Caer Dathyl (named for a legendary Welsh castle of the same name) is the location from which the High King of Prydain ruled in the stories told in Lloyd Alexander's Chronicles of Prydain. It was built by the Sons of Don in the north of Prydain, among the Eagle Mountains, intended to protect Prydain from further conquests by Arawn of Annuvin. A tall fortress on a hill dominated the cottages, shops and other buildings in the valleys below it; the stones used to make the fortress had a color similar to gold.
The fortress of Caer Dathyl was not only a place of defense and a seat of royal power, but also served as a repository of literature and art of every variety from throughout Prydain. A grove of hemlocks was planted in one of its courtyards above the burial mounds of past kings and heroes, and storehouses preserved the treasures of craftsmen collected from every corner of the land.
The Chief Bard also resides at Caer Dathyl, where he maintains the Hall of Lore and the Hall of Bards, both of which store many of the historical documents, songs, poems, and other items of literature. Access to the Hall of Bards was limited to official bards, though other people were permitted within the Hall of Lore.
In The Book of Three (1964), Prince Gwydion surmises that Arawn's war leader, the Horned King, intends to destroy Caer Dathyl with the army he rallied in the southern realms of Prydain. The story's protagonist, Taran, sets out with his companions to warn the people of Caer Dathyl of the attack, though he failed to reach the fortress before the vigilant Sons of Don met the Horned King's army in battle in the valley beyond Caer Dathyl. The battle ended decisively in the Sons of Don's favor when the Horned King himself was slain, sparing Caer Dathyl itself from any damage. After the battle, Taran and his companions were welcomed as heroes by the High King Math, and saw much of Caer Dathyl before returning home to Caer Dallben.
Caer Dathyl saw battle again in the final book of the series, The High King (1968). Gwydion designated it as the rallying point for all the armies in Prydain who were loyal to the Sons of Don, though only the armies of the northern realms and the Free Commots made it there before a fierce battle ensued. Pryderi, king of those western domains that were loyal to the Sons of Don, came to Gwydion and Math, demanding they either surrender to him and Arawn or fight them. His ultimatum was rejected, and the next morning his armies faced the defenders of Caer Dathyl in the snow-covered valley before the fortress, led by Gwydion, the Chief Bard Taliesin, and Taran.
As evening approached, Pryderi's forces broke ranks and retreated, but were then joined by an army of Huntsmen of Annuvin and deathless Cauldron-Born sent from Annuvin. The Cauldron-Born slew the High King Math inside the gates of the fortress, and throughout the night they leveled Caer Dathyl in its entirety, killing all who stood in their way.
After the conclusion of the war, Taran determined to rebuild Caer Dathyl, including the Hall of Lore and Hall of Bards, hoping to recover the knowledge preserved there as well as providing a place for future learning to be stored. This goal was eventually fulfilled during his reign as High King of Prydain.
Gwydion fab Dôn is a magician, hero and trickster of Welsh mythology, appearing most prominently in the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi, which focuses largely on his relationship with his young nephew, Lleu Llaw Gyffes. He also appears prominently in the Welsh Triads, the Book of Taliesin and the Stanzas of the Graves.
Pryderi fab Pwyll is a prominent figure in Welsh mythology, the son of Pwyll and Rhiannon, and king of Dyfed after his father's death. He is the only character to appear in all Four Branches of the Mabinogi, although the size of his role varies from tale to tale. He is often equated with the divine son figure of Mabon ap Modron, while Jeffrey Gantz compares him to Peredur fab Efrawg, who is himself associated with the continental figure of Sir Percival de Galles.
Annwn, Annwfn, or Annwfyn is the Otherworld in Welsh mythology. Ruled by Arawn, it was essentially a world of delights and eternal youth where disease was absent and food was ever-abundant. It became identified with the Christian afterlife in paradise.
In Welsh mythology, Arawn was the king of the otherworld realm of Annwn, appearing prominently in the first branch of the Mabinogi, and alluded to in the fourth. In later tradition, the role of the king of Annwn was largely attributed to the Welsh psychopomp, Gwyn ap Nudd - meaning "white" a possible kenning for the god's true name. However, Arawn's memory is retained in a traditional saying found in an old Cardigan folktale:
Gwern; "Alder," is a minor figure in Welsh tradition. He is the son of Matholwch, king of Ireland, and Branwen, sister to the king of Britain. He appears in the tale of Branwen, daughter of Llŷr, in which his murder at the hands of his sadistic uncle Efnysien sparks a mutually destructive battle between Britain and Ireland.
The Chronicles of Prydain is a pentalogy of children's high fantasy Bildungsroman novels written by American author Lloyd Alexander. Henry Holt published one annually from 1964 to 1968; the second earned a 1966 Newbery Honor and the last won the 1969 Newbery Medal.
