#hanes taliesin

[taliesin-the-bored]

"What's the deal with Taliesin?"

A somewhat lengthy ramble about the most powerful (or most arrogant) character in Arthurian legend

One the one hand, his powers exceed Merlin’s—Merlin describes himself as “second only to Taliesin” (in “Ymddiddan Myrtin a Talyessin”), and Taliesin claims to have profound knowledge of the cosmos dating back to Creation (he says poetic inspiration was created at the same time as fresh milk, dew, and acorns). He knows everything and can shapeshift into pretty much anything, if the catalogues he gives are anything to go by. He survived being swallowed alive, being thrown in the sea ("Ystoria Taliesin"), and (it seems) going on a raid of the Otherworld during which all but seven of Arthur’s many warriors died ("Preiddeu Annwn"). Then or at some other point while he was in Annwn, he pierced 8,000 men with spears he got from Heaven ("Cad Goddeu"). That puts his casualty count above that of anyone else I can think of in Arthurian legend (They fall "by the hundred" to Bedwyr--"Pa Gur"--but by "forty score hundred" to Taliesin). For all we know, he's indestructible; from what he claims, he's omniscient.

On the other hand, he sometimes seems like Sir Kay Xtreme Bard Edition with Extra Arrogance. In The Book of Taliesin, he has a really bitter (one-sided?) feud with other scholars and monks (some variant on "pathetic men of letters” appears many a time), who he accuses of ignorance because they don’t know the answers to various questions he never gives the answers to himself, and he loses or alienates everyone until the only person who visits him is a dude named “Goronwy, from the dales of Edrywy” ("Cad Goddeu"). Not much is known about this Goronwy, though it’s been speculated that he’s the speaker in “Claf Abercuawg”, in which case he’s an ailing societal outcast and probably couldn’t get anyone to talk to him except Taliesin. There’s a strong pathos to this—time, and maybe hubris, came with a fall, leaving him somewhat like a washed-up starlet or a burned-out wunderkind, abandoned now that he’s no longer the shiny new thing.

On the third hand, which I don't have but Taliesin could probably manage if he felt like it, much of this is from his point of view, and we have no way to prove he's telling the truth. When he tells his own origin story, he claims that he was Frankensteined together by enchanters at the dawn of time. This flatly contradicts "Ystoria Taliesin", so either there are multiple canons for his life story, he's talking as the Awen rather than as himself (in which case he's still contradicting himself--he also says it's a creation of the Lord), or he's lying about some of it. Why he would want to is anyone's guess, since he is quite powerful regardless.

If we don't take Taliesin at his word about his ability to kaiju battle giant toad monsters ("Cad Goddeu"), or take it with a grain of salt, then what are his accomplishments apart from self-preservation and repaying a life debt to Elphin? I am by no means an expert on him, but in what I've read, he does almost nothing in anyone else's story. It's almost like, apart from one or two times, he isn't able to find a way to use his powers for anyone else's good.

Then again, what is his primary power? Shapeshifting seems obvious (too obvious). He uses it for self-preservation (which is valid), for the heck of it (maybe), and/or for really dubious ends (see "Angar Kyfundawt" if you really must know, but trust me, you don't want to). Fighting is a less talked about ability of his. He can cause a lot of destruction (according to himself). It's not really clear what he fights for, though the various legendary kings he hangs out with are probably implied. Then, there's...

...the Awen. Inspiration. Poetry. He can do poetry, and he can do it very well. That is what he boasts about the most, and his boasts seem pretty justified. He’s Taliesin Ben Beirdd, Taliesin “Chief of Bards”, not Taliesin “the Shapeshifter” or Taliesin “Best of Warriors”, even though he may be both of those things. Shapeshifting only benefits him, and he's seen the horrors of war more than most people: his close friend Merlin killed his own nephew in a battle. When Taliesin fights, he kills terrifying numbers of people, maybe without full control (whether he's fully cognizant while he's using his powers is an interesting question which I won't get into right now). Perhaps that's why he doesn't interfere with others' adventures much: he is too powerful to do less harm than good for the people around him and for the narrative tension. Or maybe he just doesn't feel like it, or he was in the wrong place at the wrong time, or they just don't want him there anymore, or his role as a teller of stories is more important than his role as a person in them. 

[taliesin-the-bored]

That is the start of William F. Skene's translation of "Cad Goddeu". Here are others for comparison (with a couple more lines because I like them):

I was in a multitude of forms before I was unfettered: I was a slender mottled sword made from the hand. I was a droplet in the air, I was the stellar radiance of the stars, I was a word in writing, I was a book in my prime. I was the light of a lantern For a year and a half…"

--Marged Haycock

I was in many a guise before I was disenchanted. I am a grey-cowled minstrel : I believe in illusion. I was for a time in the sky : I was observing the stars. I was a message in writing : I was a book to my priest. I was the light of the altar-horns, for a year and a half.

--John Gwenogvryn Evans (who translated the title as "The Battle of the Scrub" rather than "The Battle of the Trees")

I was woven  in so many forms before this one.  I was a sword drawn, high and long against sky, and I was its tear in the air, the dullest of stars.   I was the word among letters, the story’s breath within the book, the light of lanterns.   For a year and a half I was the continuing bridge...

--Órlaith on Wordpress

There are a number of others out there; these are just a few which struck me as being distinctive in an interesting way.

‘I have been a multitude of shapes, Before I assumed a consistent form. I have been a sword, narrow, variegated, I have been a tear in the air, I have been in the dullest of stars. I have been a word among letters, I have been a book in the origin.’ Taliesin .. c. 534 – c. 599

[witches-and-windchimes]

"And, as the story says, [Ceridwen] bore him nine months, and when she was delivered of him, she could not find it in her heart to kill him, by reason of his beauty. So she wrapped him in a leathern bag, and cast him into the sea to the mercy of God, on the twentyninth day of April."

