Article Title

The Figure of Taliesin in Charles Williams' Arthuriad

Authors

Richard Woods, Stritch School of Medicine, IL

Artists and Illustrations Included in This Record

First Artist
Christine Lowentrout

Second Artist
Sarah Beach

Abstract

Discusses Taliesin as a historical personage and as a legendary and mythological figure, and specifically the sources for Williams’s portrayal of Taliesin in his Arthurian poetry. Speculates on why Williams chose Taliesin as the “romantic focus” of his poems, how he conceived his role, and why he departed from traditional sources.