Samhain Mystery Play: Taliesin's Death and Rebirth

Setting: In the centre of the circle is a cauldron containing a cloak and a spoon. The spiral dance is coming to an end, and the participants return to the circle.

Cerridwen walks out from the circle and takes the cloak out of the cauldron. She puts on the cloak and sits cross-legged in front of the cauldron.

Narrator: "Cerridwen had a son named Morfran, who was hideously ugly. To make up for his ugly appearance, she sought to make him wise so she created a potion inside her cauldron. [Cerridwen mimes putting ingredients into cauldron] The first three drops from this potion would confer great wisdom upon whoever drank it. The rest however, would be a deadly poison."

[Cerridwen gets up from the cauldron and sits down a few feet away.]

"In order to be effective the potion had to be stirred for a year and a day [Gwion leaves the circle and sits in front of the cauldron and picks up the spoon] so Cerridwen instructed a young boy called Gwion to stir the cauldron."

[Gwion stirs the cauldron.]

"But as Gwion stirred the cauldron, three drops of liquid spilled from the spoon onto his thumb, burning him. Instinctively, to take away the pain he put the afflicted finger in his mouth… and immediately he gained immense knowledge and wisdom.[Gwion mimes these actions]."

[Gwion stands up.]

"Seeing that the potion was ruined [Cerridwen stands up], Cerridwen flew into a furious rage and gave chase to Gwion."

[Gwion and Cerridwen begin to pace clockwise around the inside of the circle.]

"Desperate to escape the angry hag, Gwion used his newly acquired wisdom to shapeshift himself into a hare.”

[Drumbeat changes rhythm. Gwion doubles back, avoiding Cerridwen, and the two change direction, pacing counter-clockwise at a slightly faster rate.]

"but Cerridwen also knew the art of shapeshifting, and she turned herself into a dog, and continued to chase Gwion, almost catching up with him and baring her teeth towards the hare’s flesh"  [Turning # 1 – Hands on Shoulders]

"Seeing that he could not escape Cerridwen in this way, Gwion turned himself into a fish, and leapt into a river. "

Again the drumbeat changes rhythm and Gwion doubles back, avoiding Cerridwen. The two now pace clockwise again and increase their speed.

"But Cerridwen would not give up the chase, and turned herself into an otter and swam after him, almost catching up with him and baring her teeth to the fish’s flesh."  [Turning # 2 – Small of Back]

"Gwion tried again to escape, by leaping out of the water and turning himself into a bird of the air, but Cerridwen continued the chase, turning herself into a hawk to fly after him. almost catching up with him and baring her claws to the bird’s flesh"  [Turning # 3 – Spinning Around]

Change of drum rhythm. Gwion and Cerridwen again double back and pace clockwise at an increased speed.

"Finally, in desperation, Gwion turned himself into a single grain of corn, falling into a pile of wheat chaff."

Change of drum rhythm. Gwion moves to the center of the circle and curls up in a ball on the floor. Cerridwen continues to pace in a circle.

"But he was not to escape Cerridwen. The goddess turned herself into a hen and scratched amongst the corn until she found Gwion, devouring him entirely."

 Cerridwen moves to centre of circle wraps her cloak around Gwion. Drum stops.

 Hecate Cerridwen song

"Gwion had been devoured by Cerridwen, but Gwion was not quite dead. Nor was the wisdom acquired by him when the potion spilled onto his hand. Instead the ear of corn that was Gwion slowly grew within the belly of Cerridwen. Months passed, and Cerridwen gave birth to a son.  Still angry at Gwion, she tossed the baby into the sea, whereupon he was found by a famer and renamed. [Gwion/Taliesin emerges from the cloak and stands up] So the great bard Taliesin was born."