Gwenenen is the second female Grand Bard

Vanessa Beeman (Gwenenen) has been crowned the new Grand Bard of Cornwall at the Cornish Gorseth in Redruth. She became a bard through the language along with her father Dr Kaspar Hocking.

Gwenenen is the second woman to hold the honoured position at the head of the Gorseth. Anne Jenkin (Bryallen) was the first, and was a great ambassador overseas and at home for the culture.

We wish Gwenenen every good fortune for her term of office.

Comment by Grand Bard Rod Lyon

I was amazed when I set eyes on an article this week in the magazine 'Quest', (edition No.92, Summer 2006). Perhaps I was stupid in thinking that imperialism in the UK had died, but as I learnt from this article, it is still alive and well amongst a few.

It is certainly right for anybody to ensure that his own language is protected, but it is not his business to try an destroy, condemn or meddle in the languages of other people or other countries.

With the chosen language of this man - English - falling apart through bad grammar, bad spelling and a lack of knowledge of punctuation, it would be a thousand times better if he turned his eyes towards those in England who are destroying his language, and leave in peace those in Cornwall who want to continue with their language - a language that is none of his business.

Right click on picture, and save to your pictures folder and then view the article.

Is it time to think of ways to set up a place where a Cornish speaking community can thrive?

Let us look forward ten years, maybe twenty, and imagine a time when we have a Cornish Gaeltacht or Kernewegva. Perhaps there will be one of them near Truro, and another in the east near to Liskeard.

It is not a very large area at the moment, possibly only fifteen houses owned by Cornish speakers, one speaker owns the shop, and another fluent Kerneweger runs the pub.

What do we need to do if there is to be a chance of seeing this dream becoming reality? Perhaps we need a multi-millionaire in some country around the world with a love for Cornwall, and enough cash in order to found this Gaeltacht. The money would buy houses in a village near to a centre of work like Truro, and buy a pub too as a community centre.

There isn't much chance of gaining enough money from the government for this sort of thing, but it were to be private money, there would be an opportunity to rent houses out at a low price to people who can prove they use Cornish in a big way. Then there would be a chance of establishing a community.

Cornish is showing an example.

Our language is going against the general trend of minority languages. They are dying quickly according to a recent article in 'Le Monde.' There are currently around six thousand languages in the world but most of them are expected to die before long... THAT'S IF everying stated by Colette Grinevald of the University of Lyon-II is true. She says that around 100 languages will be lost in Europe according to an atlas publishe'd by UNESCO and amongst them will be Breton. The majority will be lost in Australia and in North and South America. She mentions the 300 languages that were spoken in America (i.e. the modern U.S.A.) before the European settlers arrived. There will only be about five at the end of the century.

Why? - She mentions the use of major languages for business in a globalized world, also the role of the state. A single language is considered good for national unity.

Is it true? - It's not certain because attitudes have changed and many people are resisting the death of their languages. They're ready to use the net and new technology in their battle. They are demonstrating a great desire to speak them. That's to say that our language could be just one of those that survive and others might well look to us if they're going to do something to save them.

This is an urgent call to all rock bands in Cornwall.

For the past three years, the Cornish have won the PanCeltic Song Contest in Ireland. This international event draws musicians and song writers from Cornwall, Brittany, Isle of Man, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Kernow now has a reputation of being the country to beat, so we need to up our game.

We are looking for a song, and preferably a band with it to go across to the Pan Celtic Festival in Letterkenny, Ireland between 18th and 23rd April 2006 to compete.

The song has to be sung in Cornish at the festival. But fear not, if you have a good song in English, then we can get it translated and give you help with pronunciation.

We want to blow the rest of the Celtic world’s socks off for another year.

If you think you have got what it takes, contact:

Anne Kennedy Truscott
7 Trevecca Cottages
Liskeard
Kernow
PL14 6RH

Tel: 01579 343 447 / 07764 303638

Email Anne

ENDS.

Notes.

* The prize fund in Ireland is around €1500 (£967).
* There is also some limited financial help from the Cornish branch of the Pan Celtic organisation.
* The song must be an original composition and must never have been released on CD, tape, record or download before.