January 2001

Clan Gregor has reinstated the ancient post of bard after more than 200 years to ensure that our history does not fade in the 21st century. The Clan Gregor Society has appointed professional storyteller Paraig MacNeil of Dunblane to become its first bard since the 18th century. The appointment is, symbolically, the most important move in centuries.

Under the old Scottish clan systems, the bard - senneachie in Gaelic - was second in importance only to the chief, of whose household he was a part. He was responsible for the preservation of the clan tradition in a society which depended upon oral history. The bard would be used to praise the chiefly lineage, recite the genealogy of the clan and diminish the opposition through words in times of conflict. Paraig says the bard was so important that in battle, even opponents would "pass the sword over his head" to avoid killing off a clan's history.

There was a time when bards were very highly valued. The bard was the oral custodian of the clan's history and was exempt from combat. Bards would have to fulfill a 12 year apprenticeship before they qualified. They would also have to commit to memory more than 3,000 works of poetry. Much of the MacGregor history was lost after Culloden in 1746 - when the old system ceased to exist - although story telling persisted as a fireside tradition.

Paraig says: "It's a great honour to serve the MacGregors as their bard."

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Updated 29 January, 2008