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The Book of Three (novel)
Encyclopedia
The Book of Three is the first of Lloyd Alexander
's five-part novel series The Chronicles of Prydain
(first published 1964
). Inspired by Welsh mythology
, it follows the adventures of Taran
, a boy in the care of the enchanter Dallben
, as he enters manhood while fighting the forces of the evil Arawn Death-Lord
. This is the only time in the series that the companions visit the realm of the Fair Folk, or that Eilonwy attempts sorcery of any kind. This novel was used, albeit loosely, as the plot to the animated feature The Black Cauldron
produced by Walt Disney Pictures
. A computer roleplaying game of unknown origin was made in 2001 also based on the book.
with his guardians, the elderly scholar Dallben and the middle aged farmer Coll. He is dissatisfied with his life as a farm laborer, longing to become a great hero similar to the ones about which he has read. Dallben discourages Taran's daydreaming, warning him of Arawn
, the Death-Lord, and Arawn's dread new war leader, the Horned King
. Dallben even goes so far as to forbid Taran from leaving Hen Wen
, Coll's oracular white pig, appointing him Assistant Pig-Keeper. The title makes Taran no happier, although his later experiences give him reason to value it: throughout the rest of the stories, it is how he refers to himself, others and family.
Dallben and Coll attempt to communicate with the oracular pig, Hen Wen, to discover why the farm animals became agitated; Taran attempts to track Hen Wen through the forest when she flees. He is wounded by the Horned King's warriors, marching against Caer Dallben, and awakes to find his wound being treated by Gwydion
, one of his heroes as well as the crown prince of Prydain's ruling House of Dôn
. Gwydion, heading to Caer Dallben to consult Hen Wen himself, aids Taran in the search for the pig.They encounter Gurgi
, a humanoid creature living in the forest, who has seen Hen Wen but mentions that the Horned King is also pursuing her. Gurgi leads the two to the Horned King's camp under cover of darkness, where they observe a ritualized gathering of local war leaders who join their forces with the Horned King's army. Gwydion surmises that their target will be Caer Dathyl
, the principal stronghold of the House of Don, and decides to abandon his search for Hen Wen in order to warn his people.
The next morning they are discovered by four armed riders of the Horned King. Gurgi runs away in a panic, and Gwydion uses an enchanted mesh of grass to incapacitate one of their attackers. After another horseman is slain, a pair of undead warriors join the fight, the Cauldron-Born
. Gwydion orders Taran to flee for his life, but Taran bravely stands his ground. The Cauldron-Born prove too powerful, however, and both men are wounded and captured. Taran and Gwydion are taken to Spiral Castle
, where they meet the enchantress Queen Achren
. She asks Gwydion to join her, offering him the power to rule Prydain and overthrow Arawn. Gwydion refuses, and he and Taran are taken to separate cells in the castle's dungeons.
Taran is visited by Princess Eilonwy
, who comes to his cell through a hidden passage. She lives in Spiral Castle to be taught enchantments by Queen Achren, her alleged aunt, although Eilonwy doesn't believe that they're related. Taran asks her to free his companion (out of mistrust, he does not mention Gwydion's name) and then himself. Eilonwy agrees, thinking to get back at Achren for the harsh treatment she's gotten. While trying to escape that night through the labyrinth of tunnels beneath the castle, Taran accidentally falls into a lower tunnel unknown to the castle's current occupants. It leads to the ancient barrow of King Rhitta
, the last owner of the legendary sword Dyrnwyn. This is all unknown to Taran, but he does discover a small tunnel leading from the tomb to the woods outside the castle. As they emerge from underground, Spiral Castle collapses; Eilonwy had taken Dyrnwyn from the tomb, and its loss (unbeknownst to them) destroyed the castle.
Taran's purposeful vagueness about Gwydion results in Eilonwy freeing from the dungeon was not the Prince of Dôn, but a man named Fflewddur Fflam
, a king by birth but a wandering, tall-tale-telling bard by choice. After realizing the error, the three of them search the castle's ruins, salvage some weapons and supplies, and mourn Gwydion's death. They are met later that night by Gurgi; Taran initially wants nothing to do with the creature because of his cowardly conduct, but the news Gurgi brings of a great army persuades him to let Gurgi stay with them. Taran sets out to warn Caer Dathyl of the Horned King's intent, accompanied by his three new companions. Pursued by Cauldron Born, they flee their tireless enemies all that day and through the night. Gurgi hurts his leg when he falls from a tree, and asks Taran to kill him to prevent his being a burden. Taran refuses, and as they prepare to set out again, Gurgi offers him his own share of the honeycomb he recovered from the tree. Taran is touched by the creature's nobleness of spirit, and a long friendship begins.
