Line #31 Main/TheBard


1	%% Image moved to this page from FamedInStory per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1332860235056620600
2	%% Please do not change or remove without starting a new thread.
3	%%
4	[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/WaterhouseATale.JPG]]
5
6	->''"The bards were feared. They were respected, but more than that they were feared. ...If you'd pissed off some witch, then what's she gonna do, she's gonna put a curse on you... no big deal. You piss off a bard, and forget about putting a curse on you, he might put a satire on you." ''
7	->''"And if he was a skillful bard, he puts a satire on you, and it destroys you in the eyes of your community...and if it's a particularly good bard, and he's written a particularly good satire, then three hundred years after you're dead, people are still gonna be laughing, at what a twat you were."''
8	-->-- '''Creator/AlanMoore'''
9
10
11	OlderThanFeudalism, the bard is typically a character within a [[TheMiddleAges medieval]] or [[UsefulNotes/TheRenaissance Renaissance]]-era story who acts as a poet, WanderingMinstrel, performer, and storyteller, for the people around them. The bard helps to spread news around the country, gets people to laugh or cry with their songs and stories, and boosts peoples' morale, all in return for a few coins and a place to stay.
12
13	While a king's royal bard gets respect as a member of the court, a traveling bard is seen as disreputable, as they live in grungy inns, drink copious amounts of ale, and travel the roads.[[note]]People who live in towns tend to view any traveling workers, whether they're traveling pedlars or minstrels, as disreputable and sketchy. [[/note]] They have a reputation as a HornyBard, as they tend to get romantic with every fair maiden or [[TheOldestProfession prostitute]] they meet during their travels on the roads. The bard may supplement their singing income by doing light thievery and other chicanery. As well, being a traveling bard is good cover for being a spy.
14
15	In game cultures such as ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'', the Bard is a versatile character able to both fight strategically and cast magic [[MagicMusic through the power of their songs]], suggesting them to be magicians who use the power of emotion and creativity to conjure miracles into the world. Might have the reputation of a HornyBard if they use their charisma to seduce nearly everybody in sight.
16
17	In medieval Gaelic and Brythonic culture (Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Isle of Man, Brittany, and Cornwall) a bard was a professional poet, employed by a patron, such as a [[BlueBlood monarch or nobleman]], to commemorate the patron's ancestors and to praise the patron's own accomplishments. The word itself is loaned from Scottish Gaelic, deriving from the Proto-Celtic ''bardos'', ultimately from Proto-Indo-European, which roughly translates as "''to raise the voice; praise''." Similar societal roles could be observed throughout numerous Indo-European cultures, with the Norse Skalds and Indian Bhāts as prime examples.
18
19	"The Bard" is also commonly used to refer to Creator/RobertBurns in UsefulNotes/{{Scotland}}, and to Creator/WilliamShakespeare throughout the broader Anglosphere.
20
21	TheStoryteller is a supertrope. See also WanderingMinstrel. The modern equivalent is StreetPerformer or StreetMusician.
22
23	----
24	!!Examples:
25
26	[[foldercontrol]]
27
28	[[folder:Comic Books]]
29	* Cacofonix of ''ComicBook/{{Asterix}}'' fame is the village's resident bard. However, he's universally considered to be a [[DreadfulMusician horrible singer and musician]] by the other Gauls of his village, so he's also the resident ButtMonkey.
30	* ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1987'': Despite being a Durlan and on the side of a group that could use her shapeshifting to infiltrate their opponents Nol Lapp instead focuses on creating {{poetry}} about rising up against the Sangtee Empire, poetry which helps other slaves revolt and gains the revolution support in the Empire.
