Gwion Bach

The son of Gwreang who was given the job of tending Cerridwen's cauldron, in which she was brewing a devine potion of inspiration and knowledge for her son Afagddu.

At the end of the allotted time, a year and a day, three drops of the magical brew splashed out of the cauldron onto Gwion's thumb. He sucked the thumb to cool and it and immediately knew all that had passed and all that was to happen in the future. This knowledge filled him with dread, for it told him that, after he had ingested the potency of the brew, Cerridwen would kill him. Gwion Bach thus took to his heels.

When Cerridwen found the potency of her potion had been stolen, she set off in hot pursuit of the fleeing Gwion Bach. He first changed into an hare in order to be able to run faster, but Cerridwen countered by becomeing a greyhound. Gwion Bach leapt into a river and became a salmon, but the hag followed assuming the form of an otter. Gwion Bach rose out of the river as a bird, but Cerridwen followed as a hawk. Finally, Gwion Bach settled on a thresing floor and became one of the thousands of grains lying there, but even there he was not safe, for Cerridwen became a hen and swallowed him.

Nine months later he was reborn as a beautiful boy, whom Cerridwen set adrift in a leather bag. This boy was rescued by Elphin and named Taliesin.

Certain similarities may be seen between this story and that of Fionn mac Cumhaill, who, in Irish legend, accidentally touched the Salmon of Wisdom, and gained knowledge and inspiration by simply biting the thumb that had touched the wonderful fish. The chewing of the thumb may recall a pagan practice of divination. It has even been suggested that Gwion Bach was a historical character who studied the Druidic arts and, filled with inspiration by what he had learned, began to compose poetry under the name of Taliesin.