[chemos-factories]

⭐ for any fic. I can't decide :3

send in a ⭐star⭐ for director's commentary on a fic

in my main planetswap, fulgrim was raised in the fortress on caliban from 'birth', as opposed to growing up in the wild like lion.

the welsh poet taliesin was, according to the hanes taliesin, found by his foster-father washed up on the shore in a coracle, and began singing stanzas of poetry when he was picked up.

i am shaking these two facts in everyone's faces. do you see. do you see what i'm doing. do you see.

[mask131]

The fantasy in modern Arthuriana (2)

This is a loose translation of Claire Jardillier’s article “Les enfants de Merlin: le merveilleux médiéval revisité” (The children of Merlin: Medieval magic revisited), for Anne Besson’s study-compilation.

II/ Wizards and witches

The fantastical elements within modern rewrites are often embodied in the most visible way by a few key characters. First and foremost among this magical cast is, of course, Merlin the enchanter, but also regularly the bard Taliesin, despite his lesser presence within the Matter of Britain. Taliesin indeed only appears obviously tied to Arthur within the Welsh sources, especially “Preiddu Annwn”, where he is part of the expedition led by Arthur to steal away the cauldron of resurrection from the Otherworld. We can make the hypothesis that is it because of the historical rewrites of the Arthurian legends that the character of Taliesin gained such an importance, since it is in the Welsh sources that he is most frequently seen, sources that modern rewriters especially love due to judging them more ancient and thus more “authentic” and more Celtic than the chivalry romances and knighthood romans of France and England. Since Wales resisted more strongly to the Saxon invader, then to the Normand influence, modern novelists like to use the “Mabinogion” and the Welsh poems to historicize their Arthur. Taliesin usually stays within his traditional role of bard, in accord to the historical and bibliographical information we have about him. While quite brief, these information naturally designate him as the symbol of the Arthurian legend within a “realistic” rewriting, as a character between the history and the myth.

[In the “Hanes Taliesin” mainly, translated by Lady Charlotte Guest and which follows her “Mabinogion” translations, we discover the two births of Gwyon Bach/Taliesin, is exploits as a bard within the court of prince Elphin, and some of his poems. The historical Taliesin seems to have been a bard at the court of Urien Rheged during the 6th century, and the poems attributed to him were preserved within the “Llyfr Taliesin” (The Book of Taliesin). It notably contains the famous “Cat Godeu” (Battle of the Trees) and the previously mentioned “Preiddu Annwn”. These Welsh poems, like many others, were translated and published by William F. Skene within his “Four Ancient Books of Wales”]

As such, within Fay Sampson’s “Daughter of Tintagel” cycle he becomes one of the five narrators that relate the life of Morgan. A first-person narration that give a voice to a secondary character of the medieval corpus is a fundamental trait of modern Arthurian literature : as such, we can hear Kai, Pelleas, Bohort, Rhys or Bedwyr, characters whose point of view is rarely given in legends, alongside the manifestation of more novel characters, such as Derfel, a shadowy warrior turned saint in the 6th century who narrates Bernard Cornwell’s “Warlord Chronicles”. [Respectively, Kai is heard within Phyllis Ann Karr’s The Idylls of the Queen and John Gloag’s Artorius Rex ; Pelleas within Stephen R. Lawhead’s Arthur and Courtway Jones’ In the Shadow of the Oak King ; Bohort within Dorothy Jane Roberts’ Launcelot my Brother ; Rhys within Gillian Bradshaw’s Kingdom of Summer ; Bedwyr within Catherine Christian’s The Sword and the Flame and Stephen R. Lawhead’s Arthur.]

Within Stephen Lawhead’s works, the role of Taliesin is more developed since he becomes the father, and so the precursor of Merlin (within Marion Zimmer Bradley’s, he is Merlin’s first incarnation). In his trilogy, the bard Talesin paves the way for Merlin, who will surpass his father in his role as the companion of the major hero, Arthur king of Britain. It is precisely this dimension that is often used by modern Arthurianists. [Stephen R. Lawhead wrote in reality five novels, the last two being a flash-back to episodes from between book 2 and 3. This Arthurian cycle is especially concerned with the questions of filiation, legitimacy and predestination. As such, Taliesin announces and foreshadow the coming of his son, a sort of messiah for the Britons, but Merlin himself works for the coming of Arthur, the savior of Britain as much on a spiritual level (the writings of Lawhead are distinctly Christian in tone) as on a political level. It is probably why we also see here a weird and exceptional element introduced, as Arthur is made the posthumous son of Aurelius, and not the bastard of Uther. Here Arthur is the product of an union blessed by the Church, and as such he descends from the first High-King, not from his replacement out of a “side-branch” of the family.]

We also have to note that modern rewrites love to tell what happened during the life of characters in the form of prequels – in this case, the youth of Merlin, which is rarely detailed in the Middle-Ages outside of his birth and his encounter with Vortigern. It was the case within Mary Stewart, the first author who was concerned with the wizard’s youth, and who sems to have deeply marked modern Arthurianists, since the same pattern can be found in other novels, including those of Stephen Lawhead. This concern with “what happened before” is not exclusively Arthurian, and can be seen within other contemporary sagas – Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Blueberry… It is a tradition as old as the various “Childhoods” texts of the Middle-Ages. [Mary Stewart wrote “The Crystal Cave”, “The Hollow Hills” and “The Last Enchantment”. As a proof of the intertextuality of Arthurian novels, “the last enchantment” is an expression reused and exploited by Bernard Cornwell in the last part of his trilogy, where a dying Merlin, entirely devoured by his own student Nimue, preserves a “last enchantment” to allow Arthur and a few others to escape the battle of Camlan]

