It’s fair to say that music has always been an integral part of Scottish culture. Going back as far as the medieval period, one of the most important roles throughout Scottish communities was an individual known as the bard. Bards relied on a strong oral tradition and acted primarily as the community’s musician, poet and storyteller. However, they were also known to fulfil the role of local historian and at times even the lawyer.
More often than not, these multi-talented individuals were funded by a local patron – usually a monarch or nobleman – and amongst their main duties was the job of writing songs that commemorated their employer.
Over time, the tradition of the bard began to fall out of favour, but the cultural significance of their role remained. Because of this, the term bard has come to take on a new meaning in the modern period – being used as a term of recognition for famous authors or poets. It’s for this reason that Scotland’s national poet, Robert Burns, is commonly referred to as ‘The Bard’.
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