}}

[[Category:Arts in Wales]]
[[Category:Breton language]]
[[Category:Culture of Cornwall]]
[[Category:Cornish language]]
[[Category:Eisteddfod]]
[[Category:Gorseddau]]
[[Category:Iolo Morganwg]]
[[Category:Pseudonyms]]
[[Category:Welsh-language literature]]
[[Category:Welsh poetry]]