A bardic name (, ) is a

pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name ( orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individu ...

used in

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...

Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a Historic counties of England, historic county and Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people ...

, or

Brittany Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica during the period ...

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral or w ...

s and other artists, especially those involved in the eisteddfod movement. The

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peopl ...

term bardd ("poet") originally referred to the Welsh poets of the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

, 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 Talhaearn Tad Awen (''fl'' mid-6th century), was, according to medieval Welsh sources, a celebrated British poet of the sub-Roman period. He ranks as one of the earliest, if not the earliest, named poets to have composed and performed in Welsh. ...

, Blwchfardd and Culfardd, mentioned by the Welsh historian

Nennius Nennius – or Nemnius or Nemnivus – was a Welsh monk of the 9th century. He has traditionally been attributed with the authorship of the '' Historia Brittonum'', based on the prologue affixed to that work. This attribution is widely considere ...

alongside

Taliesin Taliesin ( , ; 6th century AD) was an early Brittonic poet of Sub-Roman Britain whose work has possibly survived in a Middle Welsh manuscript, the ''Book of Taliesin''. Taliesin was a renowned bard who is believed to have sung at the court ...

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 Edward Williams, better known by his bardic name Iolo Morganwg (; 10 March 1747 – 18 December 1826), was a Welsh antiquarian, poet and collector.Jones, Mary (2004)"Edward Williams/Iolo Morganwg/Iolo Morgannwg" From ''Jones' Celtic Encycloped ...

in the 18th century. The usage has also extended to Breton and Cornish poetry. In Cornwall, some of the pioneers of the

Cornish language Cornish (Standard Written Form: or ) , is a Southwestern Brittonic language of the Celtic language family. It is a revived language, having become extinct as a living community language in Cornwall at the end of the 18th century. However, ...

movement are referred to by their bardic names, e.g. "Mordon" for Robert Morton Nance, and "Talek" for E. G. Retallack Hooper.List of new Cornish bards / bardic names
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) John Jones (19 January 1810 – October 1869), known by his bardic name of Talhaiarn, was a Welsh poet and architect. Life and reputation Jones was born at the ''Harp Inn'' (now known as ''Hafod y Gân'') in Llanfair Talhaearn, Denbighshir ...

took his bardic name from his place of origin, to distinguish him from contemporaries with the name 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 A pen name, also called a ''nom de plume'' or a literary double, is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name. A pen na ...

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 Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, (; 15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fiction ...

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 David John Moore Cornwell (19 October 193112 December 2020), better known by his pen name John le Carré ( ), was a British and Irish author, best known for his espionage novels, many of which were successfully adapted for film or television. ...

is widely recognised without further elaboration, possibly better known than the writer's real name of David ''Cornwell''.

References

{{Use dmy dates, date=March 2017 Welsh poetry Pseudonymous writers Arts in Wales Welsh-language literature Cornish culture Breton language Cornish language Gorseddau Eisteddfod

See also

References