31	[[/folder]]
32
33	[[folder:Fan Works]]
34	* In ''Ghosts of the Past'', sequel to ''Fanfic/ChildOfTheStorm'', Taliesin [[spoiler: a.k.a. Doctor Strange]] is revealed to have been the part-time Court Bard for Camelot. Yes, ''that'' Camelot. He was also the Court Physician and an exceptionally powerful wizard (by his own account, he was second only to Merlin and Morgana), having mastered MagicMusic, and after he'd trained up a couple of successors, went wandering, to learn more magic. When he came back, he found that Arthur had died at Camlann, Merlin had vanished, and Camelot was collapsing around his ears, something he still blames himself for. He later uses his musical skills and pointed sense of humour to disrupt both [[spoiler: Nimue's]] magic, and her concentration. It's also worth noting that the narrative directly compares his music to Da Vinci's art, among other things, because really is that good. As he puts it...
35	-->"'... well I'll take your bet, you're gonna regret, 'cos I'm the best there's ever been.'"
36	* ''FanFic/KyoshiRising'' has Sun, a WanderingMinstrel from a long line of Wandering Minstrels. He meets Kyoshi early in her journey and does his best to help her achieve her potential.
37	* Hurdy in ''FanFic/TheTaintedGrimoire'' is such. He tells stories and is capable of using his music to various effect in combat or support roles.
38	* Bumblebee and Jazz share this role in the ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}'' FanFic ''FanFic/ThingsWeDontTellHumans''.
39	[[/folder]]
40
41	[[folder:Film -- Live-Action]]
42	%%* Geoffrey Chaucer is a hilarious one in ''Film/AKnightsTale''.
43	* Sir Robin's Minstrels in ''Film/MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail'', one of whom sings "[[http://www.metrolyrics.com/brave-sir-robin-ran-away-lyrics-monty-python.html Brave Sir Robin Ran Away]]".
44	* ''Film/DungeonsAndDragonsHonorAmongThieves'': Edgin Darvis (Creator/ChrisPine), who doesn't have magical abilities and isn't a HornyBard but otherwise ticks all the boxes of a classic D&D bard. He's a talented musician, skilled at persuasion and deception, not entirely useless in a fight, and great at inspiring his allies to perform better in a pinch. Ed started out as a spy for the Harpers, using his WanderingMinstrel persona to gather information and get the drop on enemies, before later using those same talents as TheLeader of a [[CaperCrew crew of thieves]].
45	[[/folder]]
46
47	[[folder:Literature]]
48	* Creator/MercedesLackey has an entire series, ''Literature/BardicVoices'', set around the conflict between the Free Bards and the Bardic Guild. Several have MagicMusic.
49	* A couple of these in the ''Literature/{{Deryni}}'' works:
50	** Kinkellyan, chief bard to the court of Transha, plays a part in the diplomatic welcome Kelson receives in ''The Bishop's Heir''. Kelson's response [[spoiler:(joining in a traditional dance)]] to what Kinkellyan and Dhugal begin seals the deal.
51	** Gwydion ap Plenneth, troubadour attached to Duke Alaric Morgan's court, featured in ''Deryni Checkmate''. Aside from providing entertainment, he's quite useful in providing Morgan with public opinion feedback.
52	* In ''Literature/TheDinosaurLords'', Rob makes living this way whenever he's not "officially" hired as Dinosaur Master. He even composes some songs, and they seem to be somewhat popular with people.
53	* ''Literature/TheHandsOfTheEmperor'' has Fitzroy Angursell: wandering singer, poet and musician, lover of the moon, mage and adventurer as part of the legendary Red Company. His grand opus, the ballad Aurora, was banned for political reasons and he was declared a criminal, but his music is still popular in the right circles.
54	* In the ''Literature/HarryPotter'' series, Beedle the Bard was known for his collection of magical fables.
55	* The Bardic Collegium is one of the four major factions in Creator/MercedesLackey's ''Literature/HeraldsOfValdemar'' series (the others being the Healers, Heralds, and engineers). Only a handful of Bards have ever been a focus character, though.
56	* The Edema Ruh from ''Literature/TheKingkillerChronicle'' seem to be a society of travelling entertainers including many bards.
57	* It can be argued that Tom Bombadil from ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' is indeed a bard, the figure known for singing songs that hold power over not only people, but the more ancient denizens of Middle Earth.
