One example appears in the Bible, while others were used to improve defenses in ancient China and 15th-century French towns. England's first was held in 1567, with the approval of Elizabeth I, and in the 18th century, one helped establish a famous museum. What is this now-popular institution?

gtho4

Eisteddfod: A Cultural Competition The idea of the Eisteddfod is very ancient. It began, as did many Welsh institutions, as a challenge from outside. This was the Norman invasion of Britain and the consequent subjugation of much of the population of Wales to Norman rule. In Wales proper, the coming of the Normans had the paradoxical effect of bringing about a brilliant new literary culture that was both Welsh and European in its outlook. There was an explosion of literary activity mainly made possible through the proliferation, throughout Wales, of monasteries and friaries, with their reverence for historical and literary traditions and their expertise in strengthening and preserving those traditions. Of great significance for Welsh culture was the revival of the bardic orders, indeed, the expansion of those orders led to the first eisteddfod, for the bards were anxious to come together in the spirit of competition. It is this era, too, that saw the blossoming of the Arthurian tradition, in which the Welsh people thought of themselves as the true British people, the heirs to Arthur and the glorious heroic age attributed to his time. A "sitting" of bards, or poets, took place as early as 1176, when the Lord Rhys convened the people of Wales to Cardigan (Aberteifi). Rhys (Rhys ap Grufffudd) had been appointed justice of South Wales by Henry II, and his rights to the territories he controlled were recognized by the king. The purpose of this meeting, apart from demonstrating the position of preeminence held by Lord Rhys among the Welsh princes, was to regulate the business of the bardic orders. Metrical rules were set up, and licenses were given to those who had completed their apprenticeship. The event is described by an anonymous writer in the historical document, "Brut y Tywysogion" . [ continued ] May 30 05, 6:39 PM

gtho4

[ continued ] Other noteworthy eisteddfodau were held at Carmarthen in 1451, and at Caerwys in 1523 and 1567, when further rules were drawn up and licenses granted. After Caerwys, with the gradual break-up or anglicization of some of the great families of Wales and the loss of their patronage, the tradition of the early Eisteddfod, for all practical purposes, became extinct, and it was only thanks to the vivid imagination of an 18th century London Welshman that it survived and flourished anew. http://www.britannia.com/wales/culture1.html May 30 05, 6:39 PM

gtho4

The Cistercian Way, Caerwys .. this was once a Roman outpost. It is now most famous for the eisteddfodau or poetry festivals which have been held there. According to tradition, the first was summoned in about 1100 by Gruffydd ap Cynan, the liberator of Gwynedd from the Norman Hugh Lupus. Another was held in 1523, and in 1567 Elizabeth I gave permission for a competitive bardic assembly there. The festival is commemorated in a window in the church. The wandering bards and musicians of the old Welsh tradition had suffered under legislation designed to curb vagabonds. The 1567 eisteddfod offered the authentic bards an opportunity to prove their status and abilities. Once they had done this they were offered a degree which gave them the right to travel between the houses of the gentry and to be paid for their work. This failed to rescue the moribund Welsh bardic tradition, but at least it gave it a more dignified end. It is perhaps symbolic that the pencerdd, the leading bard acknowledged at Caerwys in 1567 was Wiliam Llyn, a poet best known for his elegies. In some of these written for his fellow poets, he is sorrowing not only for the death of friends and colleagues but for the passing of the whole bardic order. http://cistercian-way.newport.ac.uk/Caerwys.html May 30 05, 6:40 PM

gtho4

BTW the above is a WAG May 30 05, 6:45 PM

lanfranco

Gtho4, this is truly fascinating, because literary history matters to me. However, it is not the right answer and does not address the question. I appreciate your links and will keep them, but -- I am looking for something that can be described as a far-less-than-intellectual aspect of popular culture and behavior. [May 30 05 7:05 PM] lanfranco writes: Still looking for the answer, ladies and gentlemen ... May 30 05, 6:51 PM

gmackematix

I was going to say you should bother because it could be you. Then I realsed England's first lottery wasn't until 1569. Drat! May 30 05, 7:05 PM

lanfranco

You're wrong, gmack. Look again. You seem to have it. May 30 05, 7:08 PM

peasypod

January 11, 1567 seems to be the first recored lottery in England.. May 30 05 7:16 PM] peasypod writes: Found this: http://www.covent-garden.co.uk/historieso/lottery.html May 30 05, 7:13 PM

lanfranco

Very nice, peasy. Though gmack gets some credit, too. We are talking about lotteries. Can anyone come up with the other references? [May 30 05 7:21 PM] lanfranco writes: Nice, peasy, just checked your site, which does include Moses' "lottery" in Numbers. May 30 05, 7:19 PM

gmackematix

Trust me to find the one site that gets the year wrong. Still, I suspected I might be right anyway and should have checked further before looking at one of Peasy's great unsolveds again! May 30 05, 7:22 PM

peasypod

Oh, I forgot to mention that the British Museum was the one established by the lottery. Seems I was stumbling on this one the other day for the answer to the Lost and Found Napoleon question of yours! http://www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/visit/history.html May 30 05, 7:41 PM

lanfranco

Terrific! May 30 05, 7:43 PM

Arpeggionist

And it appears more than once in the Bible. Lots were cast to figure out anything, from the name of the first king (Saul) to the perpetrator of a particular crime (Achan stealing the spoils of Jericho). May 31 05, 2:50 AM

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