Prydain

The Land of Prydain was a magical country in which "evil is never distant". Lloyd Alexander, author of The Chronicles of Prydain, created the land as a fantastical conception of Wales, though he noted that two are different in both geography and history. The inspiration for the fictional land came from Welsh legend, especially the Mabinogion and the Welsh Triads, and from Alexander's deployment in Wales for combat intelligence training during World War II.

Political System

Prydain was a land of many small kingdoms, or cantrevs, whose kings swore oaths of obeisance to a High King. Each cantrev king further commanded several lesser lords; for example, Lords Goryon and Gast owed fealty to King Smoit, who in turn swore allegiance to High King Math. In this essentially feudal system, Prydain's kings shared land and power with their liege lords, who helped the kings keep peace in each region of the land.

Some of the named kingdoms of Prydain were Mawr, Rheged, Dau Gleddyn, and Cadiffor (south), and Madoc (north). The notable exception to this system were the Free Commots of the east, whose people had no local king, and swore fealty only to the High King himself.

A Fragile Peace

Map of Prydain by Evaline Ness, from The High King

The cantrevs of Prydain were engaged in an enduring stalemate with their western neighbor Annuvin, the Land of Death, and its ruler Arawn Death-Lord. Long ago the Sons of Don liberated Prydain from Arawn's tyranny. Those glorious warriors arrived in golden ships from the Summer Country, and established a new, honorable government at Caer Dathyl, keeping a fragile peace by dint of their military might.

The Sons of Don, defenders of Prydain.

High King Math Son of Mathonwy, one of the Sons of Don, reigned in honor and righteousness at Caer Dathyl -- a city of light and civilization, as Annuvin was a place of darkness and death -- until he had attained a great age. At times some cantrev king, swayed by Arawn's false promises, would switch allegiances and rise against the Sons of Don. But as seen more than once in The Chronicles of Prydain, Math and his war leader Prince Gwydion would eventually quell such uprisings, and the rebel lords would slink back to their cantrevs to nurse their discontent.

Geography

Map by Michal

For specific places and locations, see List of Prydain locations. The land of Prydain took roughly a month to cover, from any direction, even on horseback owing to rugged conditions and no evident roadways. This indicates a country far larger than Wales, though its topography was roughly similar, with mountains in the north and verdant lowlands in the south. Yet the geography of Prydain is unique unto itself.

The Hill Cantrevs.

Prydain was filled with forests, hills, valleys, rivers, lakes and marshes of many descriptions. Its most common tree varieties were oaks, elms, and rowans in the lowlands; and pines, alders and hemlocks in the uplands. The country was surrounded on at least three sides by water -- open sea to the west, and the Great Avren river to the south and east -- with a trio of major rivers throughout. An island lay in the western sea, called Mona.

People and Culture

Typical farming village of Prydain.

The human inhabitants of Prydain belonged to an agrarian and herding culture, growing wheat, oats and barley and herding sheep, cattle and pigs. They employed an Iron Age technology which included steelsmithing, the lever-driven potter's wheel, the foot-pedaled loom, and military horsemanship replete with stirrups. Kings dwelled in stone-walled castles while their vassal lords resided in timber-built forts defended by palisade walls. Farmers, herdsmen and villagers lived in cottages of stone or timber, with thatched roofs; some villages clustered near forts.

Inhabitants

For specific characters, see List of Prydain Characters.

Here are all of the major species that live within the land of Prydain.

Humans - Most of the characters and population are common humans, be they royalty or farmers.

Enchanters/Enchantresses - Humans capable of wielding magical power.

Fair Folk - Name used for multiple species that live in the Kingdom of Tylwyth Teg. These includes dwarfs, moonlight singers, lake sprites, and the tall, slender beings of which Gwystyl is one example.

Cauldron-Born - Dead warriors brought back to "life" by the Black Crochan, they are silent and cannot be killed by any conventional means.

Huntsmen of Annuvin - Evil warriors who grow stronger when one of their group dies.

Gwythaints - Eagle-like creatures, huge and black-feathered, with sharp talons and beaks. (The Disney film depicts these creatures as being dragon-like, but in the books they are called birds.)

Horses - Ordinary equine animals, the most common form of transportation.

Pigs - Only one pig is named specifically, Hen Wen, a white sow who is oracular insofar as she can foretell the future with the aid of enchanted rods called Letter Sticks.

Cows - Only one is named, Cornillo, a black and perfect cow with a large herd.

Sheep - None is named, but they are a major product and resource in Prydain.

Crows  - Ordinary black birds, the most famous being Kaw and Kadwyr, who are extremely intelligent and can communicate with humans using simple, single words, usually nouns.

Wolves - Ordinary lupines, including Brynach and Briavael.

Cats - Ordinary mountain cats, similar to lynxes with tufts of fur growing from their ears, one of these being magically overgrown, Llyan.

Gurgi - Apparently a kindred all his own, somewhat shorter than a normal human, skinny, very hairy, and capable of climbing trees, riding a horse and shooting a bow and arrow.