''The Island of the Mighty'' is a

fantasy novel Fantasy literature is literature set in an imaginary universe, often but not always without any locations, events, or people from the real world. Magic, the supernatural and magical creatures are common in many of these imaginary worlds. Fa ...

by American writer

Evangeline Walton Evangeline Walton (24 November 1907 – 11 March 1996) was the pen name of Evangeline Wilna Ensley, an American writer of fantasy fiction. She remains popular in North America and Europe because of her “ability to humanize historical and mytho ...

, the earliest in a series of four based on the Welsh ''

Mabinogion The ''Mabinogion'' () are the earliest Welsh prose stories, and belong to the Matter of Britain. The stories were compiled in Middle Welsh in the 12th–13th centuries from earlier oral traditions. There are two main source manuscripts, create ...

''. It was first published in 1936 under the publisher's title of ''The Virgin and the Swine''. Although it received warm praise from

John Cowper Powys John Cowper Powys (; 8 October 187217 June 1963) was an English philosopher, lecturer, novelist, critic and poet born in Shirley, Derbyshire, where his father was vicar of the parish church in 1871–1879. Powys appeared with a volume of verse ...

, the book sold poorly, and as a result none of the other novels in the series reached print at the time. Later rediscovered by

Ballantine Books Ballantine Books is a major book publisher located in the United States, founded in 1952 by Ian Ballantine with his wife, Betty Ballantine. It was acquired by Random House in 1973, which in turn was acquired by Bertelsmann in 1998 and remains ...

, it was reissued under the present title as the eighteenth volume of the

Ballantine Adult Fantasy series The Ballantine Adult Fantasy series was an imprint of American publisher Ballantine Books. Launched in 1969 (presumably in response to the growing popularity of Tolkien's works), the series reissued a number of works of fantasy literature which ...

in July, 1970, with an introduction by

Lin Carter Linwood Vrooman Carter (June 9, 1930 – February 7, 1988) was an American author of science fiction and fantasy, as well as an editor, poet and critic. He usually wrote as Lin Carter; known pseudonyms include H. P. Lowcraft (for an H. P. L ...

and a cover by Bob Pepper. It has been reprinted a number of times since, and gathered together with Walton's other ''Mabinogion'' novels by

Overlook Press The Overlook Press is an American publishing house based in New York, New York, that considers itself "a home for distinguished books that had been 'overlooked' by larger houses". History and operations It was formed in 1971 by Peter Mayer, wh ...

as the omnibus ''The Mabinogion Tetralogy'' in 2002. The novel has also been published in translation in several European languages. The novel is a retelling of the story of the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogion, ''Math Fab Mathonwy'' (Math, son of Mathonwy), and hence is chronologically last in Walton's Mabinogion novels, though published first. The three other novels in the series are ''

The Children of Llyr ''The Children of Llyr'' is a fantasy novel by American writer Evangeline Walton, the second in a series of four based on the Welsh '' Mabinogion.'' It was first published in paperback by Ballantine Books as the thirty-third volume of the Ballant ...

'' (1971), ''

The Song of Rhiannon ''The Song of Rhiannon'' is a fantasy novel by American writer Evangeline Walton, the third in a series of four based on the Welsh '' Mabinogion''. It was first published in paperback by Ballantine Books as the fifty-first volume of the Ballantin ...

'' (1972), and '' Prince of Annwn'' (1974).

Plot summary

Gwynedd Gwynedd (; ) is a county and preserved county (latter with differing boundaries; includes the Isle of Anglesey) in the north-west of Wales. It shares borders with Powys, Conwy County Borough, Denbighshire, Anglesey over the Menai Strait, and C ...

in north Wales is ruled by Math, son of Mathonwy, whose feet must be held by a virgin at all times except while he is at war. Math's nephew

Gilfaethwy In Welsh mythology, Gilfaethwy () was a son of the goddess Dôn and brother of Gwydion and Arianrhod in the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi. His uncle Math fab Mathonwy, king of Gwynedd, must keep his feet in the lap of a young virgin at all times ...

is in love with

Goewin Goewin () is a figure in Welsh mythology, where she has a small but crucial role in the ''Math fab Mathonwy'', one of the Four Branches of the Mabinogi.Jones, Gwyn and Jones, Thomas. ''The Mabinogion.'' Everyman's Library, 1949; revised in 1989. ...

, the current footholder, and Gilfaethwy's brother

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 ...

tricks Math into going to war against Pryderi so Gilfaethwy can have access to her. Gwydion kills

Pryderi Pryderi fab Pwyll is a prominent figure in Welsh mythology, the son of Pwyll and Rhiannon, and king of Dyfed after his father's death. He is the only character to appear in all Four Branches of the Mabinogi, although the size of his role varies ...

, Prince of

Dyfed Dyfed () is a preserved county in southwestern Wales. It is a mostly rural area with a coastline on the Irish Sea and the Bristol Channel. Between 1974 and 1996, Dyfed was also the name of the area's county council and the name remains in use f ...

, in single combat, and Gilfaethwy rapes Goewin. Math marries Goewin in compensation for her rape, and banishes Gwydion and Gilfaethwy, transforming them into a breeding pair of deer, then pigs, then wolves. After three years they are restored to human form and return. Math needs a new footholder, and Gwydion suggests his sister,

Arianrhod Arianrhod () is a figure in Welsh mythology who plays her most important role in the Fourth Branch of the ''Mabinogi''. She is the daughter of Dôn and the sister of Gwydion and Gilfaethwy; the Welsh Triads give her father as Beli Mawr.Triad 35. B ...

, but when Math magically tests her virginity, she gives birth to two sons. One, Dylan, immediately takes to the sea. The other is raised by Gwydion, but Arianrhod swears that he will never have a name or arms unless she gives them to him, and refuses to do so. Gwydion tricks her into naming him Llew Llaw Gyffes (Llew Skilful Hand) and giving him arms. She then swears he will never have a wife of any race living on earth, so Gwydion and Math make him a beautiful wife from flowers, and name her

Blodeuwedd Blodeuwedd (), (Welsh "Flower-Faced", a composite name from ''blodau'' "flowers" + ''gwedd'' "face"), is the wife of Lleu Llaw Gyffes in Welsh mythology. She was made from the flowers of broom, meadowsweet and oak by the magicians Math and Gwydio ...

("Flowers"). Blodeuwedd falls in love with a passing hunter called Goronwy, and they plot to kill Llew. Blodewedd tricks Llew into revealing the means by which he can be killed, but when Goronwy attempts to do the deed, Llew escapes, though wounded, transformed into an eagle. Gwydion finds Llew and transforms him back into human form, and turns Blodeuwedd into an owl (Blodeuwedd, literally "Flower Face," means "Owl"). Goronwy offers to compensate Llew, but Llew insists on returning the blow that was struck against him. He kills Goronwy with his spear, which is thrown so hard it pierces him through the stone he is hiding behind.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Island Of The Mighty, The 1936 American novels American fantasy novels Mabinogion Tetralogy Novels set in Gwynedd Ballantine Books books Works based on Celtic mythology