ðə kˈʌstəm ʌv tʃˈɛɹɪŋ ðə bˈɑːɹd ɪz, haʊˈɛvɚ, mˈʌtʃ ˈoʊldɚ ðɐn ðə mˈɑːdɚn ˈaɪstɪdfˌɑːd sˈɛɹᵻməni, ænd ɪz nˈoʊn tə hæv tˈeɪkən plˈeɪs æz ˈɜːli æz wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd wˈʌnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvənti sˈɪks.
The custom of chairing the bard is, however, much older than the modern eisteddfod ceremony, and is known to have taken place as early as 1176.