Druids and the bardic tradition.
I know it's been a while since I posted here. I've been doing some thinking about my path, as well as what my next best resource will be (i.e., which book to add to my library). I am considering Ross Nichols' Book of Druidry, as it has been recommended to me by a friend whose opinions I value quite highly. My most major question at present is whether I should obtain another resource to study in tandem with Nichols' volume -- particularly, a book on the bardic tradition.
Druidry.org states that Bards "probably represented the first level of training for an apprentice Druid", and studied for as long as twelve years. They were accomplished scholars, having attended a Bardic college for the entire course of their training. A full Bard -- that is, one who reached the rank of Ollamh, or Doctor of Poetry -- possessed a vast repertoire of songs, poems and stories. In addition, he had committed a wealth of knowledge to memory -- history and grammar, the Ogham alphabet and its finer combinations, the Law of Privileges -- the list goes on. You may read it here if you wish.
I have always possessed a profound admiration of Bards, and have considered myself an aspiring Bard for some while now. My limited knowledge of piano and moderate singing instruction help me understand how to make music; my empathic sense and love of music help me perform it while communicating the energy of the pieces I perform to my listeners. My somewhat extended acquaintance with poetry and essays as a form of written self-expression have given me some instruction in shaping a written piece according to the context of my intended message, and I have always, always been particular about grammar ever since I began to understand the finer points of its use, even to my own detriment in certain cases. (For instance, I once wrote a short passage for an Honors English class in high school that was judged "too formal" by the instructor.)
Yet I perceive a lack in my memory that has bothered me for some time now. I have trouble reciting even my own poetry, much less the poetry of others. This is not, however, something that need continue if I do choose to pursue the path of the Bard in earnest. I will be able to work to memorize one of my poems at a time, even shortest to longest if I wish, as a means of training my memory and providing a backup for those poems I have written that cannot be lost or erased. I believe they should work nicely at least to start, considering that I have at least eighty of them (probably more, but I've never counted).
The site I referenced above also mentions that Bards utilized sensory deprivation as a means of training as well as inspiration, which makes perfect sense to me. It makes me wonder how I might respond to the dual loss of sight and sound -- if I were to use earplugs and a blindfold in meditation, for instance, so that I might force my mind to concentrate only on what lies within. I intend to do so within the next week, whether I've read anything further on Bards or not, and to conduct regular sessions in such a manner.
I wonder, too, what might occur if I were to use the blindfold and earplugs in tandem with headphones. It's true I wouldn't be able to hear the sounds, but if the volume were sufficient I would be able to perceive only the vibrations of those sounds. How might my mind interpret those vibrations, and what might I compose as a result? If I were to take a large collection of music, place it on shuffle so I couldn't possibly know what song or type of music was playing (I listen to a LOT of different types of music, ranging from classical and Renaissance polyphony to world music and metalcore with a lot in between), how might those vibrations translate into words?
I think it an interesting experiment, and something worth investigating. With my mixture of experience, I believe the results would be at least fascinating for me, if not for others as well. My reasoning runs thus:
-- Since I can remember (I guess it's been about 23 years now), I have utilized my empathy to interpret the energy patterns of others. This allows me to discern their basic emotional state as well as essential character based on my perception of their energies. I recognize that my interpretations aren't infallible, but they have proven extremely reliable over time.
-- According to my parents, I was singing before I could talk. I first learned to sing in unison with others at five, and shortly after that in harmony. I don't know if it was at the same age or not, but the ability to generate spontaneous harmony runs in my family, passed down along my mother's line from my grandmother.
-- I began to write poetry when I was thirteen. I also wrote short vignettes at this time, these being solely intended to increase my ability to utilize imagery in my work (sensory in general, not just visual). I was first a lyric poet, then a free-verse. I have studied both form and meter at a basic level.
-- I am aware of rhetoric and somewhat practiced in its use. I only became fully conscious of the term and its definition in my twenties; simultaneous with my realization, however, was the understanding that I had been using it in some form for at least ten years prior to that point.
-- I am aware of the tone colors within notes, although I cannot yet match them with a named pitch.
I believe I could probably think of a number of other reasons to conduct such an exploration if I tried, but for now I believe those sufficient to give a good framework for my motivations. Besides, I write this not simply to express it to others, but also to teach myself. In "thinking aloud", I am able to read through what I have written and form my method using what I learn.
In any case, I believe this new period of learning will prove a fascinating and enjoyable journey for me. I can but learn and feel myself unfold as I am led where I am meant to travel. Even as I write, I come to a new understanding: that it is not so much walking the path that I'm supposed to accomplish, but witnessing my evolution as I pass along those landmarks and lessons of which the path itself is comprised. It is certainly true that I must direct myself to some degree in order to learn, but my concept of that direction has changed somewhat now that I've written this entry.