Be it Taliesin or Merlin, the first way the question of the magic implants itself within the narrative device is about the relationship between the king and his wizard. The magical element is thus tied to the political power, weighed down by a reality which, if not historical, is at least coherent. This heirloom is directly tied to the medieval sources, even if it is not obvious at first. The idea of an Arthur raised as a boy by Merlin owes much more to T.H. White’s “The Once and Future King” than to the medieval texts, where only a slow and complex evolution allowed the association of those two characters now seen as undividable. [White’s work is a set of five novels, first published separately, then compiled as one work in the 50s, and to which the last novel, The Book of Merlin, was added in 1977. This work is a precursor of all the rewrites that happened from the 60s onward, especially the first book that tells of Arthur’s childhood and his education by Merlin. It was a best-seller, and the adaptation of this first novel into an animated movie by Disney (63’s The Sword in the Stone) amplified its impact]. Indeed, within Geoffroy of Monmouth, Merlin and Arthur follow each other in the text… but never meet. It was within later rewrites, Wave, Lawamon, and in the French “Lancelot-Graal”, that the king and the enchanter will develop a more intimate relationship, culminating within Malory’s Morte Darthur. [In Geoffroy’s tale, the two characters at least never meet within the context of the tale. A doubt is allowed since in most of the manuscripts, Merlin makes a brief apparition at the very end of the “Historia”, where an “angelic voice” talks to Cadwallader, telling him that “God wishes that the Britons stop ruling within Britain until the moment that Merlin prophesized to Arthur” ; this sentence implies that Merlin might have been the king’s prophet, a role that will become more and more obvious in later rewrites]

This is due to the two characters, Merlin and Arthur, originally belonging to two distinct traditions. Once they became connected thanks to Geoffroy’s Historia Regum Britaniae, the two characters got closer and closer, and gained many interactions, just as Merlin’s interventions became more and more fantastical. This is very clear when we look at an episode shared by all the medieval Merlinian tales: the moving of the stones of Ireland to create Stonehenge. Within Geoffroy’s, it is a mechanical process. Within Wace, an unexplained way. Finally, within Lawamon, it becomes a powerful spell that makes the stone “as light as feathers”. Modern authors follow this tradition and often reuse this episode, or a similar one, in what we can call “the motif of the dancing stones”. In the same way, within Lawhead’s novel, a child Merlin proves his powers to an assembly of druids by making the stones of a cromlech levitate. Stonehenge plays an important role for Cornwell: it becomes the place of a ghost-filled ceremony during which Merlin gives Excalibur to Arthur. Even among comic books, Merlin makes stones dance before amazed mortals. [It is within the first volume of the BD series “Merlin” by Jean-Luc Istin and Eric Lambert, “La colère d’Ahès” (The Wrath of Ahès). The dancing stones of Istin and Lambert are quite similar to the ones described by Lawhead, and the scenarist confessed having read the “Pendragon Cycle”. We find in this “Merlin” the same habt of syncretizing religions as within Lawhead’s works (father Blaise is a former druid, and offers Merlin as a symbol of the union of religions).]

We find back here what we said before: the historicized Arthurian literature of the 60s-80s greatly deprived the medieval text of their fantasy, and since the 80s-90s we have a slow re-appropriation of the medieval magic within novels that still, however, wish to be historical. In other terms – the stones are dancing again, but they are always dancing in a mentioned 6th century.

Before Lawamon, Merlin only acted during the lifetime of Aurelius and Uther, before disappearing for no reason after Arthur’s birth. However, the encounter between those two historical characters was too tempting to be avoided, and we can see a true shift between Geoffroy and Malory (for example), which today leads to the many tales in which Merlin acts as the teacher, tutor, or even adoptive father of Arthur. This filiation is helped by two elements. On one side, that is an elliptic moment covering Arthur’s childhood in medieval texts, and we go from him as a baby to him as a young fifteen-year old king. [We find within Lawamon the beginning of an explication: child-Arthur was raised by elves at Avalon. This idea was reused by Parke Godwin within the novel “Firelord”.] On the other hand, we can see that all of his next of kin die around the same time. In front of this absence of parents, it is very tempting to remove Ector (the father of Kay and the tutor of the royal child in the tradition) and put in his place a more familiar and impressive character, Merlin the wizard.

We talked before of the habit of “prequels”: the cyclical temptation of modern novels, which in a way mimics the Arthurian medieval tradition of a condensed and fractioned writing of the whole Arthurian legend (usually in three volumes), favorizes the writing of the origins, of the “before Arthur”. The introduction of Merlin, but also of Taliesin, proves this attraction for what Anne Besson calls an “Arthurian prehistory”. For Stephen Lawhead, the link between the various generations (Taliesin, father of Merlin, Merlin spiritual father of Arthur) insists upon the greatness and the predestination of the king of the Britons, the bearer of Light. Even when the Arthurian tale is limited to a single novel, it is not unusual to see it begin with the generation before Arthur: it was the case with Victor Canning’s “The Crimson Chalice”, where a third of the novel follows the events that led to Arthur’s birth (even though here Arthur’s parents are named Tia and Baradoc, and bear no resemblance to Igraine or Uther).

To all the reasons described above, we must add the fictional temptation of having characters coexisting to allow a powerful confrontation. But this temptation also bears a prevalent trait of the modern Arthurian fiction, and of its dialogue with the sources. Indeed, it is not uncommon to see a rearrangement, to various degrees, of the links that traditionally unite the characters. As such, in most sources Ygerne is the wife of Gorlois and the mother of Arthur, but she can be his half-sister and the mother of Medraud within Rosemary Sutcliff’s “Sword at Sunset”. The same Ygerne becomes Gorlois’ daughter, not his wife, in Stephen Lawhead’s work, as the author plays with the writing of the myth, has his Merlin-narrator laugh about the mad rumors that circulated about the siege of Tintagel “I have even heard it said that Ygerna was Gorlas’ wife – Imagine that!”). The marvelous does not escape this kind of more-or-less extreme shifts: the case of the female characters, of their relationship to magic, and of their role within history is especially revealing.