58	* Hraik from ''Literature/LoyalEnemies'' is a half-elf bard in one of the pubs in the city of Displacing. He's also a badass and fiendishly intelligent, being the only person who worked out that Shelena is a werewolf with no explicit clues.
59	* A bard shows up in ''Literature/TheOdyssey''. He might even be Creator/{{Homer}}'s AuthorAvatar.
60	* ''Literature/APracticalGuideToEvil'' has [[HeroAntagonist Almorava of Symrna]], [[BewareTheSillyOnes The Wandering Bard]]. An Ashuran hero who joins The Lone Swordsman's party before the rebellion begins in southern Callow. Ridiculously dressed, constantly throwing back enough alcohol to kill a herd of livestock and a less-than-competent musician and singer, The Bard at first appears to be little more than comic relief. The jury's still out on how much of her silliness is an act, but there's certainly more to Almorava of Symra than meets the eye. She has the [[GenreSavvy Genre Savvy]] that is the hallmark of her profession, with an understanding of the workings of fate rivaled only by the [[BlackKnight Black]] [[MagnificentBastard Knight]]. She has a tendency to appear (literally) whenever anything particularly plot-relevant is going on; no matter how much violence is directed her way she always manages to escape just in time; she seems to know intimate details of events she should be far too young to have witnessed and if nothing else, her liver must be superhuman. [[spoiler: It is slowly revealed over the course of Books 2-7 that The Wandering Bard is truly the Intercessor (with her original Name being in a language nobody remembers)--an immortal, body-hopping entity who works for the Gods both Above and Below, ancient even to the Dead King she's been locked in a [[CosmicChessGame cosmic shatranj match]] with for the last few millennia. She was a woman who did the impossible: she made herself into a story and a song and got the Gods to tell and sing both, only to realize after a few centuries that she was stuck closer to an eternal referee in ''their'' cosmic shatranj match, nonexistent except when the story needs her to be there and with only an infinite supply of alcohol as her lasting company. She acts as the hand of Providence, the "finger on the scale" that [[WindsOfDestinyChange tips the luck of stories in the heroes' favor]]. She always has a lute and a silver flask, and her ultimate goal is to [[SuicidalCosmicTemperTantrum end it all so she can finally rest]].]]
61	* ''Literature/{{Quarters}}'': The bards of Shkoder are a group with the power to do magic [[MagicMusic through song]], calling on [[ElementalEmbodiment elemental beings called the kigh]] for many different purposes, divided into four "quarters"-fire, water, earth and air. They are also capable of [[CompellingVoice commanding people by speaking with a certain tone]], used for trials to insure defendants and witnesses [[TruthSerum give truthful testimony]].
62	* In ''Literature/TheRiddleMasterTrilogy'', Deth serves this function as the High One's harpist. Yrth seems to have as well, given that he was known as the Harpist of Lungold. [[spoiler:It really shouldn't come as a surprise that they're the same person, but, well.]] There are mentions of other harpists as well, such as Tirundeth, from whom Deth got his name, but they aren't as relevant.
63	* ''Literature/SoThisIsEverAfter'': Bethany is the bard in Arek's party, with her music being [[MagicMusic magical]]. She's also got a strong [[CharmPerson power of persuasion]] which works on {{muggles}} in most cases.
64	* Norna-Gest, the protagonist of ''Literature/TaleOfNornaGest'', is an accomplished harp-player and singer who knows many ancient songs.
65	* ''Literature/TheToughGuideToFantasyland'': Bards are generally traveling musicians who are practitioners of {{magic music}}. They are often in groups now. As part of their skills, bards memorize all songs and story lore, which is quite useful during a Quest. Their magic is even powerful enough to bind demons and open portals, so it's speculated the greatest wizards may be former bards.
66	* ''Literature/VillainsByNecessity'': All of them were killed off in the backstory, as many allied with the druids rather than serve the forces of Light, and shared too many characteristics with thieves. It appears they had [[MagicMusic magical singing ability]] as well, and by the end Robin seems on the path to become one.