Gurgi's leg becomes infected, and fatigue induces a fever in Eilonwy. The Cauldron-Born eventually feel their strength wane and leave off the pursuit, but not before driving Taran and his companions from their intended course into the Eagle Mountains to the southeast of Caer Dathyl. Gwydion's horse Melyngar intervenes and leads them to the hidden valley of Medwyn. Medwyn heals Gurgi's leg, and Taran discovers Dallben's chickens, who had flown away the same day Hen Wen escaped. Medwyn, who understands the speech of all animals, knows nothing of Hen Wen's whereabouts and guesses she has been captured or killed. He knows Taran much loves the valley and offers to let him stay, indicating that it might well be his only chance. Taran is tempted to leave his worldly responsibilities, but his sense of duty to Gwydion forces him to refuse. Medwyn gives the companions provisions and directions, and they continue on their way, with Gurgi on the road to a quick recovery.
They next encounter a lake of black water in the mountains. Thinking they can take a shortcut by wading near the shoreline, Taran and his companions find themselves drawn further away from the shore. A whirlpool appears and sucks them under the lake, and they regain consciousness in the underground realm of the Fair Folk
. Guards ambush them, and while Gurgi escapes the others are taken to King Eiddileg. He treats them gruffly in spite of Taran's explanations, but reveals a softer side when Eilonwy expresses her gratitude for what the Fair Folk have done for humans. Gurgi soon finds them, with news that he has seen Hen Wen, who was rescued by Fair Folk scouts and taken to their realm. Eiddileg agrees to let Taran have Hen Wen back, and is also persuaded to replace the supplies they lost in the lake and give them a guide to Caer Dathyl.
The guide is a dwarf named Doli
. He leads the companions on a good pace to Caer Dathyl, only seriously delayed when they encounter an injured fledgling gwythaint, a vicious type of bird used by Arawn as a spy and messenger. Doli almost kills the bird, but Taran stops him and determines to take the gwythaint with them. The gwythaint recovers quickly and flies away, much to Doli's fury. Later that same day, Hen Wen runs away, just before scouts from the Horned King's army find the companions.
The companions repel the scouts and continue to Caer Dathyl; with all the delays of their journey they can only hope to reach the castle barely ahead of the Horned King's army. More troops attack them just beyond view of Caer Dathyl, and Fflewddur sends Taran and Eilonwy ahead with Melyngar as he, Doli and Gurgi fight their assailants.
Melyngar carries Taran and Eilonwy straight through the Horned King's foot soldiers, and the Horned King himself gives them chase. He catches them at the top of a hill, and when Taran challenges him to a fight the war leader breaks the boy's sword on the first blow. Taran then takes Dyrnwyn from Eilonwy, but lacks the noble worth the sword's magic requires to draw it. When he finally succeeds in exposing part of the blade, lightning from the sword throws him to the ground and burns his arm. Just before Taran blacks out, he sees a man approach through the trees, calling out an unintelligible word. The Horned King's mask melts and he bursts into flame.
When Taran comes to, he finds himself in Caer Dathyl. Hen Wen is with him, as well as Eilonwy, who tells him of the Horned King's death and of his army's defeat. The man Taran had seen turns out to have been Gwydion, who had been with Achren in Oeth-Anoeth when Spiral Castle fell. His sufferings in her dungeon gave him a deeper understanding of life, and with that understanding he gained the power to break free from his cell. This can be likened to the death/resurrection theme that features prominently in popular literature and religion (with He also gained the ability to understand the hearts of all creatures, which enabled him to communicate with the gwythaint Taran had saved. She led him to Hen Wen, who had run away the last time because she had sensed Gwydion's presence. The oracular pig's knowledge of the Horned King proved more valuable than Gwydion had guessed, for she knew the one thing that could destroy the Horned King: His secret name. The gwythaint led Gwydion to the Horned King just in time to save Taran, and when Eilonwy met him she gave him Dyrnwyn, knowing the sword would be best left in his hands.