[wildbasil]

Thoughts on Hanes Taliesin?

ceridwen is kind of a milf ngl

[bremont]

(via (101) Building Harmonies: Frank Lloyd Wright in the Southwest | ¡COLORES! NMPBS - YouTube)

7 color🎨 7 notes 🎶 and many more🏡🌎 ... Hanes Taliesin.. 🍁☘️🌱 The legendary character began life as Gwion Bach, a servant to Ceridwen, the wife of a nobleman Tegid Foel, in the days when King Arthur ruled. She was a magician who had three arts she learned: enchantment, magic, and divination. Ceridwen had a beautiful daughter and an ugly son named Morfran, which means "Great Crow"📐⏳

[the-hermit-at-midnight]

Unraveling the Mysteries of Taliesin: The Enigmatic Druid Bard

In the realm of ancient Celtic mythology and Welsh folklore, few figures loom as large and enigmatic as Taliesin, the revered Druid bard. Tales of his wisdom, magical prowess, and poetic skill have captivated generations, yet the true nature of this legendary figure remains shrouded in mystery. Join me as we embark on a journey to unravel the complexities of Taliesin's story, exploring his origins, his role in Celtic mythology, and his enduring legacy.

Origins and Legends

The origins of Taliesin are as elusive as the shifting mists of the Celtic landscape. According to Welsh mythology, he was born as Gwion Bach, a lowly servant tasked with stirring the cauldron of Ceridwen, a powerful sorceress. Through a series of miraculous events, Gwion inadvertently gains access to the cauldron's transformative powers, consuming three drops of its contents and gaining unparalleled wisdom and poetic inspiration.

Reborn as Taliesin, he emerges as a figure of immense knowledge and mystical insight, destined to become one of the greatest bards in Celtic history. His adventures, chronicled in various medieval Welsh texts such as the "Book of Taliesin" and the "Hanes Taliesin" (Tale of Taliesin), depict him as a central figure in the mythological landscape of Wales, navigating the realms of gods, kings, and otherworldly beings with equal ease.

The Bardic Tradition

Central to Taliesin's mythos is his role as a bard, a revered figure in ancient Celtic society entrusted with the preservation of history, culture, and spiritual wisdom through the power of poetry and song. As a master of the bardic arts, Taliesin's verses are said to possess the ability to heal, inspire, and enchant those who hear them. His poetry reflects the rich tapestry of Celtic mythology, weaving together themes of nature, magic, and the divine in intricate patterns of language and metaphor.

Taliesin's legacy as a bard extends beyond the confines of Welsh mythology, influencing later generations of poets, storytellers, and mystics who sought to tap into the mystical currents of the Celtic tradition. His verses continue to resonate with readers today, offering glimpses into a world imbued with wonder and mystery.

Symbolism and Interpretation

The figure of Taliesin is rich with symbolic significance, embodying themes of rebirth, transformation, and the quest for knowledge. His journey from humble servant to enlightened bard mirrors the alchemical process of inner transformation, wherein the base elements of the self are transmuted into spiritual gold through trials and tribulations.

Furthermore, Taliesin's association with the cauldron of Ceridwen symbolizes the mystical depths of the subconscious mind, wherein hidden truths and latent potentials await discovery. His attainment of poetic inspiration through the ingestion of the cauldron's contents serves as a metaphor for the creative act itself, wherein the artist channels divine inspiration to give form to the ineffable.

Legacy and Influence

Despite the passage of centuries, the legacy of Taliesin endures, woven into the fabric of Welsh culture and beyond. His name lives on in the works of poets, musicians, and scholars who draw inspiration from his timeless wisdom and visionary insight. The figure of Taliesin continues to inspire awe and fascination, reminding us of the enduring power of myth and the boundless depths of the human imagination.

The story of Taliesin stands as a testament to the enduring power of myth to transcend time and space, offering us glimpses into the mysteries of the past while inviting us to explore the infinite possibilities of the present. As we continue to unravel the enigmatic tapestry of his legend, may we find inspiration in his words and wisdom, and may the spirit of the Druid bard guide us on our own journey of self-discovery and transformation.

[dirgeofthecicadas]

This blog has no theme bc I have sideblogs which r all pretty stupid and badly maintained but I do have some fun urls <3

[isingletonmajortwo2022]

The Mabinogion:

The Mabinogion is a collection of tales from two medieval manuscripts: The White Book of Rhydderch and The Red Book of Hergest. First fully translated from Middle Welsh into English and Welsh by Lady Charlotte Guest in the mid 19th century. The Mabinogion is a series of eleven (sometimes twelve tales depending on which translation you read), often divided into four groups.

The title of the collection, The Mabinogion, is a grammatical error - Lady Charlotte Guest used the term Mabinogion as a plural and the name kind of stuck. Derived from the word Mabinogi coming from the welsh word Mab, meaning boy or youth - this became Mabinogi, meaning tales of youth/boyhood or tales for boys, but it is agreed that Mabinogi as a term in the manuscripts is more likely to mean Tale. (Though the first four branches are the only tales in the Mabinogion that refer to themselves as Mabinogi.)

The tales mix folklore, myth, historical retellings and Arthurian legends, often concerning magical beings, Annwn or the Otherworld in English and Welsh Royalty. There is no single author of the manuscripts, though it is agreed that the first four branches are written by the same author. The manuscripts originated from around 1100-1400; this dating explains the widely different writing styles and references - each tale references aspects of medieval life and the generally agreed upon morals and ethics of the time. In addition to this, the dates of the stories themselves differ wildly. The first four branches and the Tale Lludd and Llefelys predate Christianity as they contain references to the Celtic ‘pagan’ religion in Wales before Christianity, and The Dream of Mascen Wledig is believed to originate from around AD 383. All of the stories in the Mabinogion predate the manuscripts and come from oral traditions/storytelling - the manuscripts are some of the only written evidence we have of these stories.

