Orainn Cathairach n'am Bhard na domnaich nChanada 

 

Voice of Gorsedd/ Cathairach of the Bards of the Dominion of Canada 

 

This is the voice of Cathairach of the Bards of the Dominion of Canada, in which may be seen the privileges and usages of the Bards of the Dominion of Canada, as originally exercised and confirmed (by the Bards of the isle of Britain). With them are the Triads, and other matters intended for Bardic instruction. 

 

1) The principle usages of the Bards of the Dominion of Canada are to maintain the memory and teaching of peace, truth, and justice in a country, and to bestow praise upon the good (worthy), and dispraise upon bad (unworthy); and all this by means of Imbas from the Gods. 

 

2) They are not to bear a naked weapon in the presence of, or against anyone; and it is not lawful for anyone to bear a naked weapon where there is a Bard. 

 

3) There are three kinds of Primitive Bards. The Bard positive, of original appointment, or a Poet, in the virtue of discipleship, whose duty it is to preserve order and rule, in respect of the Privilege, Usage, and Voice of Cathairach, so that Bardism be not lost, but maintained and preserved, in right of original usage, uncorrupt and unchanged. And it is incumbent upon a Poet to sing praise and dispraise, according to what is just and requisite, and, by means of song and oration, to preserve the memory of the Privileges and Usages of the Bards of the Dominion of Canada, and their appurtenances. A Poet is adjudged to be one of presidency after three Chairs, that is when they shall have gained the privilege of three Chairs; and every office and employment, in the function of Poet, Ollamh, and Druid, as s/he pleases, in virtue of occasion, without a degree, without, a grant. In this particular s/he is the chief of the Bards, and noone can be made master of song who s not a presiding Bard. Their dress is to be of serene blue, and unicolour, for unicolour is of the same hue as truth, and serene sky blue is of the same hue as peace, a Poet, or a privileged Bard, being a person of peace and truth;--s/he is also called a 

 

Licensed Bard, a privileged Licentiate, and Primitive Bard positive. Nor is it lawful for them to bear arms, nor for any one to bear a weapon, where s/he may be in their unicoloured vestment, by which s/he is to be distinguished. The second of the primitive Bards is the Ollamh, and it is encombent upon them to be acquainted with literature, that is, to read and write, and to know the kinds of arts which may be beneficial to Bards and to the world, and to exhibit them in their authenticity before a Cathairach or chair, or a Bard pf presidency. It is incumbent on them, also, to collect and search for knowledge, and to impart instruction in it, after it shall have obtained the judgment and privilege of Cathairach; s/he is not bound to do more, except in virtue of a degree and grant. The dress of an Ollamh is to be green, being the same colour as knowledge and learning, which grow like the green vegetation of spring; and in the attainment of knowledge the Ollamh is the chief of Bards. The third of the primitive Bards is the Druid, and it is incumbent upon them to teach, according to reason, nature, obligation, and choice, what s/he sees to be true, of the original learning, usages, and judgement of the poets, as preserved in the memory and by the voice of Cathairach, and of the learning, art, and attainment of the Ollamh-Bard. And their principle function is to teach divine knowledge, and justice, truth, and peace; and in respect of learning and knowledge, according to reason, nature, and obligation, the chief of the (Ollamh-)Bards is the Druid. For knowing how to sing and exhibit a song of their own composition before a Cathairach, which shall confer upon them the privilege of a chair, s/he will be entitled to the privilege of a Poet, that is, a Bard of privilege, without either a degree or a grant. The dress of a Druid is to be of unicoloured white, being thus the same colour positively as the sun and light, and consequently of the same colour as holiness of life, purity of godliness, and sanctity. If s/he cannot compose a song, a Druid has nothing to do with the function of a Bard of privilege, except by grant and courtesy; but s/he is privileged, without either a degree or a grant, to perform what may be necessary, and what may seem good to them, in the employment and office of an Ollamh. Should a Druid be an original Bard of Privilege, s/he has no need of either a degree or a grant, but will act according to privilege. 

