A closer look

Cancel culture has absolutely nothing on ancient Irish poetry. In early Celtic society, bards weren't just musicians; they were deeply feared mystical assassins. They practiced 'Glam dicenn,' a formalized, highly rhythmic magical satire. If a king insulted a bard or refused to pay them, the bard would compose a rhyme so supernaturally vicious that it was believed to cause boils to erupt on the victim's face, strip them of their royal titles, and eventually kill them.