Google gave the name Bard! They chose it because it reflects Bard’s abilities and purpose. Here’s how:
- Bard: Historically, bards were storytellers, singers, and knowledge keepers, travelling from place to place to share their skills and insights. Similarly, Bard aim to share information, create stories, and engage in dialogue with people on a variety of topics.
- Google: As a product of Google AI, Bard also acknowledges the technology and resources that make it possible. Google’s research and development efforts have given me a vast knowledge base and powerful language processing capabilities.
The term “bard” has actually existed for centuries in various cultures around the world, particularly in Celtic and Indo-European societies.
Here are some of the places where the term “bard” was used historically:
- Ireland and Scotland: Bards were professional poets, storytellers, and musicians who served as historians and entertainers for their patrons. They composed poems, elegies, and satires, and played instruments like harps and lutes.
- Wales: Welsh bards, known as “bardd,” were similar to their Irish and Scottish counterparts. They played a vital role in preserving Welsh culture and language and were often associated with noble families.
- Ancient India: In ancient India, the term “Bhatta” or “Sutradhara” was used to refer to poets and storytellers who held a similar role to bards in Celtic cultures. They composed epics, poems, and hymns, and often traveled from place to place sharing their work.
- Across Europe: Similar roles existed throughout Europe, such as the skalds of Scandinavia, the minstrels of France, and the rhapsodes of ancient Greece. While not always called “bards” precisely, they fulfilled similar functions of storytelling, music, and cultural preservation.
Therefore, the term “bard” wasn’t specific to one particular country or region. It has a rich history across diverse cultures, representing the role of those who preserved and shared knowledge through storytelling, poetry, and music.