 

4) Discipleship is the institution of a master, who is a presiding Bard; that is, he who desires to receive instruction and privilege in respect of song and Bardism, must apply to a presiding master. Those who seek instruction and privilege in respect of song are called Aspirants (Anruth), Disciples (Focloc), privileged Licentiates (MacFuirmid), and protected, because protection will be afforded to them, that they should bear no arms,, and that none should bear arms where they are. Aspirants have no more privileges, until they obtain a degree in right of Cathairach; and no degree can be conferred upon an aspirant until the end of three years of discipleship, though in right of an Ollamh s/he may have a degree sooner, where there is a presiding Bard, who will aver on their word and conscience that the candidate is competent to be a Bard. No person can be admitted into discipleship, who knows not their right hand, how to count to a hundred, the names of the months of the year, and the four parts of the world, namely, south, east, north and west, and who knows not their mother's tongue in such a way as it may be easy to understand them. When s/he shall have been a disciple for three years, s/he is privileged to become a candidate for the degree of a Primitive Bard Positive, if he has a beard; if he has no beard, let him wait until he has (For females, to the first bleeding), or let them seek the degree of an Ollamh. And when s/he obtains a beard (menstruates) , s/he is privileged to become a candidate for the degree of a Primitive Bard, if s/he has been a disciple for three years, or is an Ollamh; and if s/he cannot at that time answer poetically and judiciously, according to the instruction of Privilege and Usage, a degree must be forbidden to them, unless they are better acquainted with their necessity, their feat, and their employment, in which case they are privileged to obtain a degree.  

 

   An Ollamh is to be graduated, as before mentioned, in virtue of a presiding Bard, who shall avere on his word and conscience, that the candidate is competent to become a Bard, or according to the judgment of a Cathairach, to which application has been made, or from having been a disciple for less than three years, if s/he can answer the questions put to them by an Ollamh. An Ollamh of privilege is a Bard of privilege, or a Druid, who exercises the vocation of an Ollamh, or verifies the claim of an Ollamh candidate, or an original Ollamh; there is no need to a Bard of privilege, or a Druid, of a degree or grant, since they are entitled by privilege to assume the office of an Ollamh.  

 

  The privilege of grant, or privilege by the coutesy of Cathairach, s that, when a Bard must needs exercise a function, which is not his by privilege and degree, as when an Ollamh, or original Druid, in case of necessity, exercises the vocation of a primitive Bard positive, where that person is wanting: or when an Ollamh, in case of need, exercises the vocation of a Druid. Some say, that an aspirant of three years, can, in right of courtesy, and of grant of usage, engage in the office of a primitive Bard positive, where there is none, or a sufficient number of such already; and in the same manner, engage also in the offices of an Ollamh and a Druid. It is not lawful for anyone to assume the office of degree and Cathairach, in right of the gift of courtesy, except where there is a deficiency of presiding Bards of institutional degree and privilege. 

 

    A person may share in the privilege of grant and courtesy, by giving notice of a year and a day; and unless an institutional Bard enters his/her protest agaisnt it before the expiration of that time, then all, who have enjoyed grant and courtesy, are entitled to the privilege of usage; this is the privilege of necessity, lest Bardism should be lost. 

 

    Where there are three presiding Bards, there is privilege of an institutional Cathairach. Where there are not three, there can be no institutional privilege, but the privilege of grant of courtesy, in virtue of a year and a day, when it becomes institutional, in case the claim has not been negatived. 

 

    Positive privilege takes place where there is only one presiding Bard, such being ordained lest Bardism become lost. That is to say, the presiding Bard is empowered to confer the privilege of degree and Cathairach uopn three persons, if s/he pleases, for the sake of holding a Cathairach, which takes place at the end of an institutional year and a day; after that, they become presiding in right of three chairs, or three Cathairach. 

 

   Where there is not one presiding Bard, or chief of song, and hence there is a prospect of Bardism being lost, let those, who know the usages and privileges of the Bards of the Dominion of Canada from the lips and voice of country, or from book and Ogham (Coelbren), or from a very old song, give public notice of a year and a day throughout the country, in the name of the Bards of the Dominion of Canada, who are adjudged to always be living And when the year and a day are expired, it is lawful for them to hold a Cathairach, according to what is institutional, as indicated by the memory and voice of country,, and the memorial of book and of Ogham. And at the end of a year and a day after that they will be Bards of privilege and usage, according to claim and acknowledgement, and unless they are protested against before the end of a year and a day after that by an institutional Bard of Cathairach, under the priviledge of the primitive Bards of the Dominion of Canada, then they will be privileged and institutional, as well as their Cathairach, since they will now be Bards according to privilege and usage in virtue of the same notice, grant, and courtesy, which first of all conferred privielege and usage upon the Bards of the Dominion of Canada, as with the Bards of the Island of Britain from whom they evolved, that is, the privilege of necessity.