More later, and blessings to you all.
Crossposted from my Dreamwidth account.
Druidry.org states that Bards "probably represented the first level of training for an apprentice Druid", and studied for as long as twelve years. They were accomplished scholars, having attended a Bardic college for the entire course of their training. A full Bard -- that is, one who reached the rank of Ollamh, or Doctor of Poetry -- possessed a vast repertoire of songs, poems and stories. In addition, he had committed a wealth of knowledge to memory -- history and grammar, the Ogham alphabet and its finer combinations, the Law of Privileges -- the list goes on. You may read it here if you wish.
I have always possessed a profound admiration of Bards, and have considered myself an aspiring Bard for some while now. My limited knowledge of piano and moderate singing instruction help me understand how to make music; my empathic sense and love of music help me perform it while communicating the energy of the pieces I perform to my listeners. My somewhat extended acquaintance with poetry and essays as a form of written self-expression have given me some instruction in shaping a written piece according to the context of my intended message, and I have always, always been particular about grammar ever since I began to understand the finer points of its use, even to my own detriment in certain cases. (For instance, I once wrote a short passage for an Honors English class in high school that was judged "too formal" by the instructor.)
Yet I perceive a lack in my memory that has bothered me for some time now. I have trouble reciting even my own poetry, much less the poetry of others. This is not, however, something that need continue if I do choose to pursue the path of the Bard in earnest. I will be able to work to memorize one of my poems at a time, even shortest to longest if I wish, as a means of training my memory and providing a backup for those poems I have written that cannot be lost or erased. I believe they should work nicely at least to start, considering that I have at least eighty of them (probably more, but I've never counted).
The site I referenced above also mentions that Bards utilized sensory deprivation as a means of training as well as inspiration, which makes perfect sense to me. It makes me wonder how I might respond to the dual loss of sight and sound -- if I were to use earplugs and a blindfold in meditation, for instance, so that I might force my mind to concentrate only on what lies within. I intend to do so within the next week, whether I've read anything further on Bards or not, and to conduct regular sessions in such a manner.
I wonder, too, what might occur if I were to use the blindfold and earplugs in tandem with headphones. It's true I wouldn't be able to hear the sounds, but if the volume were sufficient I would be able to perceive only the vibrations of those sounds. How might my mind interpret those vibrations, and what might I compose as a result? If I were to take a large collection of music, place it on shuffle so I couldn't possibly know what song or type of music was playing (I listen to a LOT of different types of music, ranging from classical and Renaissance polyphony to world music and metalcore with a lot in between), how might those vibrations translate into words?
I think it an interesting experiment, and something worth investigating. With my mixture of experience, I believe the results would be at least fascinating for me, if not for others as well. My reasoning runs thus:
-- Since I can remember (I guess it's been about 23 years now), I have utilized my empathy to interpret the energy patterns of others. This allows me to discern their basic emotional state as well as essential character based on my perception of their energies. I recognize that my interpretations aren't infallible, but they have proven extremely reliable over time.
-- According to my parents, I was singing before I could talk. I first learned to sing in unison with others at five, and shortly after that in harmony. I don't know if it was at the same age or not, but the ability to generate spontaneous harmony runs in my family, passed down along my mother's line from my grandmother.
-- I began to write poetry when I was thirteen. I also wrote short vignettes at this time, these being solely intended to increase my ability to utilize imagery in my work (sensory in general, not just visual). I was first a lyric poet, then a free-verse. I have studied both form and meter at a basic level.
-- I am aware of rhetoric and somewhat practiced in its use. I only became fully conscious of the term and its definition in my twenties; simultaneous with my realization, however, was the understanding that I had been using it in some form for at least ten years prior to that point.
-- I am aware of the tone colors within notes, although I cannot yet match them with a named pitch.
I believe I could probably think of a number of other reasons to conduct such an exploration if I tried, but for now I believe those sufficient to give a good framework for my motivations. Besides, I write this not simply to express it to others, but also to teach myself. In "thinking aloud", I am able to read through what I have written and form my method using what I learn.
In any case, I believe this new period of learning will prove a fascinating and enjoyable journey for me. I can but learn and feel myself unfold as I am led where I am meant to travel. Even as I write, I come to a new understanding: that it is not so much walking the path that I'm supposed to accomplish, but witnessing my evolution as I pass along those landmarks and lessons of which the path itself is comprised. It is certainly true that I must direct myself to some degree in order to learn, but my concept of that direction has changed somewhat now that I've written this entry.
More later, and blessings to you all.
Crossposted from my Dreamwidth account.