Everything about Taliesin totally explained
Taliesin (c.
534 – c.
599) is the earliest
poet of the
Welsh language whose work has survived. His name is associated with the
Book of Taliesin, a book of poems that was written down in the Middle Ages (
John Gwenogvryn Evans dated it to around 1275, but Daniel Huws now dates it to the first quarter of the 14th century). Most of the poems are quite late in date (around
10th to
12th century), but a few are earlier, and eleven of them, according to
Ifor Williams, date from the
6th century. The historical Taliesin is believed to have been a
bard who sang in the courts of at least three
Celtic British kings of that era. In legend and medieval Welsh poetry, he's often referred to as
Taliesin Ben Beirdd ("Taliesin, Chief of Bards"). A few of the "marks" presumably awarded for poems - or at least measuring their "value" - are extant in the margin of the
Book of Taliesin. The mythological Taliesin's life is found in several late renditions (see below), the earliest being in the hand of
Elis Gruffydd (mid-16th century), who may have relied on existing oral tradition about him. His name was spelled as
Taliessin in
Alfred, Lord Tennyson's
Idylls of the King and in some subsequent works.
Biography
Little, beyond what can be gleaned from the historical poems, is known about his life. He is mentioned with Talhaearn Tad Awen ("Father of the Muse"),
Aneirin, Blwchbardd, and Cian Gwenith Gwawd ("Wheat of Song") as one of the five
British poets of renown in the "
Hen Ogledd (Old Northern) History" section (ch. 62) of the
Historia Britonum traditionally attributed to
Nennius. It is striking that he isn't the first named, nor does he have a title or sobriquet, suggesting that, to the author of the
Historia Brittonum, he wasn't the pre-eminent poet of the late 6th century.
The poems ascribed to the historical bard by Ifor Williams indicate that he later became court bard to King
Brochfael Ysgithrog of
Powys around
555, then to his successor
Cynan Garwyn, and lastly to King
Urien of
Rheged and his son
Owain fab Urien. The idea that he was a bard at the court of
King Arthur dates back at least to
Culhwch and Olwen, perhaps a product of the
11th century, and was elaborated upon in modern poetry, such as
Tennyson's
Idylls of the King and
Charles Williams's
Taliessin Through Logres. In any case the historical Taliesin's career can be shown to have fallen in the last half of the
6th century, while historians who argue for Arthur's existence date his victory at
Mons Badonicus in the years to either side of AD
500; the
Annales Cambriae offers the date of
532 for his death or disappearance in the
Battle of Camlann, only a few years earlier than the date of
542 found in the
Historia Regum Britanniae.
According to tradition first recorded in the 16th century, Taliesin was the foster-son of
Elffin ap Gwyddno, who gave him the name Taliesin, meaning "radiant brow", and who later became a king in
Ceredigion. The tradition states that he was then raised at his court in
Aberdyfi and that at the age of 13, he visited King
Maelgwn Gwynedd, Elffin's uncle, and correctly prophesied the manner and imminence of Maelgwn's death.
Bedd Taliesin, a hilltop
Bronze Age tumulus in Ceredigion, is a traditional site for his grave; the village of Tre-Taliesin, located at the foot of the hill, was named after the bard in the 19th century. A manuscript in the hand of 18th century literary forgerer
Iolo Morganwg claims he was the son of
Saint Henwg of
Llanhennock, 5km north-east of
Newport (near
Caerleon), but this is contrary to every other fact and tradition and is clearly of Iolo's invention.
Book of Taliesin
The work most associated with him is
The Book of Taliesin, which scholars believe was written in
10th century Welsh. Since all poetry was transmitted orally in Taliesin's day, a plausible hypothesis is that his original poems were first written down four centuries later using the contemporary spellings of that day. Sir
Ifor Williams published the text with notes in
Canu Taliesin (1960), and later published in an English version
The Poems of Taliesin (1968).
Of the poems in
The Book of Taliesin, twelve are addressed to known historical kings such as
Cynan Garwyn, king of
Powys, and
Gwallog of
Elmet. Eight of the poems, however, are addressed to
Urien Rheged, whose kingdom was centered in the region of the
Solway Firth on the borders of present-day
England and
Scotland and stretched east to Catraeth (now
Catterick in
North Yorkshire) and west to
Galloway. One poem, a "marwnad" or death lament, was addressed to Owain, son of Urien. The rest of the book comprises poems addressing
mythological,
religious topics, as well as a few works such as 'Armes Prydein Vawr', the content of which implies that they were by later authors, perhaps contemporary to the 10th century scribe who compiled the
Book of Taliesin. The presumption that all of the poems in the Book of Taliesin are the work of the true, historical Taliesin, is nonsense; many are more likely to be the work of later poets. Many poems lack the characteristics, metre and 'poetic tag' associated with the work of the historical Taliesin. Apart from the twelve poems considered to be the work of Taliesin, bard of Urien Rheged, the material in Llyfr Taliesin is associated with the mythical Taliesin.
Some of the events to which the poems refer, such as the
Battle of Arfderydd (c.
583) are known from other sources. These references lead some
historians to consider the poems addressed to Urien Rheged to date from that time period.
The mythical account of his life
In the mid
16th century,
Elis Gruffydd wrote a mythological account of Taliesin which drew from
Welsh folklore. Some scholars believe that Gruffydd recorded a tradition that existed before his time. The tale was also recorded in a slightly different version by
John Jones (Gellilyfdy) (c. 1607). A composite version based on these accounts is given below.
