by Angela Grant.
For the Welsh to distinguish between myth and history has always been a difficult exercise. – Emyr Humphreys, The Taliesin Tradition (Bridgend, 1989), p.13.
This paper sets out to explore the connection between ‘Teliessin Penn Beird’ of Arthur’s Court1, the baby who was caught in Gwyddno’s weir2, the companion who helped bring Bran’s head back from Ireland3, and the man, real or imagined, who sang songs in the court of Urien, lord of Rheged, and his son Owein4. In doing so it may be necessary to redefine the nature of ‘reality’ to include the ‘reality’ embodied in myth, and consider why the borderline between myth and history is often not clearly defined and how at one period myth may be regarded as history and at another the lightly drawn figures of history may achieve the colour and power of myth. The nature of myth may be defined as ‘a means of containing and transmitting cultural messages which has itself either no basis in reality or else transforms reality. This sense directly echoes the meaning of the original Greek word muthos, which signified a story told to entertain or to play upon emotion rather than a logical discourse.’5 In this paper I can only sketch in lightly the various sources that exist in an attempt to illustrate the range in which the bard’s name occurs. I will proceed in mythological time sequence rather than the estimated ages of the stories concerned. Mythological time is fortunate in that, unlike the time that governs our watches, it may be stretched or foreshortened or even folded back upon itself to suit the needs of a particular story or storyteller so that Taliesin may be a reincarnation of Myrddin in one story6 and holding a conversation with him in another7.
From the Mabinogi
n the Second Branch of the Mabinogi, ‘Branwen Uerch Lyr’, Taliesin is listed as one of the seven men who survived the final battle between the hosts of ‘Ynys y Kedyrn’ and Matholwch and carried Bendigeituran’s head to Anglesey, Harlech, Gwales and finally buried it in the White Mount in London with its face towards France 8. This exploit echoes the earlier9 obscure poem ‘Preiddeu Annwn’10 to which I will return below.
In the tale of Culhwch and Olwen, Taliesin, Chief of Bards, is one of those of Arthur’s Court whose names Culhwch invokes as sureties so that Arthur get for him the gift of Olwen daughter of Yspaddaden Chief Giant11. This is almost certainly the earliest reference to Taliesin as ‘Pen Beirdd’12.
Taliesin is also listed in the Triads (Peniarth MS.252) as one of the Three Skilful Bards at Arthur’s Court, together with Myrddin vab Morvryn and Myrddin Emrys13.
Hanes Taliesin
The story of Gwion Bach, the little boy who was turned by the magic of the brew mixed by the witch Cerridwen into Tal Iesin, Shining Brow, the all-knowing bard, magician, and seer must be known by many children in Wales judging by the number of children’s books on the subject14. We only have the story by the survival of two relatively recent manuscripts: that of Elis Gruffydd’s ‘Chronicle of the Six Ages of the World’ dating from the first half of the sixteenth century15 and the ‘ Hanes Taliesin’ in the hand of John Jones of Gellilyfdy dated c.160716. However, it is quite clear from references to the story in poems in the Book of Taliesin17, that the story must have been widespread far earlier than these two manuscripts would indicate.
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November 2009 
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