The Mabinogion, Guest’s 1877 edition
Gwion Bach
Three hot drops fall onto Gwion’s finger, which he puts into his mouth. He instantly perceives what is to come and recognises the danger of Caridwen’s response. He flees as a hare, fish, bird and finally a grain of wheat, while she answers each form with a pursuing creature. The grain is swallowed, leading to the tale’s subsequent birth narrative.
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In the sources
Principal account
LiteraryThree hot drops fall onto Gwion’s finger, which he puts into his mouth. He instantly perceives what is to come and recognises the danger of Caridwen’s response.
Further detail
LiteraryHe flees as a hare, fish, bird and finally a grain of wheat, while she answers each form with a pursuing creature. The grain is swallowed, leading to the tale’s subsequent birth narrative.
Context & interpretation
This entry follows the narrative in Charlotte Guest’s 1877 collection, including its particular spellings and arrangement of tales. Characters, enchantments and explanations of place names are presented as features of these stories; the translation alone does not establish their historical reality or a single original religious meaning.
Original passages
Source 1
The Mabinogion
marvel- working drops into his mouth, he foresaw everything that was to come, and perceived that his chief care must be to guard against the wiles ofOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: The Mabinogion, Guest’s 1877 edition; active reader leaf 497
Exact passage checked against active scan text and original-leaf mapping; scan line breaks normalised.
- Edition
- IMJ-0240-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0240-E001-P0497
- Original scan leaf
- 498
- Recorded leaf number
- 498
- Current Reader position
- 489
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed
Source 2
The Mabinogion
the wheat, and turned himself into one of the grains. Then she transformed herself into a high-crested black hen, and went to the wheat and scratched it withOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: The Mabinogion, Guest’s 1877 edition; active reader leaf 498
Exact passage checked against active scan text and original-leaf mapping; scan line breaks normalised.
- Edition
- IMJ-0240-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0240-E001-P0498
- Original scan leaf
- 499
- Recorded leaf number
- 499
- Current Reader position
- 490
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed
Continue exploring
Caridwen
The maker of an inspiration-cauldron whose intended gift is diverted to Gwion Bach.
Shared source pageElphin
The unfortunate heir whose empty weir yields Taliesin instead of a catch of fish.
Shared source pageTaliesin in Guest’s Tale
The miraculous child whose poetry consoles the man who finds him in a weir.
Shared source pageCaridwen’s Cauldron of Inspiration
The year-long preparation that concentrates its power into three drops.