Birth
According to the mythologized version of Taliesin's birth, he began life as boy named Gwion Bach (sometimes spelt "Gwyon"), a servant to the witch
Ceridwen. Ceridwen had a beautiful daughter and an ugly son named
Morfran (also called
Avagddu), whose appearance no magic could cure, so she sought to give him the gift of wisdom as compensation. Using a magical cauldron, Ceridwen cooked a potion granting
wisdom inspiration (
Awen), which had to be cooked for a year and a day. A blind man named
Morda tended the fire beneath the cauldron, while Gwion Bach stirred the concoction. The first three drops of liquid from this cauldron gave wisdom; the rest was a fatal
poison. Three hot drops spilled onto Gwion's thumb as he stirred, burning him. He instinctively put his thumb in his mouth, and instantly gained great wisdom and knowledge. The first thought that occurred to him was that Ceridwen would be very angry at him for doing this. Scared, he ran away, but all too soon he heard her fury and the sound of her pursuit.
As Ceridwen chased Gwion, he turned himself into a
hare. In response, she became a
greyhound. He then became a
fish and jumped into a
river, and in response, she then turned into an
otter. He turned into a
bird, and in response she became a
hawk. Finally, he turned into a single grain of corn. She became a hen and ate him, and became pregnant. She resolved to kill the child, knowing it was Gwion, but after he was born, he was so beautiful that she couldn't go through with the deed. Instead, she threw him in the
ocean inside a leather bag. The story of Gwion and the wisdom potion bears a strong resemblance to the Irish tale of
Fionn mac Cumhail and the
salmon of wisdom, indicating that both stories may have a common source.
Discovery by Elffin
The baby was found by
Elffin, the son of
Gwyddno Garanhir, 'Lord of
Ceredigion', who found the child while fishing for
salmon. He was surprised at the whiteness of the boy's brow, and exclaimed "dyma dal iesin", meaning "this is a radiant brow." Taliesin replied, "Yes, that will do well enough." While Elffin carried the baby back to his father in a basket, lamenting his fate in finding a baby but no salmon, Taliesin began to recite beautiful
poetry, saying:
» Fair Elffin, cease your lament!
Speaking in vain profits no-one.
» It isn't evil to hope,
Nor does any man see what supports him,
» Not an empty treasure is the prayer of Cynllo,
Nor does God break his promise.
» No catch in Gwyddno's weir
Was ever as good as tonight's.
» "Fair Elffin, dry your cheeks!
Such sorrow doesn't become you,
» Although you consider yourself cheated
Excessive sorrow gains nothing,
» Nor will doubting God's miracles.
Although I'm small, I'm skilful.
» From the sea and the mountain,
From the river's depth
» God gives His gifts to the blessed.
» "Elffin of the generous spirit,
Cowardly is your purpose,
» You must not grieve so heavily.
Better are good than evil omens.
» Though I'm weak and small,
On the wave crest of the the surging sea,
» I'll be better for you
Than three hundred shares of salmon.
» "Elffin of noble generosity,
Do not sorrow at your catch.
» Though I'm weak on the floor of my basket,
There are wonders on my tongue.
» "While I'm watching over you,
no great need will overcome you.
» Be mindful of the name of the Trinity
And none shall overcome you."
Amazed, Elffin asked how a baby could talk. Again Taliesin replied with poetry, recounting the
transformation chase between himself and Ceridwen. Finishing, he said:
» "Floating like a boat in its waters,
I was thrown into a dark bag,
» and on an endless sea, I was set adrift.
» Just as I was suffocating, I'd a happy omen,
and the master of the Heavens brought me to liberty."
A few years later, when Taliesin turned thirteen, Elffin was at the court of King Maelgwn Gwynedd, who demanded that Elffin praise him and his court. Elffin refused, claiming Taliesin was a better bard and that his wife a prettier woman than anyone the king had in his court. Although he wasn't present, Taliesin knew what was happening, because he was a seer, and told Elffin's wife. Maelgwn's son
Rhun went to Elffin's house to seduce his wife and prove Elffin's claims weren't true. Rhun got her drunk, and when she passed out, Rhun tried to take off her wedding ring to prove her unfaithfulness. When the ring wouldn't come off, he cut off her finger instead. When King Maelgwn attempted to show the finger to Elffin, he pointed out that his wife cut her fingernails more often than the owner of the finger. Moreover, the fingernails had bread dough under them, but his wife always had servants knead the dough. Moreover, his wife's ring was loose on her finger, but this one was tight.
Maelgwn then demanded Taliesin come to his court to prove wrong the claim that Taliesin was a better bard than the ones in his court. Taliesin responded with a challenge in which both he and the king's bards were to compose an epic in only twenty minutes. The royal bards failed at the task, but when it came time for Taliesin to recite his, he caused a massive wind to rattle the castle. Frightened, Maelgwn sent for Elffin. Taliesin's next song caused Elffin's chains to detach. Maelgwn challenged the pair to a horse race. Taliesin arrived the next day with an old, weak horse. As each of the king's horses passed him at the very start of the race, Taliesin touched its rump with a twig of
holly. When they'd all passed, he dropped his hat to the ground, and the king's horses turned back right before crossing the finish line, stopping at the holly twigs Taliesin had laid there, and began to dance. Taliesin's old horse strolled to the finish line and won the race.
Commentary on the traditions
The traditions that Taliesin was the foster-son of
Elffin ap Gwyddno (associated with both Ceredigion and the
Hen Ogledd) and that he was raised at his court in
Aberdyfi and that Taliesin visited the court of Maelgwn Gwynedd don't have any historical substantiation, but also don't conflict with what little history is currently known about those people and that region and period. The birth myth of Ceridwen chasing Gwion through various forms is sometimes interpreted mystically and allegorically.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Taliesin'.
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