Llangollen International Eisteddfod is set to change their motto for fears it could be misinterpreted as racist. The motto "byd gwyn" comes from the first part of a verse composed by Welsh language poet, T. Gwynn Jones.
In the verse, the "byd gwyn" refers to "blessed world" but the literal translation in English is "white world". According to the BBC, the event was considering changing the motto to "reflect the world we live in now", however a former boss of the festival had argued that inaccurate online translations were not a good enough reason to change the motto.
The international music festival, which takes place in the Denbighshire town of Llangollen, attracts thousands of people to its grounds every year. The full motto, which has been associated with the festival for over 75 years, reads in full: "Byd gwyn fydd byd a gano. Gwaraidd fydd ei gerddi fo", which translates into English as: "Blessed is a world that sings. Gentle are its songs".
