Three Celtic Tales

Three Celtic Tales is a compilation of three traditional Welsh folk tales.

The Twins of the Tylwyth Teg is based on a well known story in Welsh folklore about a herd boy who marries a faery from under the lake. Before her father will allow her to marry him however, he has to choose between her and her identical twin sister. The traditional story follows the faery who marries the human and lives above the lake, but it does not tell us what happened to the rejected one. Moyra Caldecott retells the traditional tale, and also gives us the story of the twin who continues in the faery world under the lake.

Taliesin and Avagddu is based on the tale from the Welsh Mabinogion. Ceridwen brews up a cauldron of magic to give her misshapen son Avagddu extraordinary wisdom, but the village boy who is employed to stir the cauldron sips it instead and becomes the greatest prophet and bard Wales has ever known – Taliesin. The traditional tale follows the story of Taliesin but does not tell us what happened to Avagddu. Moyra Caldecott tells the traditional tale but give additional material following the story of Avagddu after he lost the magic brew.

Bran, Branwen and Evnissyen is based on a story from the Welsh Mabinogion about the war between mainland Britain and Ireland in mythic times. Evnissyen, the bitter and disgruntled half-brother of Bran, the Blessed, stirs up trouble in which both nations are almost destroyed. In the end it is he who ends the war he started by sacrificing himself dramatically in the Cauldron of Rebirth. Bran is killed but his head lives on to speak and prophecy for his people.