67	* ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'' has both Bards, who are the traditional court performers, and Gleemen, who are WanderingMinstrel types.
68	* Dandelion from ''Literature/TheWitcher'' series is a bard famous for his songs and storytelling ability, and a close friend of Geralt of Rivia.
69	* ''Literature/GotrekAndFelix'': Felix is a poet who drunkenly agreed to become Gotrek's rememberer, a person to accompany a Slayer to his doom and record it. Trouble is, Gotrek just ''will not die'', and Felix has become quite the swordsman following him around for years.
70	[[/folder]]
71
72	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
73	* ''{{Series/Angel}}'': Very much Lorne from Angel, who sings a lot, acts as a moral compass, knows all the important people and tries to help in fights, but is mostly just there as moral support.
74	* ''[[Series/{{Blackadder}} Blackadder II]]'' has the recurring, unnamed Balladeer who appears in the end credits summarising the events of the episode in song and generally annoying Lord Blackadder as much as possible. He makes a single appearance in "Money" where he's an annoying distraction during an important conversation. Edmund ends up pushing him into an open grave for being so irritating.
75	* ''Series/TalesOfTheTinkerdee'': Kermit the Frog takes on this role, and is never seen without his lute. His narration is full of bad jokes and shoehorned rhymes.
76	* Jaskier in ''Series/TheWitcher2019'' acts as a bard, singing songs about Geralt's heroic deeds. His song "Toss A Coin To Your Witcher" became very popular in 2019 and 2020.
77	* ''Series/XenaWarriorPrincess'': For a while Gabrielle wanted to be a traveling bard. She also met Creator/{{Homer}}, who it turns out is called "blind" because he closes his eyes when he recites.
78	[[/folder]]
79
80	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
81	* ''TabletopGame/ChangelingTheDreaming'' makes Bard a court position. There are no classes in Changeling, so it's not a class, though some kiths are more likely to fit the role.
82	* ''TabletopGame/{{Cyberpunk}}'' has the Rockerboy class, who are essentially postmodern Bards that use ThePowerOfRock to inspire and lead their allies.
83	* TheBard is one of the main playable classes in ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons''.
84	** The Bard is joined by the very similar Skald in ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'', though the Skald is more combative and their songs cause berserk rage rather than the bonuses a bard provides.
85	** Several different variations of skald (see the real-life entry) as a class or variant have cropped up over the editions of ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons''. Usually they are better at a stand-up fight than an ordinary bard but lose out on the broad skillbase, magic or both.
86	* ''TabletopGame/PrincessTheHopeful:'' The Troubador Calling fits neatly into this trope. They are artists and performers whose Duty as a Princess is to inspire and uplift others.
87	* In ''TabletopGame/ResArcana'', the Bard is a mage with the special ability of letting you discard a creature, dragon or demon card to gain 2 Gold — presumably the bard tells a story about the creature/dragon/demon in question and is paid for it.
88	* The Fianna tribe in ''TabletopGame/WerewolfTheApocalypse'' are often the bards of their race, as are werewolves born under the "galliard auspice," meaning under a gibbous moon.
89	** ''TabletopGame/WerewolfTheForsaken'' continues the tradition with the Cahalith Auspice, likewise tied to the Gibbous Moon and serving as a mixture of storytellers, hype men, and oracles.
90	* The Bard is a creature class introduced to ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'' in the ''Dungeons & Dragons: Adventures in the Forgotten Realms'' set. They are largely associated with Green, and secondarily with Red.
91	[[/folder]]
92
93	[[folder:Video Games]]
94	* ''Franchise/AssassinsCreed'':
95	** In ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedII'' and ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedBrotherhood'', bards are more annoyances than anything else by standing in Ezio's way or running at him. Punching them is quite popular, for obvious reasons.
96	** In ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedRevelations'', while there's no Italian bard to be seen in the streets of Constantinople, there's a CallBack to them nevertheless, in the form of a group of them who are invited to perform at a party of Prince Ahmet. Ezio and fellow assassins [[BoundAndGagged bound and gag]] them then impersonate them, and once he's infiltrated the party Ezio demonstrates his... "talents" (or lack thereof) at improvising by humorously singing a few [[TheVillainSucksSong songs about villains he defeated]].
