Wales is a land saturated in ancient myths, but few are as captivating as the legend of Taliesin. He wasn’t just a 6th-century poet who served kings; according to folklore, he was a soul born of sheer magic, transformation, and the relentless pursuit of inspiration.
The Story Begins
The story begins not with Taliesin, but with a boy named Gwion Bach, a servant to the sorceress Cerridwen, who lived by Bala Lake. Cerridwen had a son named Morfran, who, sadly, was terribly ugly and lacking in all wisdom. To compensate, she decided to brew a magical potion in the Cauldron of Inspiration, known as the Awen.
The Brew
This brew had to simmer for a year and a day, and only the final three drops held the power of perfect knowledge and poetic genius. Gwion Bach was tasked with stirring the cauldron. For months he watched, stirred, and waited.
Finally, the moment arrived. As Cerridwen slept, the cauldron boiled fiercely, and three droplets splashed onto Gwion Bach’s finger. Instinctively, he put his burning finger into his mouth. In that single instant, he consumed the entire Awen, gaining all the knowledge in the universe, including the fact that Cerridwen would now try to kill him.
The Chase
The great chase began. Gwion Bach immediately transformed into a hare and fled. Cerridwen, waking to find her potion ruined, instantly transformed into a greyhound and chased him.
He changed into a fish and jumped into a river; she became an otter. He became a bird soaring high; she became a hawk.
Exhausted, Gwion Bach saw a pile of winnowed wheat and transformed into a single grain, hoping to hide among the others.
Cerridwen, in her final, cunning transformation, became a black hen and swallowed the grain Gwion Bach whole.
(Note that this was no ordinary creature; Cerridwen’s transformed body was imbued with magic, allowing the hen to consume the entire pile of wheat to ensure she captured Gwion Bach.)
Pregnancy and birth
She immediately reverted to her human form, and the next morning, she awoke and realised she was pregnant. Cerridwen knew immediately, with dreadful certainty, that she was carrying the soul of her tormentor, Gwion Bach.
Nine long months followed. She was determined to kill the child the moment he was born. But when the baby finally arrived, he possessed a sublime, startling beauty, the most beautiful child ever seen.
Her fierce, murderous resolve broke. Cerridwen could not bring herself to kill him. Instead, she placed the infant in a specially woven coracle, covered it for protection, and pushed him out onto the currents of the River Dovey (Afon Dyfi).
Elffin
Elffin, the local king’s son, was famously dull and unsuccessful; he had been sent away from the royal court to spend his time fishing, as he had a reputation for failing at most tasks his father set him.
It was this unlikely figure, this amiable failure, who found the vessel carrying the greatest poetic genius Wales would ever know. When the boy was rescued, Elffin exclaimed, “Behold, a radiant brow!” Tal-iesin in Welsh.
As Elffin started taking the infant home, the magic of the Awen began to accelerate. Taliesin immediately began speaking to him, and with every step toward the palace, he grew rapidly, transforming from a baby into the most handsome man alive, filled with wisdom and charm. From that day forward, influenced by the presence of the bard, Elffin became successful in everything he did.
And so a bard is born
And so, the greatest bard of Wales was born, a vessel of infinite wisdom and eternal poetry, whose magical life continues to shape our stories today. He grew up to serve King Maelgwn Gwynedd, stunning the court with his wisdom and becoming the Chief Bard of the West. His poetry, and the legends of his transformative birth, live on in the mountains and the mists of Mid Wales.
If you want to hear more stories and legends, travel with me, Sean through this mystical landscape I call home on a tour through the green valleys and mist-covered hills.
I use a Ford Tourneo Custom licensed and insured to carry seven passengers. I am a Blue badged guide for Wales and I also hold green badges for both North Wales and South East Wales.