Celtic Source

The Book of Taliesin is one of the great treasures of Welsh culture, but who wrote it? In truth, it's an impossible question to answer, but there are some very interesting theories about who composed some of the most famous poems in the manuscript . . .

The Book of Taliesin is one of the primary medieval sources for the Taliesin myth. But what does it actually contain?

The Welsh Bardic Triads ('Trioedd Ynys Prydein') provide an index to the oral storytelling tradition of medieval Wales. They were used by bards across the centuries not only to help them remember the vast network of traditional myth and lore, but also to present a distinct vision of the ancient past.​

Most Celtic scholars would rightly point out that the correct answer to this question is an emphatic no. Yet there is a more nuanced story that can be told.

How did Taliesin transform his patron through the bardic power of myth?

There are some distinct similarities between the Welsh Tale of Taliesin and the Irish story of Fionn Mac Cumhaill, in particular the very ancient concept of a magical elixir.

In the Taliesin myth, awen plays a central role in creating symbolic reality. This leads naturally on to an  outline of some of the symbolic meanings that can be found in the great mythic cauldron of the Celts.

 'Otherworld' is probably a misleading term when thinking of the Irish sidh or Welsh Annwfn, as there is a subtle but important difference between these ancient concepts.

Tracing the Celtic myth of water, divine birth and inspiration back to its Indo-European roots.

An overview of the Mari Lwyd folk custom and a discussion of the meaning of some of the Welsh folk verses sung during the winter ritual.