Gifts were given to each of the companions in gratitude for their service to the House of Don; Eilonwy was given a ring made by the Fair Folk, Gurgi a wallet of food that would never be depleted, Fflewddur a golden harp string that would never break, and to Doli the ability to turn invisible. Taran only asked for permission to return home, and Gwydion accompanied him there along with Eilonwy and Gurgi, who had nowhere else to go and were invited to stay at Caer Dallben.
Throughout the course of his adventures, Taran realized more and more that Caer Dallben was the place he most wanted to be, living the quiet life of an Assistant Pig-Keeper. He would long for more adventure soon enough, but for the first time he was happy to be where it had all begun, at Hen Wen's enclosure.
Lloyd Alexander
Lloyd Chudley Alexander was a widely influential American author of more than forty books, mostly fantasy novels for children and adolescents, as well as several adult books...
's five-part novel series The Chronicles of Prydain
The Chronicles of Prydain
The Chronicles of Prydain is a five-volume series of children's fantasy novels by author Lloyd Alexander...
(first published 1964
1964 in literature
The year 1964 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*Jean-Paul Sartre becomes head of the Organization to Defend Iranian Political Prisoners....
). Inspired by Welsh mythology
Welsh mythology
Welsh mythology, the remnants of the mythology of the pre-Christian Britons, has come down to us in much altered form in medieval Welsh manuscripts such as the Red Book of Hergest, the White Book of Rhydderch, the Book of Aneirin and the Book of Taliesin....
, it follows the adventures of Taran
Taran (character)
Taran is a fictional character in The Chronicles of Prydain series, as well as in the film and game named after the second novel, The Black Cauldron.-Profile:...
, a boy in the care of the enchanter Dallben
Dallben
Dallben is an important character in Lloyd Alexander's children's series The Chronicles of Prydain.-Profile:Dallben is described as an ancient man with a long white beard. He lives on the farm known as Caer Dallben, where he acts as protector of Coll's oracular pig, Hen Wen. He also is the...
, as he enters manhood while fighting the forces of the evil Arawn Death-Lord
Arawn - Death Lord
Arawn, Death-Lord is a fictional character in The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander. He is the main antagonist of the series and is based on the god of death in Welsh mythology of the same name.- Fictional character history :...
. This is the only time in the series that the companions visit the realm of the Fair Folk, or that Eilonwy attempts sorcery of any kind. This novel was used, albeit loosely, as the plot to the animated feature The Black Cauldron
The Black Cauldron (film)
The Black Cauldron is a 1985 American animated fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and originally released to theatres on July 24, 1985...
produced by Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures is an American film studio owned by The Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Pictures and Television, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Studios and the main production company for live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group, based at the Walt Disney...
. A computer roleplaying game of unknown origin was made in 2001 also based on the book.
Plot summary
Taran lives at Caer DallbenCaer Dallben
Caer Dallben is a cottage farm within the lands of Prydain and the starting point for each book of Lloyd Alexander's The Chronicles of Prydain. It is also the setting for the series' final chapter....
with his guardians, the elderly scholar Dallben and the middle aged farmer Coll. He is dissatisfied with his life as a farm laborer, longing to become a great hero similar to the ones about which he has read. Dallben discourages Taran's daydreaming, warning him of Arawn
Arawn
In Welsh mythology, Arawn was the king of the otherworld realm of Annwn, appearing prominently in the first branch, and alluded to in the fourth. In later tradition, the role of king of Annwn was largely attributed to the Welsh psychopomp, Gwyn ap Nudd...
, the Death-Lord, and Arawn's dread new war leader, the Horned King
Horned King
The Horned King is a fictional character from the fantasy series The Chronicles of Prydain, and in the film The Black Cauldron by Disney ....
. Dallben even goes so far as to forbid Taran from leaving Hen Wen
Hen Wen
Hen Wen is a white sow featured in Lloyd Alexander's The Chronicles of Prydain. She is an oracular pig - that is, she has the ability to prophesy about future events and reveal hidden information...