The Four Branches of the Mabinogi: Pwyll Pendefig Dyfed/Pwyll, Prince of Dyfed Branwen ferch Llyr/Branwen, the daughter of Llyr Manawydan fab Llyr/Manawyddan, the Son of Llyr Math fab Mathonwy/Math, Son of Mathonwy.

The Three Romances: Owain/Larlles y Ffynnon/Owain or The Lady of the Fountain/Well Peredur fab Efrog/Peredur, son of Efrawg Geraint fab Erbin/ Geraint ac Enid/ Geraint, son of Erbin or Geraint and Enid

Native Tales (mix of folklore and retelling of history): Breuddwyd Macsen Wledig/The Dream of Maxen/Macsen Wledig Lludd a Llefelys/ Lludd and Llefelys Hanes Taliesin/ The Tale of Taliesin

Arthurian Legend: Culhwch ac Olwen/ Culhwuch or Kilhwch and Olwen/ The Twrch Trwyth Breuddwyd Rhonabwy/The Dream of Rhonabwy

The Mabinogion - English translation by Lady Charlotte Guest 1840 - Illustrations by Alan Lee 1982 The Mabinogion - Translated by Sioned Davies Y Mabinogion - Dafydd a Rhiannon Ifans https://www.library.wales/discover/digital-gallery/manuscripts/the-middle-ages/white-book-of-rhydderch#?c=&m=&s=&cv=&xywh=-359%2C0%2C4797%2C4079

[tipsycad147]

Cerridwen: Goddess Symbols, Correspondences, Myth & Offerings

The Goddess’ Temple: Myths & Symbols of the Divine Feminine in History

Cerridwen: Goddess Symbols, Correspondences, Myth & Offerings

Cerridwen (sometimes known as Ceridwen or Caridwen) is a goddess of Welsh legend. Sometimes she is depicted as an enchantress, but she always possesses some degree of magical power. Much of what is known about this particular incarnation of Cerridwen comes from the Hanes Taliesin (The Tale of Taliesin), an account of the legendary poet Taliesin. She is famous for her magical cauldron, as well as her hideous son, Morfran, and her beautiful daughter Creirwy.

Working with Cerridwen

The best way to connect with Cerridwen, like any goddess or god, is through the mythology, epithets and symbols. Here’s a summary of the most important tales featuring the goddess Cerridwen, and how to worship Her in your personal pagan practice.

Myth of Cerridwen

Symbols of Cerridwen

Titles and Epithets of Cerridwen

How to Worship Cerridwen as a Goddess

Further reading

Analysis of the Myth

Cerridwen Correspondences

Cerridwen Offerings

Invocations & Prayers

Myth of Cerridwen

Cerridwen and her husband, Tegid Voel, lived at Lake Tegid. She gave birth to her fantastically ugly son, Morfran, and the most fair of all maidens, Creirwy. Unfortunately for Morfran, Cerridwen thought the lad was so hideous that it would be impossible for him to gain admittance among the ranks of the noble-born. Still, Cerridwen’s love for her son led her to hatch a plot for his acceptance. The boy may be ugly, but nobody said he had to be stupid. Cerridwen decided to go to her magical cauldron for a solution, which contained all manner of poetic and scientific inspiration.

“The boy be harsh on the eyes,” Cerridwen muttered. “But he shall not be soft in the head.”

She set the cauldron to boiling, and boil it must for at least a year and a day. Cerridwen needed only three drops from the cauldron, three drops of inspiration.

To keep the cauldron boiling for a year, she enlisted the aid of Gwion Bach and the blind man, Morda. She charged Gwion Bach with the constant stirring of the cauldron and likewise charged Morda with kindling the fire continuously.

“Keep it boiling for a year and a day,” she said. “I must gather herbs.”

As Gwion Bach and Morda toiled, Cerridwen gathered every type of charm-bearing herb that she could find. One day, while Cerridwen was diligently gathering the herbs, three drops of inspiration flew from the cauldron. They landed on Gwion Bach’s finger. He yelped in pain at the heat of the drops, and placed his finger in his mouth to cool it off.

As the drops entered his system, Time itself cracked open and revealed secrets to Gwion Bach. It became apparent to Gwion Bach that this accident would invoke Cerridwen’s wrath, and that he must protect himself against her many skills.

Fearing for his life, Gwion Bach fled in the direction of his homeland. The cauldron he and Morda had been tending split into pieces. The liquid that poured forth from the cauldron flowed in a river of poison that killed many horses in its wake. By a twist of fate, only the three small drops that Gwion Bach had licked off his finger were non-toxic.

Cerridwen noticed the tide of poison flowing from the ruins of her cauldron. Consumed by rage, she grabbed a chunk of wood and clouted Morda over the head with it, dashing him so hard that one of his eyes popped out and dangled on his cheek.

“Please, please!” Morda shrieked. “You do the wrong one evil, Mistress Cerridwen! It was not I that drank of your cauldron and ruined a year and a day’s worth of toil!”

Cerridwen let the chunk of wood slip from her grasp, knowing what Morda spoke was true.

“Gwion Bach,” she said. “He is the rogue that stole my potion of inspiration.”