Welsh mythology consists of both folk traditions developed in Wales, and traditions developed by the Celtic Britons elsewhere before the end of the first millennium. As in most of the predominantly oral societies Celtic mythology and history were recorded orally by specialists such as druids. This oral record has been lost or altered as a result of outside contact and invasion over the years. Much of this altered mythology and history is preserved in medieval Welsh manuscripts, which include the Red Book of Hergest, the White Book of Rhydderch, the Book of Aneirin and the Book of Taliesin. Other works connected to Welsh mythology include the ninth-century Latin historical compilation Historia Brittonum and Geoffrey of Monmouth's twelfth-century Latin chronicle Historia Regum Britanniae, as well as later folklore, such as the materials collected in The Welsh Fairy Book by William Jenkyn Thomas (1908).
Princess Eilonwy is a fictional character in Lloyd Alexander's The Chronicles of Prydain. She appears in four of the five novels in the series, as well as Disney's 1985 animated film adaptation The Black Cauldron. Eilonwy is a member of the Royal House of Llyr, and the women in her line are formidable enchantresses, including her mother, Angharad, and grandmother Regat. She has inherited this characteristic, most readily visible in her manipulation of a magical item she calls her "bauble", a small golden sphere that glows with magical light when activated by her willpower. Eilonwy's father, Geraint, was a commoner with whom her mother fell in love.
The Black Cauldron (1965) is a high fantasy novel by American writer Lloyd Alexander, the second of five volumes in The Chronicles of Prydain. For 1966 it was a Newbery Honor book, runner-up for the year's "most distinguished contribution to American literature for children".
Fflewddur Fflam, son of Godo, is a cantrev lord in the fictional country of Prydain in Lloyd Alexander's Chronicles of Prydain. He is referred to as a King, but makes it perfectly clear that he is a very minor king of a tiny kingdom at best, much less important than the High King who is the ruler of Prydain. His kingdom is described as being dreary and dull. As a result, he often leaves it to go wandering about as the world's most unofficial bard in the mystical land of Prydain. Though he returns from time to time to rule, he once mentions that he gets the feeling that the people of his country get along just fine even if he is not there.
The High King (1968) is a high fantasy novel by American writer Lloyd Alexander, the fifth and last of The Chronicles of Prydain. It was awarded the Newbery Medal for excellence in American children's literature in 1969.
Taran Wanderer (1967) is a high fantasy novel by American writer Lloyd Alexander, the fourth of five volumes in The Chronicles of Prydain. The series follows Taran, the Assistant Pig-Keeper, as he nears manhood while helping to resist the forces of Arawn Death-Lord.
The Castle of Llyr (1966) is a high fantasy novel by Lloyd Alexander, the third of five volumes in The Chronicles of Prydain. The story continues the adventures of Taran "Assistant Pig-Keeper", primarily on the Isle of Mona west of Prydain, far from the forces of Arawn, Lord of Death.
The Book of Three (1964) is a high fantasy novel by American writer Lloyd Alexander, the first of five volumes in The Chronicles of Prydain. The series follows the adventures of Taran the Assistant Pig-Keeper, a youth raised by Dallben the enchanter, as he nears manhood while helping to resist the forces of Arawn Death-Lord.
The Four Branches of the Mabinogi or Pedair Cainc Y Mabinogi are the earliest prose stories in the literature of Britain. Originally written in Wales in Middle Welsh, but widely available in translations, the Mabinogi is generally agreed to be a single work in four parts, or "Branches." The interrelated tales can be read as mythology, political themes, romances, or magical fantasies. They appeal to a wide range of readers, from young children to the most sophisticated adult. The tales are popular today in book format, as storytelling or theatre performances; they appear in recordings and on film, and continue to inspire many reinterpretations in artwork and modern fiction.
Orddu, Orwen, and Orgoch are fictional characters in Lloyd Alexander's Chronicles of Prydain series.
Gwystyl is a character in Lloyd Alexander's fantasy Chronicles of Prydain book series. He first appears as one of the Fair Folk in the second novel of the series, The Black Cauldron. He also makes an appearance in the fifth and final novel, The High King.
Taran is a fictional character from Lloyd Alexander's The Chronicles of Prydain series of novels. Serving as the series's central protagonist, he is first introduced as the assistant pig-keeper at Caer Dallben charged with the care of Hen Wen, the oracular white pig. With dreams of becoming a great hero, over the course of the series, his character matures as he is drawn into the war against Arawn Death-Lord and his champion, the Horned King.
This is a list of elements of Welsh mythology that have appeared in works of literature and in popular culture.
Math fab Mathonwy, "Math, the son of Mathonwy" is a legendary tale from medieval Welsh literature and the final of the four branches of the Mabinogi. It tells of a vicious war between the north and the south, of the birth of Lleu Llaw Gyffes and Dylan ail Don, of the tyngedau of Arianrhod, and of the creation of Blodeuwedd, a woman made of flowers. The chief characters of the tale are Math, king of Gwynedd, his nephew Gwydion, a magician, warrior and trickster, and Gwydion's own nephew, Lleu, cursed by his mother Arianrhod.
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