# The Chronicles of Prydain

The Chronicles of Prydain is a pentalogy of children's high fantasy Bildungsroman novels written by American author Lloyd Alexander and published by Henry Holt and Company. The series includes: The Book of Three (1964), The Black Cauldron (1965), The Castle of Llyr (1966), Taran Wanderer (1967), and The High King (1968). The Black Cauldron earned a 1966 Newbery Honor, and The High King won the 1969 Newbery Medal.
The five novels take place in Prydain, a fictional country ruled by a High King who oversees several minor kingdoms. The setting is based on Wales and inhabited by creatures and characters inspired by Welsh mythology and folklore. The series follows the protagonist Taran, a youth of unknown parentage living on a farm with an old enchanter named Dallben and a farmer named Coll. Taran, who dreams of being a great hero, is named "Assistant Pig-Keeper" and tasked with helping to care for and protect Hen Wen, a white oracular pig magically empowered with clairvoyance. Taran has a series of adventures wherein he helps protect the land of Prydain from various threats, chief among them the evil Arawn, whose forces include an undead army known as the Cauldron-Born. Throughout the novels, Taran's major companions are the Princess Eilonwy, the bard Fflewddur Fflam, the wild beast-man Gurgi, and the dwarf Doli. The heroes frequently work alongside the Fair Folk (a society of elves and similar beings) and the warriors known as the Sons of Don. Along with various battles against forces of evil, the novels focus on Taran's journey of maturity.
The Chronicles of Prydain were accompanied by an illustrated short story book in 1965 and another in 1967, and were followed by The Foundling and Other Tales of Prydain, a collection of six short stories published in 1973. The cover art for the novels and the interior art for the short story picture books was done by Evaline Ness. New illustrations for the 1973 anthology were done by Margot Zemach. The first two novels of The Chronicles of Prydain were loosely adapted into the 1985 Disney film The Black Cauldron and led to a video game of the same name produced by Sierra Entertainment.

## Inspiration and development

During World War II, Lloyd Alexander received army combat intelligence training in Wales; he also became familiar with Welsh culture, geography, and language. He took particular interest in the country's castles and folklore, explaining later that he was "always interested in mythology." Alexander later described his experiences in Wales as "part of the raw material for the Prydain books."
The magical land Prydain's geography is loosely based on Wales. Ynys Môn, the Welsh name for the Isle of Anglesey, became the Isle of Mona. The word Prydain itself is the Welsh name of Britain, to which the word "Britain" is etymologically related.
The stories draw on themes, ideas, and culture inspired by Welsh folklore, particularly the stories collected in the Mabinogion. According to Alexander, nearly all of the proper names in Prydain are from Welsh myth or history, with the exceptions of Eilonwy and Taran. The author's note in the first novel, The Book of Three, points out the Prydain stories and characters are his own and not simply retellings of old folklore, adding that students of Welsh culture should be prepared to see familiar names such as Arawn and Gwydion attached to characters who act very differently from their mythological namesakes. In the author's note for The Castle of Lyr, Alexander said The Prydain Chronicles are meant to communicate "the feeling, not the fact, of the land of Wales and its legends." In the author's note for The High King, Alexander said of the series, "While it grew from Welsh legend, it has broadened into my attempt to make a land of fantasy relevant to the world of reality."
Originally, Alexander planned to write only one or two Prydain novels, "three at the very most." At one point, the plan was for a trilogy of books that would be entitled The Battle of the Trees, The Lion with the Steady Hand, and Little Gwion. By 1965, a four novel series was planned with new titles. The first novel, The Book of Three, was released by Holt and Company in 1964, followed by The Black Cauldron in 1965, and The Castle of Lyr in 1966. Originally, the fourth novel was meant to be titled The High King of Prydain. But as Alexander finished The Castle of Lyr, an editor remarked that it felt as if some material was missing between the third and fourth volumes. To act as a bridge between the two and show more of Taran's journey to maturity, Alexander started writing a new novel Taran Wanderer, finishing it one month after The Castle of Llyr was published in 1966. The new book Taran Wanderer was published in 1967. The next novel, entitled The High King, was published in 1968, concluding the now five-volume series. The High King included a map illustrated by Evaline Ness, who also did the cover art for the original novel editions.
While writing the series, Lloyd Alexander also published short stories taking place in Prydain, occurring before the events of the novels. This included Coll and His White Pig (1965) and The Truthful Harp (1967), both being 32-page picture books illustrated by Evaline Ness.
The Foundling and Other Tales of Prydain was published in 1973 as a collection of six new short stories of Prydain, illustrated by Margot Zemach, with a reproduction of a map from The High King illustrated by Evaline Ness. It was dedicated to "Friends of Prydain, who promised to read more if I would write more." In the collection, Alexander remarked "popular demand makes a splendid pretext" for a return to the fictional world of Prydain but not for covering the same ground, hence his decision to make the stories prequels.
The Prydain Chronicles Omnibus (1991) comprises the five novels and the material of the original edition of The Foundling, but not the stories of the first two illustrated picture books.
In 1999, Holt and Company published an expanded edition of The Foundling that included the original book's material while adding the short stories (but not the illustrations) of Coll and his White Pig and The Truthful Harp, along with a new "Prydain Pronunciation Guide" with entries for 49 proper names. The Pronunciation Guide was included in later editions of the main five novels, as was Ness's map.
In 1999, Alexander explained to Scholastic students: "The High King was the final logical development of the first four books in the Prydain Chronicles. It was not an easy book to write, but at least I was building on a foundation that I had already made. I never considered a different ending..." He added that after writing The Chronicles of Prydain for seven years, "the characters were as close to me as my own family... I wept at the end – to see Taran confronted with such a brutally difficult decision."

