Actor Matthew Rhys spoke of his pride at joining a Druidic order of bards.
The Edge Of Love star was back home in Cardiff to be inducted at Wales's National Eisteddfod.
Handed out to those deemed to have made a significant contribution to Welsh culture and the Welsh language, membership of the Gorsedd of Bards is the hig
hest honour bestowed by the annual festival.
Dressed in a billowing white robe and head dress, Rhys, 32, said he approached the occasion with "absolute reverence".
He joined a procession of new recruits at an open-air ceremony where he took the bardic title Matthew Taf after the river that runs through the Welsh capital.
He said: "The honour is double or 10 times more when you hear the names of those who have gone before you and the things they have achieved. It's humbling to be in their number."
Other famous members include the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams. Welsh Assembly Presiding Officer Lord Elis-Thomas and the UK's former ambassador to the UN, Sir Emyr Jones Parry, also joined the Gorsedd.
The Eisteddfod described Rhys as one of the world's most recognisable actors and a "credit to his Cardiff upbringing".
"I was brought up as an 'Eisteddfodwr' and the robes are so unique, it has a big effect on you as a child," he said. "It's one of the big things that you remember."
Despite appearances, the Gorsedd of Bards is not an ancient pagan sect. Its modern incarnation has its roots in late 18th century London.
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