The Cauldron of Inspiration: The Birth of Taliesin

The Witch’s Brew The story begins with the powerful enchantress Ceridwen, who had a son named Morfran, a boy so tragically ugly that she feared he would never be accepted by the world. To give him an advantage, Ceridwen decided to brew a magical potion of "Awen" (Divine Inspiration) in her cauldron. This potion had to simmer for a year and a day, and at the end, only the first three drops would grant absolute wisdom and the knowledge of the past, present, and future. She hired a young boy named Gwion Bach to stir the cauldron while she gathered herbs.

The Three Magic Drops On the very last day of the year, as Gwion was stirring, three burning drops of the potion splashed onto his thumb. Instinctively, he put his thumb in his mouth to soothe the burn. In that instant, all the wisdom of the universe rushed into him. He saw the fury of Ceridwen and realized he was in mortal danger. Gwion fled, and the chase began—a legendary transformation battle. When Gwion turned into a hare, Ceridwen became a greyhound. When he became a fish, she became an otter. When he flew as a bird, she became a hawk.

The Rebirth Finally, Gwion turned into a single grain of wheat in a barn. Ceridwen, in the form of a black hen, swallowed him. Nine months later, she gave birth to him. She intended to kill the infant, but he was so beautiful that she could not bring herself to do it. She placed him in a leather bag and cast him into the sea. The boy was eventually found by a prince named Elffin, who named him Taliesin ("Radiant Brow"). Taliesin grew up to be the greatest poet and druid in history, possessing the cosmic knowledge he had swallowed from the cauldron.