, Coll's oracular white pig, appointing him Assistant Pig-Keeper. The title makes Taran no happier, although his later experiences give him reason to value it: throughout the rest of the stories, it is how he refers to himself, others and family.
Dallben and Coll attempt to communicate with the oracular pig, Hen Wen, to discover why the farm animals became agitated; Taran attempts to track Hen Wen through the forest when she flees. He is wounded by the Horned King's warriors, marching against Caer Dallben, and awakes to find his wound being treated by Gwydion
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...
, one of his heroes as well as the crown prince of Prydain's ruling House of Dôn
Dôn
Dôn was a Welsh mother goddess. She does not play a direct part in the action of the Mabinogi, though many characters in that cycle are related to her. She is the mother of Arianrhod, Gwydion, Gilfaethwy, Gofannon, Eufydd, Elestron and Amaethon. Patrick K...
. Gwydion, heading to Caer Dallben to consult Hen Wen himself, aids Taran in the search for the pig.They encounter Gurgi
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 :...
, a humanoid creature living in the forest, who has seen Hen Wen but mentions that the Horned King is also pursuing her. Gurgi leads the two to the Horned King's camp under cover of darkness, where they observe a ritualized gathering of local war leaders who join their forces with the Horned King's army. Gwydion surmises that their target will be Caer Dathyl
Caer Dathyl
Caer Dathyl was a Welsh fortress in Arfon in northern Gwynedd referred to in the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi, the Tale of Math fab Mathonwy. Its precise location is currently unknown and has been the subject of speculation. In the tale, it is the seat of Math's court to which Gwydion ap Don...
, the principal stronghold of the House of Don, and decides to abandon his search for Hen Wen in order to warn his people.
The next morning they are discovered by four armed riders of the Horned King. Gurgi runs away in a panic, and Gwydion uses an enchanted mesh of grass to incapacitate one of their attackers. After another horseman is slain, a pair of undead warriors join the fight, the Cauldron-Born
Cauldron-Born
In Lloyd Alexander's series of fantasy books The Chronicles of Prydain, the Cauldron-Born are a race of deathless warriors in the service of Arawn, Death-Lord of Annuvin.- Origins :...
. Gwydion orders Taran to flee for his life, but Taran bravely stands his ground. The Cauldron-Born prove too powerful, however, and both men are wounded and captured. Taran and Gwydion are taken to Spiral Castle
Spiral Castle
Spiral Castle was at one time the seat of power for the fictional land of Prydain. During the period of time covered by Lloyd Alexander's Chronicles of Prydain, it had become one of many strongholds under the influence of Arawn Death-Lord, personally administered by Queen Achren.The earliest story...
, where they meet the enchantress Queen Achren
Achren
Achren is a fictional character and villainess in the fantasy series The Chronicles of Prydain, written by Lloyd Alexander.-Profile:In the novels, Achren was once Queen of Prydain, and ruled many years as a harsh and vengeful tyrant, both as ruler and then as the Death-lord Arawn's consort...
. She asks Gwydion to join her, offering him the power to rule Prydain and overthrow Arawn. Gwydion refuses, and he and Taran are taken to separate cells in the castle's dungeons.
Taran is visited by Princess Eilonwy
Princess Eilonwy
Princess Eilonwy is a fictional character in Lloyd Alexander's The Chronicles of Prydain and wife of High King Taran in the Chronicles of Prydain and also appears in Disney's 1985 animated film The Black Cauldron...
, who comes to his cell through a hidden passage. She lives in Spiral Castle to be taught enchantments by Queen Achren, her alleged aunt, although Eilonwy doesn't believe that they're related. Taran asks her to free his companion (out of mistrust, he does not mention Gwydion's name) and then himself. Eilonwy agrees, thinking to get back at Achren for the harsh treatment she's gotten. While trying to escape that night through the labyrinth of tunnels beneath the castle, Taran accidentally falls into a lower tunnel unknown to the castle's current occupants. It leads to the ancient barrow of King Rhitta
Rhitta
Rhitta was once High King of Prydain, the mythical kingdom in Lloyd Alexander's fantasy novel series The Chronicles of Prydain. He is never mentioned in the original five novels, but the story of his downfall is included in the lesser-known sixth installment, The Foundling and Other Tales from...
