Taliesin was a Bard and Poet in the 6th century in Wales. But there are many writings that came about after his death which ascribe him Magickal powers and which tell fantastical tales about him. This is how mythology largely comes to be. Usually, when mythology is told or written, there is a purpose to the story; to explain natural phenomena, or teach a lesson most often. Occasionally, it starts out as a story to pass time. The legend of Taliesin's birth seems to be a metaphor for life in general, or perhaps of the changes one must go through to become a stronger, smarter, more inspired person.
This story starts with a woman who is variously attested to be a Goddess or a Witch depending on who is writing. Her name is Cerridwyn. She has a daughter and a son. Her son is slow and has a deformed face. Seeking a cure, she goes to a sacred place called the Ffaeryllt, which is home to the Fae/Sidhe (In romanticised accounts, they look like Tinkerbell, in ancient accounts such as the Book of Invasions, they were said to be short hairy people who were the first inhabitants of the islands before the Celts invaded.) From the Sidhe she learns how to make medicine that will giver her son the Awen (inspiration, wit, intelligence, talent; all rolled into one). The first 3 drops are the medicine and the rest of the pot is poison. Now Cerridwyn had 2 assistants. Gwion the Innocent and a blind man. She makes the initial mixture and puts it on to boil. Her assistants tend the fire and Gwion stirs the pot to keep it from burning. The blind man accidentally added too much wood and the pot boiled furiously. Gwion had to stir it faster, and accidentally got some splattered on his had, unconsciously he licked it. And he gained the cure meant for Cerridwyn's son. Realizing his mistake, he turned into a rabbit and swiftly fled. As he fled, the pot cracked and the poison seeped into a pond where horses were drinking, and they died. Cerridwyn became a dog and chased him. So he turned into a wren, and she turned into a falcon. Then he turned into a salmon, and she became an otter. In a final attempt to elude her, he turned into a grain of sand. She turned into a hen and ate him. You'd think this would end the story, but it's not bound by the laws of science. Cerridwyn gave birth to a son 9 months later. Knowing it was Gwion, she wanted to kill him, but could not do it to one of her own flesh, so she put him in a hide boat and set him adrift. He was caught by a salmon weir belonging to a man named Garanhir. The man raised him as his own and named him Taliesin, and he became the most famous bard. And that's the end of the story of his birth.
Gwion's transformations can be seen as a metaphor for the way people change over time to adapt to their circumstances. And after a period of change and hardship, there is rebirth. It can also be applied to any traditional craft. There are many steps that are involved to shape material into a useful object. And through these changes, a tree is turned into a table, creek mud becomes a bowl, and iron ore becomes a sword. They are all transformed through work and difficulty and reborn as something entirely different from their original form. So it can be applied equally to people and art, and I hope you have enjoyed this little comparison.
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