## Setting

Once ruled over by the evil sorceress Queen Achren, Prydain is now under the authority of the just High King, a member of the family known as the Children of Don, descendants of Lady Don and her consort, Belin. The High King and his warriors, known as the Sons of Don, are based in the stronghold called Caer Dathyl. The rest of Prydain is divided into territories and minor kingdoms (called cantrevs) ruled by many lower kings who owe their loyalty to the High King. A collection of villages called the Free Commots exist outside any cantrev's jurisdiction, answering only to the High King.
The evil Queen Achren was overthrown by her consort and student in magic, Arawn. Taking the Iron Crown, Arawn became master of the fortress of Annuvin, the Land of the Dead. Known as the Death-Lord, Arawn's warriors include the "Cauldron-Born" (undead soldiers reanimated by the magical Black Cauldron), the fearsome war commander called the Horned King, and the bloodthirsty Huntsmen of Annuvin (who in death transfer their power to their surviving comrades). Arawn also corrupts a race of birds into the Gwythaints, monstrous airborne agents. When the first novel begins, Arawn and the Horned King are making new plans to conquer Prydain.
Underneath and within Prydain is the kingdom of the Fair Folk, a society of diminutive supernatural beings that use magic to stay hidden and mostly keep to their own affairs. Having no love for Arawn, the Fair Folk occasionally aid the humans of Prydain against him.
Significant locations in Prydain include: Caer Dallben, the simple home of series protagonist Taran, his mentor Dallben, and the retired warrior Coll; Caer Colur, which stands near the Isle of Mona and is the ancestral home of the House of Llyr; The Spiral Castle, fortress of the sorceress Achren; Annuvin, fortress of Arawn; and the Marshes of Morva, a haunted swamp inhabited by the witches Orddu, Orwen and Orgoch.
In addition to the races of humans and Fair Folk, Prydain is home to many strange creatures, such as the odd forest man called Gurgi.

## Publications
### Novels
#### The Book of Three (1964)

Taran, a young boy in his early or mid-teens, lives with his mentor Dallben, a 379 year old enchanter, and the aged farmer and retired warrior Coll, son of Collfrewr. Named "Assistant Pig-Keeper," Taran is charged with caring for Hen Wen, a magical white pig. Quickly losing the pig and following it into a forest, Taran meets Prince Gwydion, son of the High King of Prydain, who hopes to consult the white pig's prophetic visions. After befriending a creature called Gurgi, Taran is captured by the "Cauldron-Born," the undead warriors of the Horned King. Escaping imprisonment, Taran finds the legendary sword Dyrnwyn and befriends Eilonwy, a princess from a family of enchantresses, and Fflewddur Fflam, a king by birth who chooses to be a bard. Together, the new companions (later joined by a dwarf named Doli) determine to stop the plans of the Horned king and his master Arawn, Lord of the Land of Death.

#### The Black Cauldron (1965)

A little over one year after the events of The Book of Three, Prince Gwydion has called allies to a council hosted by Dallben. Men are disappearing while more undead Cauldron-Born join the forces of Arawn. Taran and companions embark on a mission to capture the Black Cauldron and stop the creation of more undead warriors. They encounter three witches in the Marshes of Morva, and battle the Huntsmen of Annuvin, fearsome warriors who can lend each other their strength and power.
The Black Cauldron won a Newbery Honor in 1966.

#### The Castle of Llyr (1966)

Eighteen months after the end of The Black Cauldron, Eilonwy of the House of Llyr is encouraged to go to the royal court of the Isle of Mona so she may continue her education as a proper princess. During her journey, she befriends Prince Rhun. Later on, she is kidnapped, leading Taran, Rhun and others to embark on a rescue mission. During the adventure, the companions learn more of Eilonwy's magical heritage and find the ruins of her ancestral home.

#### Taran Wanderer (1967)

Three years after The Castle of Llyr, Taran is in love with Eilonwy but afraid he can never marry her if he is of common birth. In the hopes that he might have some noble blood in him, he searches for the truth about his parentage. Meanwhile, a human wizard named Morda is raiding the underground realms of the Fair Folk. While journeying among the cantrevs and commots of Prydain, Taran increases his knowledge in a variety of skills, maturing greatly along the way and gaining new confidence in himself.

#### The High King (1968)

Days after the conclusion of Taran Wanderer, the young man Taran returns home and learns that Eilonwy has returned from the Isle of Mona, now ruled by King Rhun. Servants of Arawn assault the warrior Gwydion and seize the magical black sword Dyrnwyn. Taran and his companions join other forces of Prydain in a great effort to defeat Arawn once and for all.
The High King won the prestigious Newbery Medal for children's literature in 1969.

### Short stories

Coll and His White Pig (1965). A 32-page picture book written by Alexander and illustrated by Evaline Ness. The book features Coll as a younger man, years before he meets Taran.
The Truthful Harp (1967). A 32-page picture book written by Alexander and illustrated by Evaline Ness. A story of Fflewddur Fflam when he is a younger man, many years before he meets Taran.
The Foundling and Other Tales of Prydain (1973). An anthology of six new short stories by Alexander, all illustrated by Margot Zemach. It was dedicated to "Friends of Prydain, who promised to read more if I would write more." All six stories explore a time "before the birth of Taran, Assistant Pig-Keeper," meaning they take place at least fifteen years before the events of the first novel. An expanded edition was published in 1999, adding the original two short stories Coll and his White Pig and The Truthful Harp, but not including the illustrations Ness made for those picture books.

### Omnibus

The Prydain Chronicles Omnibus (1991) comprises the five novels and the six later short stories, but not the stories of the first two illustrated picture books. Each novel includes a Prydain map by Evaline Ness (original illustrator of the picture books and covers of the novels) and each story includes the illustrations by Margot Zemach for the original Foundling and Other Tales.