|
The Black Cauldron (novel)
''The Black Cauldron'' (1965) is a high fantasy novel by American writer Lloyd Alexander, the second of five volumes in ''The Chronicles of Prydain''. The story continues the adventures of Taran, the Assistant Pig-Keeper, as he joins in a quest to capture the eponymous Magical Cauldron from Arawn Death-Lord. For 1966 it was a Newbery Honor book, runner-up for the year's "most distinguished contribution to American literature for children". The book provided a title and many elements of plot for the 1985 Disney animated feature '' The Black Cauldron''. Origins The series was inspired by Welsh mythology and by the castles, scenery, and language of Wales, which the author experienced during World War II combat intelligence training. At one stage of planning it was a trilogy with titles ''The Battle of the Trees'', ''The Lion with the Steady Hand'', and ''Little Gwion''. Plot summary More than a year after the defeat of Arawn Death-Lord's army and death of his warlord the Hor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lloyd Alexander
Lloyd Chudley Alexander (January 30, 1924 – May 17, 2007) was an American author of more than 40 books, primarily fantasy novels for children and young adults. Over his seven-decade career, Alexander wrote 48 books, and his work has been translated into 20 languages. His most famous work is ''The Chronicles of Prydain'', a series of five high fantasy novels whose conclusion, ''The High King'', was awarded the 1969 Newbery Medal for excellence in American children's literature. He won U.S. National Book Awards in 1971 and 1982."National Book Awards – 1971" (NBF). Retrieved 2012-02-22. [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Black Cauldron (film)
''The Black Cauldron'' is a 1985 American animated dark fantasy adventure film directed by Ted Berman and Richard Rich. It was produced by Walt Disney Productions in association with Silver Screen Partners II and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The 25th Disney animated feature film, it is loosely based on the first two books in ''The Chronicles of Prydain'' by Lloyd Alexander, a series of five novels that are, in turn, based on Welsh mythology. Set in the mythical land of Prydain during the Early Middle Ages, the film centers on a wicked emperor known as the Horned King, who hopes to secure an ancient magical cauldron that will aid him in his desire to conquer the world. He is opposed by young swineherder Taran, the young Princess Eilonwy, the harp-playing bard Fflewddur Fflam, and a friendly wild creature named Gurgi, who seek to destroy the cauldron to prevent the Horned King from ruling the world. The film is directed by Ted Berman and Richard Rich, who had directed Disne ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gurgi
Gurgi is a fictional character in ''The Chronicles of Prydain'', the series of fantasy novels by Lloyd Alexander. Gurgi is the hero Taran's faithful companion, appearing in all five books. Profile He is described as being a cross between man and beast, having long arms, covered with fur and leaves, and ever hungry but really "just a sort of a, kind of a thing". His demeanor is extremely loyal and caring, almost to a fault. His manner of speech is filled with rhymed pairs of words ("crunchings and munchings", "smackings and whackings", "sneakings and peekings", etc.), and redundant phrases ("see with lookings!"); he refers to himself in the third person. Gurgi is humble and loyal toward his human companions, at first submitting even to Taran as a "noble lord". Appearances Gurgi is one of the few characters to appear in all five books of the series, the others being Taran, Fflewddur, Dallben and Coll. In ''The Book of Three'', Taran first meets Gurgi in his quest to locate ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Princess Eilonwy
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. Name origin Eilonwy is not a historical Welsh name (unlike many others used in the stories), but it turns up in a tale by Glasynys – published in ''Cymru Fu'', or ''The Wales that Was'' (1862-4), and translated from the Welsh by Sir John Rhys in his ''Celtic Folklore'' (1901) – belonging to the daughter of a mermai ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ellidyr
''The Black Cauldron'' (1965) is a high fantasy novel by American writer Lloyd Alexander, the second of five volumes in ''The Chronicles of Prydain''. The story continues the adventures of Taran, the Assistant Pig-Keeper, as he joins in a quest to capture the eponymous Magical Cauldron from Arawn Death-Lord. For 1966 it was a Newbery Honor book, runner-up for the year's "most distinguished contribution to American literature for children". The book provided a title and many elements of plot for the 1985 Disney animated feature '' The Black Cauldron''. Origins The series was inspired by Welsh mythology and by the castles, scenery, and language of Wales, which the author experienced during World War II combat intelligence training. At one stage of planning it was a trilogy with titles ''The Battle of the Trees'', ''The Lion with the Steady Hand'', and ''Little Gwion''. Plot summary More than a year after the defeat of Arawn Death-Lord's army and death of his warlord the Hor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Adaon
