The Story of Ceridwen and Gwion Bach

Around this time, a stranger traveled into the region and Ceridwen got him into her service.  This stranger's name was Gwion the Young, or Gwion Bach.  Ceridwen gathered herbs for the potion which would make her son wise and knowledgeable, started it in a cauldron warmed by the breath of the faeries, and set Gwion Bach to stir it.

The potion was to brew for a year and a day.  At the end of that time, there were only three precious drops left at the bottom of the cauldron.  While Gwion Bach was stirring, the potion sizzled and popped up from the bottom of the cauldron and burnt his thumb, which he stuck into his mouth.

The potion gave Gwion Bach wisdom and knowledge so that he knew everything.  He realized that Ceridwen was a powerful sorceress, and that she would kill him for taking the last of the potion meant for her son.  He fled Lake Bala with Ceridwen in pursuit.

Gwion Bach changed into a hare to escape his pursuer.  Ceridwen changed into a greyhound.

Gwion flung himself into the river and became a trout, Ceridwen changed into an otter and followed him.

Gwion leapt from the water and became a swift, soaring through the air.  Ceridwen became an eagle and followed him.

Gwion flew into a farmer's yard and changed himself into a grain of wheat, hiding in a pile of grain.  Ceridwen changed herself into a hen and ate the pile of scratch, devouring all of the wheat.

Upon resuming her own form, she discovered herself to be pregnant and decided to kill Gwion upon his birth.  But once he was born, she was unable to kill this beautiful child of her womb, and she set the radiant infant in a basket on the tide and left him to fate.

A fisherman who found the basket with the child in it and opened it.  When he beheld the child's beauty and glowing brow, he exclaimed, "Radiant Brow!" or, "Taliesin!" and this became the boy's name.

Taliesin kept the knowledge of his past life because of the potion he had swallowed.  His wisdom and knowledge were renown, and he became the greatest bard of Wales.  And all the bards who came after him called themselves the Sons of Ceridwen.