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Land of Prydain
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Type
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Magical Country
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Basis
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Wales
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Pronunciation
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PRIH-dane or PRI-dane
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Ruler
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The Land of Prydain is a fictionalized version of Wales, where Lloyd Alexander was stationed for a brief time during the Second World War. Alexander also notes that Prydain is different from Wales in both physical geography and history. Alexander based Prydain on Welsh mythology, especially the Mabinogi. Prydain is engaged in constant battles with its neighbour, Annuvin , the Land of Death. Once ruled over by Achren , Prydain was (mostly) liberated by the Sons of Don, who arrived by boat and established a new government at Caer Dathyl.
Map of Prydain from The High King
Political System(s)
Prydain is composed of smaller units calledcantrevs, most of which are ruled by kings. Therefore it is easy to assume that the kingdoms are ruled with a fuedal type of system. The notable exception is the Free Commots, whose people have no king. The High King reigns over all of the other kingdoms from Caer Dathyl. There are a few kingdoms that pledge allegiance to Arawn and his land of death, Annuvin, over which the High King and his cantrev kings have no control.
Geography
For specific places and locations, see List of Prydain locations.
The land of Prydain takes roughly a month to cover, from any direction. It is filled with grasslands and many forests. There are many hills, which grow into large mountain ranges in the North and Northeast, and also around Annuvin. The land is surounded on at least three sides by water -- sea to the west, and the Great Avren river to the south and east -- with handful of major rivers throughout. There is also a small island seperated from the mainland to the West, called the Isle of Mona, and a swamp known as the Marshes of Morva in the Southwest.
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.
Hunstmen 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 called "oracular" insofar as she can tell the future with the aid of magical rods called Letter Sticks.
Crows - Ordinary black birds of the genus Corvus, 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 species 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.