Here's a bit from Ceri Lewis: The Court Poets: Their Function, Status and
Craft, in A Guide to Welsh Literature v1 ed. Jarman & Hughes:
"There are a few indications of bardic families, the most notable
example being that of Meilyr Brydydd (fl. c. 1100-37), the chief court
poet to Gruffudd ap Cynan at Aberffraw. This bard's son, Gwalchmai ap
Meilyr (fl. c. 1130-80), was court poet to Owain Gwynedd, the son of
Gruffudd ap Cynan, and at least two, possibly three, of Gwalchmai's sons
were also poets. One reason for the tendency for professions to become
hereditary was their endowment with landed estates, and Sir John Edward
Lloyd expressed the view that this practice explained such local names as
Pentre'r-beirdd and Tre'r-beirdd. Be that as it may, another factor which
undoubtably contributed to the for some professions to become hereditary
was the ease with which traditional skills can be transmitted from father
to son, and in this respect the family can be seen as the prototype of the
school."
Hmm... I'm stll waiting for my slice of endowed land...
RC
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