View source for Taliesin

==Legendary accounts of his life==
[[File:Finding of Taliesin.jpg|thumb|"Finding of Taliesin" by [[Henry Clarence Whaite]], 1876]]
More detailed traditions of Taliesin's biography arose from about the 11th century, and in ''Historia Taliesin'' ("The Tale of Taliesin", surviving from the 16th century).<ref>*Ford, Patrick K. 1992. ''Ystoria Taliesin'' University of Wales Press: Cardiff.</ref> In the mid-16th-century, [[Elis Gruffydd]] recorded a legendary account of Taliesin that resembles the story of the boyhood of the Irish hero [[Fionn mac Cumhail]] and the [[salmon of wisdom]] in some respects. The tale was also recorded in a slightly different version by [[John Jones of Gellilyfdy]] (c. 1607). This story agrees in many respects with fragmentary accounts in the ''Book of Taliesin''.

According to the ''[[Hanes Taliesin]]'', he was originally known as '''Gwion Bach ap Gwreang'''. He was a servant of [[Cerridwen]] and was made to stir the Cauldron of Inspiration for one year to allow for Cerridwen to complete her potion of inspiration. The potion was initially intended for her son, [[Morfran]], who although was considered frightfully ugly, she loved nonetheless, and felt that if he would not grow in beauty then he should have the gift of the Awen to compensate. Upon completion of this potion, three drops sprang out and landed upon Gwion Bach's thumb. Gwion then placed his thumb in his mouth to soothe his burns resulting in Gwion's enlightenment. Out of fear of what Cerridwen would do to him, Gwion fled and eventually transformed into a piece of grain before being consumed by Cerridwen. However, this resulted in Cerridwen becoming impregnated with the seed and upon giving birth, she could not bring herself to kill the baby Gwion. She instead cast him into the ocean in a large leather bag, where he was found by [[Elffin ap Gwyddno|Elffin]], who named him Taliesin.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/history/sites/themes/society/myths_taliesin.shtml|title=The life of Taliesin the bard|publisher=BBC.com|access-date=23 March 2017}}</ref>

According to these texts 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 [[Kingdom of Ceredigion|Ceredigion]], Wales. The legend 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. A number of medieval poems attributed to Taliesin allude to the legend but these postdate the historical poet's ''[[floruit]]'' considerably.

The introduction to [[Gwyneth Lewis]] and [[Rowan Williams]]'s translation of [[The Book of Taliesin]] suggests that later Welsh writers came to see Taliesin as a sort of [[shaman|shamanic figure]]. The poetry ascribed to him in this collection shows how he not only can channel other entities (such as the [[Awen]]) in these poems, but that the authors of these poems can in turn channel Taliesin himself in creating the poems that they ascribe to him. This creates a collectivist, rather than individualistic, sense of identity; no human is simply one human, humans are part of nature (rather than opposed to it), and all things in the cosmos can ultimately be seen to be connected through the creative spirit of the Awen. 

The idea that he was a [[bard]] at the court of [[King Arthur]] dates back at least to the tale of ''[[Culhwch and Olwen]]'', perhaps a product of the 11th century. It is elaborated upon in modern English poetry, such as [[Alfred Tennyson|Tennyson]]'s ''[[Idylls of the King]]'' and [[Charles Williams (UK writer)|Charles Williams]]' ''Taliessin Through Logres''. But 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 on either side of AD{{nbsp}}500; the ''[[Annales Cambriae]]'' offer the date of c. 539 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]]''. Taliesin also appears as a companion of [[Bran the Blessed]] in this era, by which time he was clearly perceived as a legendary figure who existed in many different times.

A manuscript in the hand of 18th-century literary forger [[Iolo Morganwg]] claimed he was the son of [[Saint Henwg]] of [[Llanhennock]]; but this is contrary to other tradition. In it he is said to have been educated in the school of Catwg, at Llanfeithin, in [[Glamorgan]], which the historian [[Gildas]] also attended. Captured as a youth by Irish pirates while fishing at sea, he is said to have escaped by using a wooden [[buckler]] for a boat; he landed at the fishing [[weir]] of Elffin, one of the sons of Urien (all medieval Welsh sources, however, make Elffin the son of Gwyddno Garanhir). Urien made him Elffin's instructor, and gave Taliesin an estate. But once introduced to the court of the warrior-chief Taliesin became his foremost bard, followed him in his wars, and wrote of his victories.<ref name=Griffin/>