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Taliesin was a [[Seer]] of some renown in the time of the [[Old Religion]]. He was among the few people able to see the future in the crystals of [[Crystal Cave]], which was said to have been the source of his prophecies. He also had the ability to use magic, and was seen using a [[healing spells|healing spell]] more powerful than [[Merlin]] could cast to heal [[Arthur Pendragon|Arthur's]] life threatening injuries.
 
Taliesin was a [[Seer]] of some renown in the time of the [[Old Religion]]. He was among the few people able to see the future in the crystals of [[Crystal Cave]], which was said to have been the source of his prophecies. He also had the ability to use magic, and was seen using a [[healing spells|healing spell]] more powerful than [[Merlin]] could cast to heal [[Arthur Pendragon|Arthur's]] life threatening injuries.
   
Taliesin was also able to appear to Merlin hundreds of years after he was said to have died. How he was able to do this was never explored in the series, but some possibilities are that he was a spirit; that he was an illusion created by the Cave itself to lure Merlin there; or that he had never really died in the first place and had been living in or around the Cave for hundreds of years.
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Taliesin was also able to appear to Merlin three hundred years after he was said to have died. How he was able to do this was never explored in the series, but some possibilities are that he was a spirit; that he was an illusion created by the Cave itself to lure Merlin there; or that he had never really died in the first place and had been living in or around the Cave for hundreds of years.
   
 
Interestingly, Taliesin's eyes were shown to turn orange when he used magic, as opposed to the usual gold.
 
Interestingly, Taliesin's eyes were shown to turn orange when he used magic, as opposed to the usual gold.

Revision as of 00:18, 27 February 2019

Taliesin was a Seer to the Great Kings of old. It is said that the Crystal Cave was the source of his prophecies.
Gaius on Taliesin[src]

Taliesin was a Seer to the Great Kings in the time of the Old Religion. Though he apparently died around 300 years prior to the start of the series, he later appeared to Merlin and showed him to the Crystal Cave, which was said to have been the source of his powers of prophecy. He was aware of Merlin's destiny, and seemed to have foreseen their eventual meeting.

It is unknown how Taliesin was able to appear to Merlin. It's possible that he was a spirit, or an illusion created by the Cave itself. It's also possible that he never died at all, as he was shown to be able to use magic, or that he had the power to return from the dead at will.

Biography

Taliesin met Merlin when he and Arthur were ambushed by bandits in the Valley of the Fallen Kings. Though they'd managed to escape, Arthur had been badly injured in the process and all of Merlin's attempts to heal him with magic had failed. The situation appeared hopeless, and Merlin began to cry as he washed the prince's blood from his hands in a nearby stream.

It was at this point that Taliesin appeared. He seemed to be concerned for Merlin, and asked him why he was so sad. When the warlock answered that his friend was dying and he couldn't help him, Taliesin confidently replied, "Then do not waste your tears. For I can tell you that the time for him to die is not yet upon us." He then approached Arthur and used his own magic to heal him, assuring Merlin that the prince would be fully recovered within hours.

While he was preparing to heal Arthur, Taliesin had introduced himself to Merlin (who he addressed as Emrys) and revealed that the moment of their meeting had been written for many years. When the prince began to recover, Taliesin turned to Merlin and informed him that he wanted to show him something. He took the warlock to a nearby cave filled with magical crystals, which he identified as the Crystal Cave, the place where magic began.

Merlin soon discovered that he could see images in the crystals that strongly reminded him of what he'd once seen in the Crystal of Neahtid. Taliesin explained that what he saw now was exactly the same, as the Crystal of Neahtid had been hewn from that very Cave. He then urged Merlin to look into the crystals, assuring him that much would be revealed if he did. Merlin initially refused, as the last time he'd look into the future he'd seen terrible things, but Taliesin coaxed him into looking anyway. He told him that the future was hidden to all but a very few, and suggested that there was a reason that he was brought to the Cave at that moment in time. When Merlin asked what that reason was, he responded, "Only the crystals can tell you. They contain futures which are not yet born. The secrets they reveal, Emrys, are unique to you, and you alone." He then urged Merlin once more to look into the crystals, and told him to use what he saw for good.

Steeling himself, Merlin reluctantly turned away from Taliesin and focused his attention on the crystals. He saw a number of images in their depths, including one of Morgana murdering Uther. Horrified, he pulled away from the crystals and fell to his knees, holding his head as if in pain. Clearly in a state of shock, Merlin hoarsely demanded, "What was that?!" He received no answer, and when he looked up he discovered that he was talking to an empty cave. Taliesin had vanished (The Crystal Cave).

Abilities

Taliesin was a Seer of some renown in the time of the Old Religion. He was among the few people able to see the future in the crystals of Crystal Cave, which was said to have been the source of his prophecies. He also had the ability to use magic, and was seen using a healing spell more powerful than Merlin could cast to heal Arthur's life threatening injuries.

Taliesin was also able to appear to Merlin three hundred years after he was said to have died. How he was able to do this was never explored in the series, but some possibilities are that he was a spirit; that he was an illusion created by the Cave itself to lure Merlin there; or that he had never really died in the first place and had been living in or around the Cave for hundreds of years.

Interestingly, Taliesin's eyes were shown to turn orange when he used magic, as opposed to the usual gold.

In The Legend

  • Taliesin was born in 534 and died in 599. He was the bard of Urien, king of Reghed, and then of his son, Owain. We can read twelve of his poems, in the Llyfr Taliesin, The Book of Taliesin (eight were written for the king Urien).
  • Taliesin is also the son of the Goddess Ceridwen. She placed him on a carcle on the sea and he was found and named Taliesin.

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