Taliesin in Welsh tradition
Lady Charlotte Guest's 1877 English Mabinogion tells of a child named Taliesin entering Maelgwn's Christmas court, where the bards fall silent after repeating his gesture. The scene is tied to Elphin's confinement: he is held after praising his wife and bard, and Taliesin makes that imprisonment the subject of a challenge. This court episode closes as Elphin is summoned from the dungeon and the chains around his feet open. The page follows Guest's narrative, not a verified historical event.
SourceThe Mabinogion (Lady Charlotte Guest translation, 1877): Taliesin, p. 476· The Mabinogion (Lady Charlotte Guest translation, 1877): Taliesin, p. 489· The Mabinogion (Lady Charlotte Guest translation, 1877): Taliesin, p. 481· The Mabinogion (Lady Charlotte Guest translation, 1877): Taliesin, p. 482· The Mabinogion (Lady Charlotte Guest translation, 1877): Taliesin, p. 484· The Mabinogion (Lady Charlotte Guest translation, 1877): Taliesin· The Mabinogion (Lady Charlotte Guest translation, 1877): Taliesin, p. 487
The quick answers
Who is Taliesin?
Lady Charlotte Guest's 1877 English Mabinogion tells of a child named Taliesin entering Maelgwn's Christmas court, where the bards fall silent after repeating his gesture.
The myths of Taliesin
1 myth, with sources recorded for each.
Taliesin Challenges Maelgwn and Frees Elphin
In Lady Charlotte Guest's 1877 Mabinogion, Elphin's visit to Maelgwn's Christmas court began with a comparison: he praised his wife's virtue and placed his bard above the king's bards in skill. People around him carried the claim to Maelgwn, who imprisoned Elphin while the truth of both parts was to be tested. Guest's account then brings Taliesin into the court, where he makes a gesture that the bards reproduce. Maelgwn reads this as drunken behaviour and orders Heinin struck.
Heinin says drink did not explain the silence; he identifies the child in the corner as its cause. Taliesin is brought before the king. He makes Elphin's imprisonment the matter of his challenge and asks the court bards questions in the form of riddles. As Taliesin sings, a storm rises. Maelgwn calls Elphin up from the dungeon. Taliesin's further verse is followed by the opening of the chains at Elphin's feet, closing this court episode.
8 sources· checked 2026-09-28
- 1The Mabinogion (Lady Charlotte Guest translation, 1877)T1
- 2The Mabinogion (Lady Charlotte Guest translation, 1877)T1
- 3The Mabinogion (Lady Charlotte Guest translation, 1877)T1
- 4The Mabinogion (Lady Charlotte Guest translation, 1877)T1
- 5The Mabinogion (Lady Charlotte Guest translation, 1877)T1
- 6The Mabinogion (Lady Charlotte Guest translation, 1877)T1
- 7The Mabinogion (Lady Charlotte Guest translation, 1877)T1
- 8The Mabinogion (Lady Charlotte Guest translation, 1877)T1
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MythSource. (September 28, 2026). Taliesin. https://www.mythsource.com/figures/taliesin-hanes
"Taliesin." MythSource, Sep. 28, 2026, www.mythsource.com/figures/taliesin-hanes.
"Taliesin." MythSource. Last modified September 28, 2026. https://www.mythsource.com/figures/taliesin-hanes.
The mythology summaries and identity fields on this page are grounded in the sources listed above. The appearance table records candidates separately; only confirmed connections are presented as modern retellings in Overview.