''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 emp ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Annwn
Annwn, Annwfn, or Annwfyn (in Middle Welsh, ''Annwvn'', ''Annwyn'', ''Annwyfn'', ''Annwvyn'', or ''Annwfyn'') is the Otherworld in Welsh mythology. Ruled by Arawn (or, in Arthurian literature, by Gwyn ap Nudd), 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 (or heaven). Name and etymology Middle Welsh sources suggest that the term was recognised as meaning "very deep" in medieval times. The appearance of a form ''antumnos'' on an ancient Gaulish curse tablet, which means ''an'' ('other') + ''tumnos'' ('world'), however, suggests that the original term may have been *''ande-dubnos'', a common Gallo-Brittonic word that literally meant "underworld". The pronunciation of Modern Welsh ''Annwn'' is . Mythical locations In both Welsh and Irish mythologies, the Otherworld was believed to be located either on an island or underneath the earth. In the First Bra ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cauldron-Born
''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 emp ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Undead
The undead are beings in mythology, legend, or fiction that are deceased but behave as if alive. Most commonly the term refers to corporeal forms of formerly-alive humans, such as mummies, vampires, and zombies, who have been reanimated by supernatural means, technology, or disease. In some cases (for example in Dungeons & Dragons) the term also includes incorporeal forms of the dead, such as ghosts. The undead are featured in the belief systems of most cultures, and appear in many works of fantasy and horror fiction. The term is also occasionally used for real-life attempts to resurrect the dead with science and technology, from early experiments like Robert E. Cornish's to future sciences such as "chemical brain preservation" and "cryonics." History Bram Stoker considered using the title, ''The Un-Dead'', for his novel '' Dracula'' (1897), and use of the term in the novel is mostly responsible for the modern sense of the word. The word does appear in English before Stoker ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dallben
''The Chronicles of Prydain'' is a pentalogy of Children's literature, 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 (novel), ''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 (character), 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 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gwydion
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''. The name Gwydion may be interpreted as "Born of Trees". Mythological exploits War with the South Gilfaethwy, nephew to the Venedotian king, Math fab Mathonwy, becomes obsessed with his uncle's virgin foot-holder, Goewin. His brother Gwydion conspires to start a war between the north and the south. To this end, Gwydion employs his magic powers to steal a number of otherworldly pigs from the Demetian king, Pryderi, who retaliates by marching on Gwynedd. During the war, while Math is distracted, the brothers return home and Gilfaethwy rapes Goewin. Pryderi and his men march north and fight a battle between Maenor Bennardd and Maenor Coed Al ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Foundling And Other Tales Of Prydain
''The Foundling and Other Tales of Prydain'' is a collection of short high fantasy stories for children by Lloyd Alexander and illustrator Margot Zemach. The 1973 first edition includes six stories; the 1982 edition, eight. The 1999 edition adds a map of Prydain and a pronunciation guide .Original edition (1973). Expanded edition (1999). All are prequels to ''The Chronicles of Prydain'', Alexander's award-winning series of five novels published 1964 to 1968. Expanded contents *''Author's Note'' (1973) Expanded edition, title leaf: lists copyrights 1965, 1967, 1973 Lloyd Alexander; 1999 copyrights only Henry Holt, compilation and pronunciation guide. Inspection supports the implication that dedication and author's note date from 1973. *''Map'' (copyright 1968, Evaline Ness) Expanded edition, title leaf. *The foundling *The stone *The true enchanter *The rascal crow *The sword *The smith, the weaver, and the harper *Coll and his white pig *The truthful harp *''Prydain Pronunc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