97	* One party member in ''VideoGame/BaldursGateSiegeOfDragonspear'', Voghiln the Vast, is a "skald from the north who inspires his allies with epic tales".
98	* ''VideoGame/TheBardsTaleTrilogy'' has a few with the MagicMusic power.
99	* While ''VideoGame/BravelyDefault'' calls the [[JobSystem Job]] "Performer" (or Superstar if you perfer the original translation), the idea of a party member who buffs and debuffs through singing is still a major part of it. Amusingly, the male costume is an ElvisImpersonator outfit, and the female costume is a Playboy Bunny uniform.
100	* The Jester from ''VideoGame/DarkestDungeon'' fulfills this role in the FantasyCharacterClasses line-up, being a MagicMusic user who buffs and stress heals his allies with his lute. While he isn't a storyteller or very poetic, he also stress heals his teammates with a few good jokes and laughs. Unless he crossed the DespairEventHorizon, of course.
101	* Leliana from the ''Franchise/DragonAge'' series used to be a traveling Bard (or rather, a spy/assassin who disguised herself as a traveling Bard -Apparently that's pretty common in Orlais). She comes with the Bard specialization and will teach it to other Rogues if her approval rating is high enough. Additionally, much of her dialogue includes stories and songs she learned during her time as a Bard. [[VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition The Inquisitor]] can ask, and Leliana will offer, to give training on being a bard: it basically amounts to DoNotAttempt because of how dirty and conniving bard work is.
102	** Varric serves this role in the second and third games, with his storytelling serving as the framing device for the second and his book sales being a recurring topic in the third.
103	* ''VideoGame/DwarfFortress'': Bards can visit your fortress, play music (and create their own songs), dance (and choreograph their own dance forms), tell poems (and write new ones), and you can even play as one in Adventure Mode (and do everything the fort mode bards can do). In DF there is also a different skill for every style of song, every single style of dancing, every single type of poem, and every single instrument, and every single style of music as well.
104	* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'':
105	** In the first four games in the series (''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsArena Arena]]'', ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIDaggerfall Daggerfall]]'', ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind Morrowind]]'', and ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion Oblivion]]''), Bard is one of the default classes available. Falling under the "Stealth" specialization, Bards combine skills from all three of the FighterMageThief trio in roughly equal portions.
106	** ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]'' does away with classes, but includes a joinable Bard's College. While you can join it and train your speechcraft, you unfortunately cannot learn how to play musical instruments whatsoever. The game also includes NPC bards, frequently found in taverns and at the aforementioned Bard's College, who will sing and play instruments as ambient actions.
107	* Long before ''Bravely Default'', the Bard (or Songstress in some games) is a [[Characters/FinalFantasyRecurringJobs recurring job]] in Franchise/FinalFantasy's vast JobSystem. Various characters in the universe have this job, and are often very useful as a SupportPartyMember.
108	* ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'' has an unconventional, but spiritually appropriate take on the archetype through a character ''named'' [[ShapedLikeItself Bard]], titled "The Wandering Caretaker." Bard is a celestial being who observes the universe as a series of cosmic noises, [[WanderingMinstrel so he roams its entirety in search of material to compose with and make into masterful songs]]. [[HumansAreSpecial He finds fascination with Runeterra]] since it's home to some of the most interesting and chaotic sounds, and he functions as a quirky in-game champion who incorporates [[MagicMusic cosmic music]] into his support-based gameplay.
109	* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'' has Kass, a Rito who wanders the world with his accordion and will recite poems to Link, which are hints on how to reveal hidden shrines in the area. [[spoiler: His reason for doing so was due to his teacher's final request, who wanted to aid Link in the future when he woke up from his resurrection years later.]]
110	* The Bard from ''VideoGame/ShovelKnight'' will play any song from the game's soundtrack for you if you get him the music sheets. He'll also pay you 500 gold for each music sheet you bring him, which is another incentive to collect them.
