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Post by Child of Immanuel on Apr 12, 2005 14:32:48 GMT -5
In my new book Myths and Legends of the British Isles, I found the story of Taliesin's birth.
Caridwen had Gwion Bach standing by a cauldron day and night, keeping it on the boil. She was brewing a potion that would make her son wise, since he was so ugly. Some of the liquid spilled on Gwion Bach's hand, and he licked it off. Then he knew that Caridwen would kill him. He ran away, changing shapes many times, but she would pursue him as a predator. Finally he changed into a piece of grain inside a larger heap, but, as a hen, she pecked through it, found him, and ate him. Caridwen bore him for nine months; then he was born. She did not have the heart to kill him, so she threw him into the sea. He washed into the weir, and Elphin fished him out.
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Post by Dred on Apr 13, 2005 6:58:28 GMT -5
That's a pretty interesting way to have Taliesin brought into the world. Is that writeup what you found or something you wrote yourself based on reserach?
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Post by dinadan on Apr 13, 2005 7:54:43 GMT -5
To me, that looks like a summary of the way it gets told in the Mabinogian.
Which, if you're into Celtic things and haven't read, you should.
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Post by Child of Immanuel on Apr 13, 2005 14:33:27 GMT -5
It's a summary of what I found.
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Post by twyrch on Apr 14, 2005 7:12:03 GMT -5
To me, that looks like a summary of the way it gets told in the Mabinogian. Which, if you're into Celtic things and haven't read, you should. Dinadan, that sig is AWESOME!!! w00t! *ahem* Back on topic....  I plan on purchasing the Mabinogian next month when I return from Florida. |
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Post by Dred on Apr 14, 2005 8:24:43 GMT -5
I thought it was probably a summary but didn't want to discount the possibility that it was an original piece.
I'll have to see if I can find Mabinogian. I love Celtic lore.
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Post by Gwalchmai on Apr 14, 2005 10:53:52 GMT -5
The Myths and Legands of the British Isles... Is that the book with stories like how Giants came to the Island of the Mighty or the Roman Campaign with King Arthur? Friend lent me a book like that but I havn't been able to find another copy of the bloody book!!! So... ah... where did you find it?  |
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Post by Child of Immanuel on Apr 14, 2005 14:18:05 GMT -5
It was a birthday gift. ;D
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Post by dinadan on Apr 14, 2005 14:44:19 GMT -5
The Myths and Legands of the British Isles... Is that the book with stories like how Giants came to the Island of the Mighty or the Roman Campaign with King Arthur? Friend lent me a book like that but I havn't been able to find another copy of the bloody book!!! So... ah... where did you find it? Try www.alibris.comThere are two good translations of the tales into English, the first was by Lady Charlotte Guest, back in the late 19th Century, and the other was by Paul Ford not too long ago (I'm wanting to say late 1970s or 1980s, but dont' quote me on that). If you are further interested, the works of John Rhys are invaluable, as he spent years going up and down the Welsh countryside talking with some of the last fluent native Welsh speakers and collecting their oral myths, legends, and folklore. Well worth the read, even when it is sometimes tedious. |
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Post by dinadan on Apr 14, 2005 14:45:16 GMT -5
Dinadan, that sig is AWESOME!!! w00t! My thanks. It amused me to no end. |
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Post by twyrch on Apr 15, 2005 9:45:57 GMT -5
The Myths and Legands of the British Isles... Is that the book with stories like how Giants came to the Island of the Mighty or the Roman Campaign with King Arthur? Friend lent me a book like that but I havn't been able to find another copy of the bloody book!!! So... ah... where did you find it? They have a ton at Amazon.com. |
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Post by Child of Immanuel on Apr 22, 2005 20:01:13 GMT -5
This raises a new question: Who is Gwion Bach?
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Post by dinadan on Apr 25, 2005 9:32:39 GMT -5
Gwion Bach was the idot employed by Cerridwen to stir her Cauldron, who, after he ingested the brew of Divine Wisdom she was brewing for her son (Affgadu--I probably mispelled that, this is from memory since all my books are elsewhere--who was the ugliest person ever born), became Taliessin, the bright-brow poet.
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Post by Child of Immanuel on Apr 25, 2005 11:03:47 GMT -5
Thanks, but I should have phrased my question differently: Why was Gwion Bach special? I hope that makes a little more sense...
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Post by dinadan on Apr 25, 2005 15:16:12 GMT -5
Umm...I always thought that the point of the story was the Gwion Bach wasn't important, until he drank from the Cauldron. After that, he was special because he was filled with divine wisdom, and was a powerful poet (and that whole chasing, pregnancy thing...).
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I plan on purchasing the Mabinogian next month when I return from Florida.
Twyrch /|\