She hotly pursued after Gwion Bach. Gwion Bach realized this and, thinking himself clever, turned himself into a hare. He darted to and fro, but Cerridwen transformed herself into a greyhound and redoubled her pursuit. He made towards a river and shed his hare form, adopting the form of a fish. Cerridwen did not hesitate as she dove in the river after him, turning into an otter and paddled furiously in pursuit. As she bore down upon him, Gwion Bach leapt from the stream and took flight as a bird. Not one to be outdone, Cerridwen likewise left the stream in the form of a hawk. She harried him again and again, never affording him a moment’s respite. Then, Gwion Bach noticed a barn full of winnowed wheat.

“I’ll lose my pursuer here,” he thought to himself, and dove in. He transformed himself into one grain of wheat among many.

As the story goes, Cerridwen turned herself into a high-crested hen. She began picking through the grains one by one by one, scratching at the grains with her feet until she found the grain that Gwion Bach had disguised himself as. With a gulp, she swallowed Gwion Bach right up.

Satisfied, she left the barn, bearing Gwion Bach in her belly. For nine months she carried Gwion Bach in her, and when she finally gave birth to him, she gently held the babe in her arms.

He was a most beautiful baby. Cerridwen realized that, despite her earlier anger, she could not bring herself to kill such a beautiful child.

On the 29th of April, she wandered down to the sea, carrying a leather lantern bag in one hand and the baby Gwion Bach in the other. She wrapped the child in the bag and cast him into the sea.

“May God’s mercy protect ye,” she said, and left the baby Gwion Bach to his fate.

Gwion Bach would go on, like many abandoned children, to become a legendary figure in his own right. He lost his old name and became known as Taliesin. Cerridwen vanished into the mist of mystery here: wrathful enchantress turned to sorrowful mother. Taliesin sang many songs, some of them involving his misadventures with his mother and rival Cerridwen. He became known as “the greatest of all bards”.

Analysis of the Myth

Cerridwen is an intriguing figure from Welsh mythology. She begins her tale attempting to help her son Morfran, who has little chance of gaining acceptance with the nobility. Her instinct as a mother is to tend to her child, and this is troubled by the entrance of Gwion Bach into her life. While Gwion Bach does not harbor any malicious intent against Cerridwen, his inadvertent drinking of the three drops of inspiration nevertheless brings her wrath down upon him. Gwion Bach’s ‘theft’ in some sense resembles that of Prometheus or other divine thieves, except in this case he claims the prize for himself.

The most famous instance of Cerridwen’s tale involves the shapeshifting chase between her and Gwion Bach. There is a cyclical quality to their pursuit, with Gwion Bach changing into various prey animals (or food, in the case of the grains), and Cerridwen changing into various predators. Animals have been fleeing and hunting one another for as long as they have been around, and there’s a sense of the brutality of nature playing out during their chase. This culminates in Cerridwen eating Gwion Bach in the form of a grain. This is both a symbolic and literal death for Gwion Bach, as he loses his former life and gains a new one in the form of a baby.

Cerridwen, in the tale, becomes herself the cauldron of death-and-rebirth, a common theme across all manner of legends and mythology. Her body becomes the abyss where all seems lost, and yet it is also the potential for life renewed. She transforms Gwion Bach and is herself transformed as she can no longer bring herself to kill him.

Cerridwen’s spirit marks a boundary space between one adventure and the next. The climatic pursuit ends, but Gwion Bach’s death in this case is merely an illusion or staging area, as when he is reborn, Cerridwen wraps him in the lantern pouch and sends him off to sea with a blessing. Countless tales, from Moses to Perseus, feature a similar ‘exposure’ to the elements. The exposure frequently marks the origins of a mythological hero, but in order for the motif to work, it requires a figure such as Cerridwen to commit the exposure.

In this sense, Cerridwen can be seen as the entity that puts us out to sea. She changes us and renews us in unforeseen ways. We may be somewhat like infants, unable to resist the adventure she thrusts upon us, but it is up to us to take the goddess’s inspiration, as well as the new life she can grant, and make our way through the world with what is given.

Despite Cerridwen’s initial hostility at the beginning of the Tale of Taliesin, it is always interesting to note where a character develops and ends up. She starts out as pursuer, hunter, and the last we see of Cerridwen, she is nurturing and blessing. She cannot take care of the baby Gwion Bach, for some reason or another, but she gives him a blessing as he is set out into the wilderness, something she would surely would not have done towards the beginning of the story. In this sense, Cerridwen might also represent a change of fortune, or perhaps a change in perspective on a circumstance that may seem undesirable at first, but in fact lays the groundwork for new possibilities.

Symbols of Cerridwen

Cauldron: A symbol closely associated with the Divine Feminine, it is a vessel for transformation which symbolizes rebirth and renewal. Cerridwen’s cauldron represents the womb of the Great Mother Goddess, from which all life is born, and then born again. It’s also a cauldron of wisdom, knowledge and inspiration.

Dark Moon: In modern worship, Cerridwen is sometimes called “Dark Goddess of Transformation” and associated with the dark moon. Her connection with the dark side of Magic and Witchcraft has to do with her role in the poem of Taliesin, where She is not a goddess but rather a sorceress or witch with destructive powers. Also, Cerid- can be translated as “bent” or “crooked”, but it could also mean “poetry” or “song.”

Moon: The moon undergoes different phases and expressions, similar to the Goddess’s shapeshifting and transformation abilities. As a Moon Goddess, Cerridwen may be represented by the lunar cycle (New Moon to Full Moon and back) as a symbol of eternal transformation and renewal.

White sow: Among the Celts, Cerridwen was also known as the sow goddess. The pig was associated with the moon and with fertility and perceived as a gift from the otherworld. Some people believe her name means “White Sow” (although the exact meaning of the name is unknown).

Grain: In Cerridwen’s myth, Gwion shapeshifts into a grain of wheat. As a Goddess of fertility and harvest, different types of grain are associated to Her.

