[Bards] no suger coating on this
Michael Silverhands
silverhands at sbcglobal.net
Tue Oct 31 11:45:47 PST 2006
On Oct 31, 2006, at 1:06 PM, Jay Rudin wrote:
> I don't think anybody has been more devoted to Kingdom Eisteddfod
> over the
> last twenty four years than I have, and I feel extremely conflicted
> that
> day -- because Eisteddfod is full time, and Twelfth Night is full
> time. The
> people with less focus on Eisteddfod than I will not be able to
> attend it.
>
> Lots of people watched Eisteddfod when we had an active college...
Empirically, yes, I accept that the two statements "we had an active
college" and "more people watched {and competed in} Eisteddfod" are
both true for that time frame. But I have yet to see demonstrated how
they were connected then -- or more relevantly, how they might be
connected today. (I'm not saying I can't be convinced; just that I'm
not yet.) I find it easier to believe that both statements are true
because of some other reason -- such as: we had an active, thriving
bardic community -- which caused a college to be viable and caused
more people to enter and attend Eisteddfod.
I guess the crux of the matter is this: what would an active college
do for us today, that merely having an active bardic community would
not?
For an example: do we need a college in order to wear a blue favor on
our belt? (Of course not.) Would it help promote a sense of community
among the bards, and presence among the non-bards, for bards to
voluntarily wear a blue favor on their belt? (Of course.)
Am I opposed to having a bardic college? No, absolutely not. If it
makes some folks happy to have one, then "it's a free country". But
when you suggest or infer that a college would carry some benefit, I
want to understand why that might be true.
Do we need a college in order to have an active bardic community?
Would the mere fact of having a college promote having an active
bardic community? Would the mere fact of having an active bardic
community promote the existence of a college? (Is it a "chicken and
egg" problem?)
> ...and Eisteddfod was its own event.
>
> Robin of Gilwell / Jay Rudin
Now *that* is something I can understand. :-)
Michael
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