A mòd is a festival of Scottish Gaelic song, arts and culture.[1] The Gaelic word mòd (Scottish Gaelic:[mɔːt̪]), which was borrowed from Old Norsemót and is therefore cognate with English moot, refers to a Viking AgeThing or a similar kind of assembly.[2] There are both local mòds, and an annual national mòd, the Royal National Mòd. Mòds are run under the auspices of An Comunn Gàidhealach.[3] The term comes from a Gaelic word for a parliament or congress in common use during the Lordship of the Isles.
A mòd largely takes the form of formal competitions. Choral events (in Gaelic, both solo and choirs), and traditional music including fiddle, bagpipe and folk groups dominate. Spoken word events include children's and adults' poetry reading, storytelling and Bible reading, and categories such as Ancient Folk Tale or Humorous Monologue. Children can also present an original drama, and there are competitions in written Scottish Gaelic literature. Unlike the National Mòd, local mòds usually only last a day or two. They attract a much smaller crowd and the only notable social event is the winners' ceilidh. As there are fewer competitions than in the National Mòd, this ceilidh is often more like a traditional ceilidh with dancing and guest singers between the winners' performances.