111	* Jimmy from ''VideoGame/SouthParkTheStickOfTruth'' is a bard who uses MagicMusic.
112	* ''VideoGame/SunsetOverdrive'' has them as part of one of the quests. Yeah you heard right, quest, as in {{LARP}}.
113	* ''VideoGame/{{Tangledeep}}'' has a version of this inspired by, of all things, claymore-wielding [[BraveScot Highlanders]]. The Edge Thane is a woad-painted, cloaked, {{BFS}} wielding warrior woman who fights by hitting things with two-handed weapons while [[BadassBoast singing at the top of her lungs about how great she is.]] The fact that one of the Job's passives is called [[WarIsGlorious Glorious Battler]] really emphasizes the upfront melee nature of this particular take on the Bard archetype.
114	* The protagonist of ''VideoGame/{{Wandersong}}'' is a bard, who's MagicMusic is required to solve puzzles and get through various areas of the game.
115	* Dandelion from ''Franchise/TheWitcher'' series is a bard famous for his songs and storytelling ability, and a close friend of [[TheProtagonist Geralt of Rivia]]. In the [[VideoGame/TheWitcher2 second]] and [[VideoGame/TheWitcher3 third]] games he serves as the {{narrator}}, and the character entries in Geralt's [[EncyclopediaExposita journal]] were written by him.
116	[[/folder]]
117
118	[[folder:Web Animation]]
119	* In ''WebAnimation/{{Lackadaisy}},'' Rocky is Lackadaisy Speakeasy's house band violinist turned [[VenturousSmuggler booze runner]], prone to bouts of string-accompanied expository poetry. He blithely avoids the hard labor done by his younger NewMeat assistants via invoking his "spaghetti arms" and insisting he "provide[s] the ambience." When push comes to shove, however, he's disturbingly good at managing and directing his CaperCrew's "performances" on the fly, from HiredGun Freckle's marksmanship and GetawayDriver Ivy's maneuvering in a CarChaseShootout to his own showstopping ConstructionVehicleRampage to rescue them both from rival gangmembers, flinging dynamite from atop the bucket of a steam shovel while maniacally howling rhyming couplets.
120	[[/folder]]
121
122	[[folder:Webcomics]]
123	* ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'': The storyteller is a traveling bard who is both part of the framing story (he's telling the tale) and has multiple random encounters with the protagonists throughout their journey. He's one of [[ReallySevenHundredYearsOld Ognian]]'s descendants and has memorized a great number of tales in addition to spinning his own.
124	* In ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'', Susan plays a game that includes a NPC bard that [[https://www.egscomics.com/egsnp/parable-044 looks like Ellen]].
125	* In ''Webcomic/FarOut'', [[http://kimiq.com/farout/en/2013/02/13/farout-page-24/ Chapter 1 ends with one singing about the events in it.]]
126	* In ''Webcomic/FeyWinds'', when Prince Sidney Theodorus Cassian Merriweather Findain VIII... Just call him Sid, reveals to the main characters whose group he just joined that he's trained as a bard, they ''smash'' his lute and shove a sword into his hands.
127	* ''Webcomic/MSPaintAdventures'':
128	** ''Webcomic/BardQuest'': The main character is a minstrel that managed to impress the king enough to become the head dragon slayer.
129	** In ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'', Sburb/Sgrub has 12 different classes for players that set their character arc, one of them being the Bard, a counterpart to the prince class that serves to passively destroy or corrupt, while a prince actively destroys. What a bard destroys depends on its aspect, such as [[EruditeStoner Gamzee]] [[AxCrazy Makara]], a Bard of Rage.
130	* Elan from ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'', as seen in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0004.html this scene from early in the comic.]]
131	* In ''WebComic/StandStillStaySilent'', the job of skald had been revived and is considered an academic job, which consists of being a keeper of knowledge alongside being a keeper of stories. In the Keuruu military base in Finland, the desk jobs are shown to be held by skalds, while Torbjörn Västerström's job as one consisted of copying old books.
