[1] Its aim is to honour such individuals and help develop and promote their fields in addition to maintaining relationships with other Celtic nations and Y Wladfa in Patagonia.

[2] Note that when referred to as simply "the Gorsedd" in Welsh, the initial g is dropped due to soft mutation, resulting in yr Orsedd.

[5] In spite of this, some felt unhappy with the decision, with academic Simon Brooks declaring that "227 years of history are in the balance", calling for a public enquiry into the change.

[6] According to the Introduction of the Transactions of the Royal National Eisteddfod of Wales, Liverpool, 1884: "The records thus furnished, take us back to a time of Prydain ab Aedd Mawr, who is said to have lived about a thousand years before the Christian era, and who established the Gorsedd as an institution to perpetuate the works of the poets and musicians.

This was followed by a series of meetings held at varying intervals under the auspices of the Welsh Princes, among whom Bleddyn ab Cynfyn and Gruffydd ab Cynan were prominent as patrons and organizers; and the granting of Royal Charters by Edward IV for the holding of an Eisteddfod at Carmarthen in 1451, and by Queen Elizabeth for a similar festival at Caerwys in 1568.

Until 2012 they were, in ascending order of honour:[10] Since the 1960's onwards, the saturation of the robes, (primarily the green and blue) became more artificial in appearance , although it is not known why this shift occurred.

However, since 2012 all these ranks are treated as equal, with new members all being called 'druids' and with the colour of their robes reflecting the area of their contribution rather than an ascending order of honour.

[16] In recent years, Ron Davies,[17] Rowan Williams,[18] Matthew Rhys,[19] Ioan Gruffudd[20] and Rebecca Evans[21] have been honoured in this way.

A young girl then presents a basket of 'flowers from the land and soil of Wales' and a floral dance is performed, based on a pattern of flower gathering from the fields.