Titles and Epithets of Cerridwen

White Lady of Inspiration

Lady of the Cauldron

Lady of the Lake

The Ruler Of Bards

Sow Mother

How to Worship Cerridwen as a Goddess

As Keeper of the Cauldron, Cerridwen brings inspiration, wisdom and the gifts of prophecy to those that work with Her. The best way to work with Cerridwen or other Celtic goddesses is to read the poems and tales that showcase her skills and abilities.

Cerridwen’s areas of influence are Magic, fertility, wisdom, poetry, creativity, herbalism, and the harvest. There are modern Pagans who consider Her the Queen of Witches. She pursues her prey with unfailing energy. If Cerridwen is calling you, it’s best that you pursue your goals with equal energy.

Dress a white candle in Cerridwen’s name.

Fill your cauldron with water. You will perform a wax reading divination with the candle.

Ask Cerridwen for guidance and interpret what your cauldron tells you. You may receive her message in the form of symbols or images in the water. Keep a dream journal in case she happens to contact you tonight.

Correspondences & Associations of Cerridwen

Associations: Magic, fertility, wisdom, poetry, creativity, herbalism, and the harvest.

Role: Cerridwen is the Keeper of the Cauldron, the mother of transformation and change. She brings inspiration, wisdom and the gifts of prophecy to those that work with her. She is seen in Welsh legend as being a crone Goddess, creating a triad with Blodeuwedd and Arianrhod.

Colors: Green.

Animals: Crow, hen, white sow, pigs, hare.

Genealogy: Wife of Tegid Voel. Mother of Morfran, Creirwy and Afagddu.

Cerridwen Offerings

Offerings to Cerridwen (Goddess of poetry and creativity) may include your own original poems, prayers, and songs. Set up an altar for the Goddess using her symbols and correspondences. You can prepare a meal of pork and wheat as an offering to Cerridwen. Alternatively, you may wish to forego pork and wheat for a period of time to show reverence to her sacred symbols.

Approach Her with respect and transparency, as any honest seeker would do with any deity. The best way to connect with Cerridwen is through her mythology. You are encouraged to read her myth and invocation, write poetry or prose for Her, or make an offering on an altar with white and green candles dedicated to her.

Offerings to Cerridwen: Grain-based products, wheat, barley, rice, peanuts, acorns, poppy or sunflower seeds, vervain, pork, candles, moonstone.

Cerridwen Invocation

Dark mother, Bright mother You who keep the cauldron You who are the cauldron Of storms and tides Relentless and sure Where mystery abides And in abiding Is born and dies By the sharp and merciful blade Which severs the shade By the burning drink The food of Gods And damned mortals alike One word One word One spell One dream unfolding Each to the end And there to begin again Cerridwen Hear us Answer our call Bright mother

From Masks of the Muse © 2009 Veronica Cummer

Further Reading

Davies, Sioned (trans.) 2007: The Mabinogion

Green, Miranda. 1995: Celtic Goddesses: Warriors, Virgins and Mothers

William Skene. 2015: The Four Books of Ancient Wales

https://spells8.com/lessons/cerridwen-goddess-symbols/

[fuckyeaharthuriana]

Actually, the oldest story we have, the Hanes Taliesin by Elis Gruffydd, dates from the 16th century and most of the events match up to the poems found in Llyfr Taliesin, which dates back to the 14th century.

!!!

[critrolecloset]

if you’re trying to get your #jocksmachina on with travis’ retro fitness outfit, i have good news! i consider this one of the easier campaign 2 opening looks and majority of these pieces are quick online buys. for those who may not have a wide variety of local thrifting options, travis’ ensemble may be the right cosplay choice for you. 

with this guide, i also decided to go with the less-is-more approach, but don’t hesitate to message me if you would like to see more options added to the list. 

final note: most of these are items found through amazon. here is a quick link of my storefront to save you a few clicks! and if you haven’t already, check out taliesin’s guide posted a couple weeks ago.

1. red bandana

chances are you can find a pack of bandanas at your nearest gas station, but here is one available on amazon for just $5.

2. chain necklace

one of the smaller details in travis’ outfit is a thin, silver chain necklace. i think this is one that could be overlooked for those who are on a budget, otherwise i do think this one for $9 by laimala on amazon is a good choice. length wise, you will want to get a chain around 14 or 15 inches.

3. grey sleeveless hoodie

this will be the most important part of the look. travis’ vintage sweater is by aviator nation in the “disco stitch” style (the sleeves were later removed), but unfortunately i can’t find any reference photos. here is a modern example of the hoodie by the same brand.

thankfully, you have options to recreate your own hoodie and not pay $200 for a modern version. the “mens casual lightweight sleeveless zip-up vest tank hoodie” by h2h is $13-$34 and is a fantastic, simple base to add on to. (thank you to skeikahsforge on instagram for the recommendation. he also shared a photo of his final version of the altered hoodie with added stripes, so feel free to use this as inspiration.)

if you have access to a sewing machine, attaching strips of light blue, dark blue, and pink wrapping around the sweater can be done in less than a day. for those who don’t have access to a machine or aren’t skilled with a needle, you can always apply the strips using fabric glue. this process will be a little more tedious, but it’s better than having no stripes at all. 

4. watch

with the watch, there are a few things to consider. are you on a budget? is accuracy your priority? will this is be a one-time wear, or something you want to actually invest in? genuine vintage watches can cost hundreds of dollars, so the options i’m listing here are on the more affordable side. (if anyone wants to see pricier options, let me know!) personally, i think as long as you have something bulky with a black or blue color, you’re good to go. 

jennifer newman, the costume designer for the opening, did share a close-up photo of travis’ watch in this critical cosplay thread. the sports watch seems to be a membership gift from the humane society of the united states, but the year is unknown.

although it’s not vintage, this 2008 membership watch is only $4 on ebay and would be an affordable and similar option.

this “casio men’s quartz resin sports watch” is $12 on amazon and may not have the same circular shape as travis’, but it’s on the cheaper end and still gives off that effortless 80′s vibe.

a solid middle-of-the-road option is the “marathon by timex full-size watch” in blue/black, available for $24 on amazon. this one will pop out the most and is good for anyone who would actually like a practical watch and not just a prop.

