Liturgical Writing & Bardry

Bardic Arts

There are a variety of things that we typically consider bardic arts, and you can find many examples of these within the Bardic Guild's Study Program Tracks.

Drama

Writing and performing plays, whatever genre they happen to fall in, are one speciality that a bard may have. These are often used in ritual to tell an interactive story.

Oration

Whether writing essays or giving speechs, this bardic art requires careful thought and excellent diction. It is often seen in ritual when speaking about a celebration.

Poetry

Writing and performing poetry are bardic arts that involve careful word choice and use of poetic devices. It is often seen in ritual when speaking words of praise.

Song

Writing and performing music, whether it has words or not, is one of the more common skills associated with a bard. It can be used in ritual to evoke emotion, tell a story, or cover time that would otherwise be silent so the energy and focus of the rite doesn't wane.

Story

Writing and telling stories is another of the common skills associated with a bard. In ritual it is most often used to tell the story of a specific deity or spirit.

Bardic Arts within Ancient Cultures

Many ancient Indo-European cultures have a variety of bardic arts present. Some are easier to find than others. Below are some exampes of what you may find. To learn more examine the primary texts for the culture, as well as any archeological or historical accounts you can find. There are some good sources for each culture in the Dedicant Program's Hearth Culture reading suggestions as well as in each of the Kin subgroups.

Celtic

The bard in many celtic cultures was well educated, and is probably best known for their storytelling.

Norse

Within the Norse culture bardic arts were commonly seen in the form of epic poetry and prophecy.

Vedic

The most well-known source text for the Vedic culture is the Rig Veda, which is a colleciton of hymns - lyric poetry.

Greek

Because the Ancient Greeks wrote down so much of what they did we can see a variety of bardic arts in their culture. Everything from epic poetry, to lyric poetry, to drama, to essays & oration.

Roman

The Romans, like the Greeks, have a lot of primary source material. We can see things like essays & oration, poetry, and stories in particular.

Being a Bard

Part of being a bard often involves writing and performing prayers and rituals. Part of being an initiate means drawing on those writing and performing skills to specialize your work to the occassion, whether it's a specific prayer, or a ritual for a rite of passage.

Types of Prayer

Rites of Passage

Ancient Bards

Bards can be found across anceint Indo-European cultures, and are often the source of the primary texts that we have. Examples include Homer, Hesiod, Snorri Sturluson, and Pliny the Elder. Bards can also be found within the mythology of many Indo-European cultures. Examples include Talisean, Bragi, and Orpheus.

Modern Bards

There are many ways that a bard navigates modern society. Some useful articles to read are:

"The Role of Modern Bard" by Diane "Emerald" Bronowicz
"The Role of a Modern-Day Bard" by Jennifer Gadd

Textual Analysis

It is useful to understand elements of a text that make it especially impactful. Not only can this improve your ability to analyze the text, but it will also allow you to incorporate those strategies into your own creative works.

Poetic Devices

Methods of Analysis

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