Welsh Journals

The Wayside Entertainer in the 19th Century. R. W. JONES, M.A. (Erfyl Fychan). The activities of the wayside entertainer in Wales at the beginning of the nineteenth century illustrate the history of earlier customs already in conflict with new developments. Lay criticism of interlude playing, and clerical attempts to modify the character of the Gwylmabsant, had been organised as early as 1754.1 Harp playing and penillion singing also became the subject of attacks. There appeared a progressive tendency to regard all participation in entertainment as evidence of depravity, and the gradual spread among the people of these views was occasionally reflected even in the subjects and character of some of the cerddi sung at the fairs. Slowly but surely, old modes of entertainment were passing away under the influences of the religious revivals of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. On the other hand there is ample evidence of attempts being made to revive interest in harp playing and penillion singing, as distinctively Welsh practices-attempts by some individuals such as Lady Llanover, Nicholas Bennett, and others, as well as the promoters of the eisteddfodau of the period.2 These eisteddfodau, such as Eisteddfodau y Fenni, and Carmarthen Eisteddfod, 1819, were meetings of a competitive character, at which prizes were offered and awarded for literary compositions, and for harp playing and singing. Even the support of these meetings was openly discouraged, not so much because of their general character, as of the opportunities they are alleged to have afforded for loose conduct.3 In spite of the efforts made to foster some of these practices, it would appear from the evidence generally that there had been a decrease in the number of harpers, and that persons possessing a knowledge of the art of penillion singing had become rare. It does not appear that there was any defence of cerddi singing as such. The practice, however, continued down to the end of the period, but the number of singers seems to have decreased throughout the country, although it will be shown later that there was a slight increase in the demand for their compositions. 1 Morris Letters, edited J. H. Davies. Vol. 1, p. 291, 298. 2 W. Davies-Leathart. The origin and progress of the Gwyneddigion Society. 3 Y Drysorfa. Vol. X., No. 116 (August, 1840), p. 232, t.