|
Free Study Guides, Book Notes, Book Reviews & More... |
Pay it forward... Tell others about Novelguide.com |
|---|
| Literary Analysis |  |
| Test Prep Material |  |
|
Reports & Essays | |
|
Global Studyhall | |
|
Teacher Ratings | |
|
Free Cash for College | |
| Novelguide.com Site Search: |
| ||
| Novelguide.com is the premier free source for literary analysis on the web. We provide an educational supplement for better understanding of classic and contemporary Literature Profiles, Metaphor Analysis, Theme Analyses, and Author Biographies. |
Gwion BachIn ancient Welsh romance and myth, son of Gwreang. Assigned to stir the magic brew in the cauldron of science and inspiration intended for Ceridwin's son, Gwion tasted the liquid and became gifted with supernatural sight. He fled, pursued by Ceridwin, and the pair were changed successively into a hare and a greyhound, a fish and an otter, a bird and a hawk, and a grain of wheat and a black hen, which ultimately swallowed the wheat. (Compare the metamorphoses of Ceridwen and Gwion Bach with that of the Queen of Beauty and the Djinn in the Arabian Nights Tale of the Second Calendar). This pursuit and magical metamorphosis is a recurrent theme in folklore in the Indo-European tradition and survives also in the Scottish ballad "The Two Magicians" (Child No. 44). Later, Gwion was placed in a bag and flung into the sea by Ceridwin. He was drawn out by Elphin, son of Cwyddus, and was then called Taliesin (Radiant Brow). (See also Wales) |
Copyright © 1999 - Novelguide.com. All Rights Reserved.
To print this page, please use Internet Explorer.
To cite information from this page, please cite the date when you
looked at our site and the author as Novelguide.com.
Copyright Information -- Terms Of Use -- Privacy Statement