The Land of Prydain was a magical country in which "evil is never far". Lloyd Alexander, author of The Chronicles of Prydain, created the land as a fantastical conception of Wales, the British country where he was stationed during the Second World War. Alexander noted that Prydain is different from Wales in both geography and history. The inspiration for the country came from Welsh mythology, especially the so-called Mabinogion, and from Alexander's deployment in Wales for combat intelligence training during the early 1940s.
Political System
Prydain was a land of many small kingdoms, or cantrevs, whose kings owed fealty to a High King. During the time of the series, that supreme regent was Math Son of Mathonwy.
Each cantrev king further commanded several lesser lords. In this essentially feudal system, Prydain's kings shared land and power with the lords, who helped their kings keep peace in each region. 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, swearing fealty only to the High King himself.
Map of Prydain from The High King
A Fragile Peace
The kingdoms 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 Prydain was liberated from Arawn by the Sons of Don. Those glorious warriors arrived in golden ships from the Summer Country and established a new, righteous government at Caer Dathyl, which kept a fragile peace with Annuvin and Arawn.
High King Math, one of the Sons of Don, reigned from Caer Dathyl in the Eagle Mountains, a city of light and civilization as Annuvin was a place of darkness and death. Occasionally some cantrev king would swear allegiance to Arawn and rise in rebellion against the Sons of Don, but as seen in The Chronicles of Prydain, Math and his war leader Prince Gwydion would swiftly quell such rebellions.
Hand-drawn map of Prydain by Michal
Geography
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, east of the Ystrad.
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
The human inhabitants of Prydain possessed an agrarian and herding culture, and employed an Iron Age technology which included steelsmithing, the potter's wheel, the loom and military horsemanship. 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.