Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race - Knowledge Rush

356 Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race[413]seven hundred years. And who, even now, can say that its courseis run at last, and the towers of Montsalvat dissolved into themist from which they sprang?The Tale of TaliesinAlone of the tales in the collection called by Lady CharlotteGuest the “Mabinogion,” the story of the birth and adventuresof the mythical bard Taliesin, the Amergin of Cymric legend,is not found in the fourteenth-century manuscript entitled “TheRed Book of Hergest.” It is taken from a manuscript of thelate sixteenth or seventeenth century, and never appears to haveenjoyed much popularity in Wales. Much of the very obscurepoetry attributed to Taliesin is to be found in it, and this is mucholder than the prose. The object of the tale, indeed, as Mr. Nutthas pointed out in his edition of the “Mabinogion,” is ratherto provide a sort of framework for stringing together scatteredpieces of verse supposed to be the work of Taliesin than to tell aconnected story about him and his doings.The story of the birth of the hero is the most interesting thingin the tale. There lived, it was said, “in the time of Arthur of theRound Table,” 250 a man named Tegid Voel of Penllyn, whosewife was named Ceridwen. They have a son named Avagddu,who was the most ill-favoured man in the world. To compensatefor his lack of beauty, his mother resolved to make him a sage. So,according to the art of the books of Feryllt, 251 she had recourseto the great Celtic source of magical influence—a cauldron. Shebegan to boil a “cauldron of inspiration and science for her son,that his reception might be honourable because of his knowledgeof the mysteries of the future state of the world.” The cauldronmight not cease to boil for a year and a day, and only in threedrops of it were to be found the magical grace of the brew.She put Gwion Bach the son of Gwreang of Llanfair to stir the250The Round Table finds no mention in Cymric legend earlier than thefifteenth century.251 Vergil, in his mediæval character of magician.