132	* ''WebComic/OiTalesOfBardicFury'': The protagonist Bryan is a bard who has recently graduated from the Academy of Tara and has been sent to the sleepy village of Oi to finish his training-- although his personality and mannerisms are more like a modern rock star than anything.
133
134	[[/folder]]
135
136	[[folder:Web Video]]
137	* ''WebVideo/CriticalRole'': A number of player characters are bards, by the rules of ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'':
138	** ''WebVideo/CriticalRoleCampaignOne:'' Scanlan Shorthalt is a typical horny gnome bard who narrates the tales of Vox Machina. He plays multiple instruments. [[spoiler: His unknown daughter, Kaylie, took after him in this regard.]]
139	** ''WebVideo/CriticalRoleExandriaUnlimited'':
140	*** In the main mini-series, Dorian Storm is an Air Genasi bard who left his well-off, secluded home to travel, joining up with the Crowns Keepers and later Bells' Hells in ''WebVideo/CriticalRoleCampaignThree''. He plays a lute.
141	*** In ''Calamity'', Loquatius Seelie and Nydas Okiro are both dual-class bards (Loquatius is a Changeling Warlock/Bard while Nydas is a Human Sorcerer/Bard). Loquatius uses this talent as a broadcaster in ancient Avalir while Nydas, who is College of Swords, leans more on his battle skills.
142	** In ''The Darrington Brigade'' one shot, Hazel Copperpot is a OneManBand dwarf bard seeking to create Exandria's first audiobooks of Taryon's adventures.
143	** In ''Liam's Quest: Full Circle'', a de-aged player character version of Creator/MatthewMercer (usually the Dungeon Master) is given bard abilities, able to mock villains, inspire his friends, and cast Healing Word and Thunder Wave at 1st level. DM Liam implies these powers come from [[HeartIsAnAwesomePower the purity of Matt's soul]].
144	* ''WebVideo/HeadlessASleepyHollowStory'': Diedrich Knickerbocker appears as the AllKnowingSingingNarrator, but also as a troubadour in town following main character Ichabod Crane around.
145	[[/folder]]
146
147	[[folder:Real Life]]
148	* Numerous Greek and Roman poets and writers were portrayed this way, especially as they were romanticized in the early modern era. True to the page quote, the tales they told fed into later high culture, art, music, occultism, pop culture, fantasy, and sci-fi, coloring the opinion of later peoples because of how the something was portrayed by classic writers. For a (simplified) example, Ba'al and Beelzebub started as terms for a Punic deity, but Rome won the war and now Ba'al almost certainly represents something wicked when used in fiction.
149	* Creator/{{Homer}} of ''Literature/TheIliad'' and ''Literature/TheOdyssey'' has been portrayed as a blind bard. The classical era certainly had an extensive oral poetic tradition.
150	* Skalds were poetic members of a group associated with Viking tradition, and were highly revered for their stories, since individual vikings desired their glory to be remembered through tale and song.
151	** Griots provided a similar role in western Africa, with the Epic of Sundiata being one story preserved virtually entirely by oral tradition.
152	* Historically, Creator/WilliamShakespeare was known for his title as "The Bard of Avon".
153	* Kobzars in UsefulNotes/{{Ukraine}}, who played on multistringed instruments such as the kobza (hence their name) or the bandura. Their tradition was established in the [[UsefulNotes/{{Cossacks}} Cossack Hetmanate]] era. {{Blind\|Musician}}ness was a requirement to become a kobzar in the 1800s, as the social role of kobzar was both profession and social welfare for those who were unable to contribute to farm work. They were celebrated by the poetry of Taras Shevchenko (whose magnum opus is titled ''Kobzar'') and their tradition was destroyed with purges in UsefulNotes/JosefStalin's [[UsefulNotes/SovietRussiaUkraineAndSoOn Soviet Union]]. Plenty of careful research about kobzars and their works and modern recreation of their music has happened since.
154	[[/folder]]

Context Main / TheBard