Bronze Age Gold from Wales

A poor blind harpist sits on a wooden bench, his harp leaning against his left shoulder, a dog by his side. Scattered around him are scant belongings: a cane, a pair of gloves, and two types of tuning key for the harp. A rolled-up poster under the bench suggests he is, or has been, competing at an Eisteddfod. A miniature harp is pinned to his jacket. These were sometimes given as prizes at the Eisteddfod for performances on the harp. On the bench next to him is a stoneware beer jug known as a ‘hunting jug’ because they were often decorated with rural hunting scenes. Its inclusion suggests merriment and festivity - although the harpist here doesn’t look particularly merry! Harps were often played in taverns, outdoors, and at the Eisteddfod as accompaniment for dancing, singing, and reciting. But by the 19th century, the Welsh or triple harp had seen a decline in popularity and attempts were made by Lady Llanover and others to resurrect the tradition. Some people blamed the harp’s declining popularity on puritanical non-conformists, for steering people away from ‘sinful’ sensory pleasures like music and dancing. In 1802, Edward Jones wrote that ‘Wales, which was formerly one of the merriest and happiest countries in the world, is now becoming the dullest’. Playing the harp was one of the few options available for blind people at the time. Around 1823 a society was formed in Brecon to teach blind boys to play the Welsh harp. This was both an attempt to revitalise the triple harp tradition, and an attempt to give blind people a means to support themselves. But many blind harpists remained poor. This feeds into stereotyped associations of blindness with poverty, social decline, and loss. Below the image is a quote taken from The Cuckoo’s Song to Meirionydd, a popular folk song by Welsh poet Lewis Morris (Llewelyn Ddu o Fôn). At the bottom of the page are the words ‘Telyn fwyn Cymru’ (Wales’ melodious/fair harp), written in the Welsh bardic alphabet invented by Iolo Morganwg. The artist John Orlando Parry was also a musician, and a popular comic entertainer. Encouraged by his father, John Parry (Bardd Alaw) he had also learnt to play the harp. Both men played an active part in Welsh cultural life and were avid supporters of the Eisteddfod. In 1838, Bardd Alaw published a book, The Welsh Harper. It is possible this drawing was intended as an illustration for the book, though the design never made it to print.