Over the last month or so I have been working on a piece that is based upon the Taliesin Story. The painting is still in progress and I hope to finish it soon. It features the Goddess Ceridwen who sought a magical potion for her son. However, accidentally after a year and a days brewing on the banks of lake Bala in Wales, the three drops were eaten by young Gwion Bach who had been employed to make the brew in a large cauldron. Immediately he had the knowledge of everything, but Ceridwen was angry and a chase ensued. Gwion realised that he could become anything, and so changed into a hare because they run so fast. She then transformed herself int a greyhound and almost caught him. So he changed into a salmon and swum upstream. She then transformed into an otter and came after him. So he changed into a crow, and she a hawk. And just as she was about to catch him, he saw a pile of grain below, as it was harvest time and he turned himself into a grain of wheat thinking he could get lost in the thousands of grains there. But the goddess knew what to do and turned into a black hen and with her beady eye knew exactly which grain he was. So she gobbled him up. However, this was not the end of him. For a 9 months he grew in her tummy, and eventually was born. When the goddess saw him she did not have the heart to kill him so she put him into a leather bag and set him off upon the river. Eventually he was found by a fisherman. When the fisherman opened the pouch, the baby declared I am Taliesin (radiant brow) and I shall be the greatest bard (poet) ever. He went on to become the kings advisor and indeed he became known as the greatest poet that ever lived. Where I live most people have heard the story of Taliesin from a young age. This version is a very shortened version! I hope to finish the painting soon
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