5. sweatpants

the sweatpants here are likely the “hanes men’s eco smart open leg fleece pant with pockets” in navy, available for $8 on amazon. 

6. converse shoes

travis’ exact shoes are the “converse chuck taylor all star II” in thunder/white, which are available on amazon. for whatever reason, the price on these are extremely varied, but they typically go for $25-$50. before buying a new set, i recommend checking out sites like poshmark and ebay. you can often find gently used or even unworn pairs for around the $30 mark.

[chemos-factories]

Finished my clown week yaoi!!! Give it a shot! Dark Angel meets a Shadowseer and gets a footjob

It’s written in approximation of the style of The Mabinogion, and the title is a reference to the Hanes Taliesin

[ofbloodandfaith]

Gwydion fab Dôn, as told by Taliesin

awenmor:

The following passage is taken from Rachel Bromwich’s edition of The Triads of the Island of Britain where she analyzes Gwydion’s role as a magician within the 14th Century manuscript Llyfr Taliesin (Book of Taliesin). Taliesin is a Brythonic poet who is believed to have lived in the 6th Century, most notably serving courts in Rheged and later Powys. He famously claims to be the son of Cerridwen.

“There are a number of allusions to Gwydion in poems belonging to Hanes Taliesin (The Story of Taliesin) and in the main, these characterize Gwydion in a manner similar to that in Mabinogi Math (Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi).

Here Gwydion is a powerful magician, who can make horses and hounds out of toadstools, shoes out of seaweed, a woman out of flowers, and can produce the illusion of a sea with hostile vessels. The essentials of Gwydion’s story are referred to in the poem Kadeir Kerritwen (The Chair of Cerridwen):

Gwydion son of Dôn, out of his magic powers, who made by enchantment a woman from flowers, and who brought swine from the south. Since he had the best learning he, the brave one of the world, of the interweaving of men in battle, who made horses in order to please the court, and saddles with gold fittings.

Within the poem Cad Goddeu (Battle of the Trees):

I was at Cad Goddeu with Lleu and Gwydion; they made by enchantment earth, trees, and irises.

I was at Caer Nefenhir when the grasses and trees marched off. Minstrels sang, warriors marched. Gwydion lifted his magic staff.

Taken together with the various allusions to the part played by Gwydion at Cad Goddeu, these lines indicate the existence of a much fuller tradition about Gwydion as a magician than has survived.”

[sylvarwolf]

Gods of the Brythons CT041

The Religion of the Ancient Celts (1911) Chapter 6: The Gods of the Brythons

by J. A. MacCulloch

In this chapter, J A McCulloch looks at the nature and origin of the Welsh, Brythonic Gods as seen mainly in the Mabinogion.

  Names Used in this Section

Taliesin

Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Britonum

Professor Anwyl

Dyfed and Gwent

Anglesey

Gwynedd

Pryderi, Branwen, and Gwydion

Kulhwych

Dôn

Llyr

Branwen

Matholwych

Evnissyen

Bran

Caswallyn, son of Beli

Rhiannon

Manawyddan

Llwyt

Gwawl

Nissyen

Penardim

Eurosswyd

Llyr Marini

Cordelia

Lludd Llawereint

Creiddylad

Alloid

Nodons

Black Book of Caermarthen

Y Werydd

M. Loth

Manannan

Diarmaid

Bendigeit Vran

Urdawl Ben

Cernunnos

Uthr Ben

Urien, Bran, and Uthr

Yama

Brennus

Belinus

Lludd and Caswallawn

Caradawc

Prydein

Mr. Nutt

Brangwaine

Tristram

Ynys Bronwen

Gwydion, Gilvæthwy, Amæthon, Govannon, and Arianrhod

Dylan and Llew

Tuatha Déa

Govannon (= Goibniu)

Llew (= Lug)

Gwydion

Gilvæthwy

Goewin

Arawn, king of Annwfn

Llew Llaw Gyffes

Blodeuwedd

Gronw

Math Hen

Gweir

Amæthon

amæth

Battle of Godeu

Dr. Skene

Lám fada

Curoi's wife, Blathnat

ruddroawc

Govannon and Gavida (Goibniu)

Dylan Eil Ton

Eil Mor

Havgan

Teyrnon

Gwri

Rigantona

Tigernonos

Pen Annwfn

Dream of Maxen

Lludd, Caswallawn, Nynnyaw, and Llevelys

Cassivellaunus

Gweirydd

Lodens Lamargentios

Caer Ludd (London)

Glastonbury Tor

Hanes Taliesin

Tegid Voel

Creirwy, Morvran, Avagddu

Morvran

Porcus Troit (the Twrch Trwyth)

Igerna

Dream of Rhonabwy

March, son of Meirchion

Merlin, or Myrddin

Viviane

Kei

Gwenhyvar (Guinevere)

Mabon

Nantlle

Brigantia, Brigit; Belisama

Camulos

Belatucadros, Cocidius, Corotiacus, Barrex, and Totatis

Anextiomarus

Arvalus, Mogons

  Religion of the Ancient Celts can be found on Sacred Texts.

You can find out more about J. A. McCulloch on Wikipedia.

Try the Celtic Myth Podshow for a dramatic re-telling of the Tales and Stories of the Ancient Celts at http://celticmythpodshow.com or in Apple Podcasts.

Our theme music is "Gander at the Pratie Hole" by Sláinte.  You can find their music on the Free Music Archive.

Check out this episode!