, the last owner of the legendary sword Dyrnwyn. This is all unknown to Taran, but he does discover a small tunnel leading from the tomb to the woods outside the castle. As they emerge from underground, Spiral Castle collapses; Eilonwy had taken Dyrnwyn from the tomb, and its loss (unbeknownst to them) destroyed the castle.
Taran's purposeful vagueness about Gwydion results in Eilonwy freeing from the dungeon was not the Prince of Dôn, but a man named Fflewddur Fflam
Fflewddur Fflam
Fflewddur Fflam, son of Godo, is a cantrev lord in the fictional country of Prydain in Lloyd Alexander's Chronicles of Prydain. He is referred to as a King, but it is made clear that he is a very minor king of a tiny kingdom at best, much less important than the High King who rules Prydain. His...
, a king by birth but a wandering, tall-tale-telling bard by choice. After realizing the error, the three of them search the castle's ruins, salvage some weapons and supplies, and mourn Gwydion's death. They are met later that night by Gurgi; Taran initially wants nothing to do with the creature because of his cowardly conduct, but the news Gurgi brings of a great army persuades him to let Gurgi stay with them. Taran sets out to warn Caer Dathyl of the Horned King's intent, accompanied by his three new companions. Pursued by Cauldron Born, they flee their tireless enemies all that day and through the night. Gurgi hurts his leg when he falls from a tree, and asks Taran to kill him to prevent his being a burden. Taran refuses, and as they prepare to set out again, Gurgi offers him his own share of the honeycomb he recovered from the tree. Taran is touched by the creature's nobleness of spirit, and a long friendship begins.
Gurgi's leg becomes infected, and fatigue induces a fever in Eilonwy. The Cauldron-Born eventually feel their strength wane and leave off the pursuit, but not before driving Taran and his companions from their intended course into the Eagle Mountains to the southeast of Caer Dathyl. Gwydion's horse Melyngar intervenes and leads them to the hidden valley of Medwyn. Medwyn heals Gurgi's leg, and Taran discovers Dallben's chickens, who had flown away the same day Hen Wen escaped. Medwyn, who understands the speech of all animals, knows nothing of Hen Wen's whereabouts and guesses she has been captured or killed. He knows Taran much loves the valley and offers to let him stay, indicating that it might well be his only chance. Taran is tempted to leave his worldly responsibilities, but his sense of duty to Gwydion forces him to refuse. Medwyn gives the companions provisions and directions, and they continue on their way, with Gurgi on the road to a quick recovery.
They next encounter a lake of black water in the mountains. Thinking they can take a shortcut by wading near the shoreline, Taran and his companions find themselves drawn further away from the shore. A whirlpool appears and sucks them under the lake, and they regain consciousness in the underground realm of the Fair Folk
Fair Folk
This article is for the fictional race in the fiction of Lloyd Alexander. For the mythological Fair Folk, see Fairy.The Fair Folk are a race of supernatural beings in The Chronicles of Prydain, a series of children's fantasy novels by Lloyd Alexander...
. Guards ambush them, and while Gurgi escapes the others are taken to King Eiddileg. He treats them gruffly in spite of Taran's explanations, but reveals a softer side when Eilonwy expresses her gratitude for what the Fair Folk have done for humans. Gurgi soon finds them, with news that he has seen Hen Wen, who was rescued by Fair Folk scouts and taken to their realm. Eiddileg agrees to let Taran have Hen Wen back, and is also persuaded to replace the supplies they lost in the lake and give them a guide to Caer Dathyl.
The guide is a dwarf named Doli
Doli
Doli is a fictional character in Lloyd Alexander's fantasy series The Chronicles of Prydain. Doli is one of the "fair folk", a nation of faeries, and other magical beings who live in an extensive underground kingdom that spans the entire country of Prydain.-Profile:Doli is described as a short,...
. He leads the companions on a good pace to Caer Dathyl, only seriously delayed when they encounter an injured fledgling gwythaint, a vicious type of bird used by Arawn as a spy and messenger. Doli almost kills the bird, but Taran stops him and determines to take the gwythaint with them. The gwythaint recovers quickly and flies away, much to Doli's fury. Later that same day, Hen Wen runs away, just before scouts from the Horned King's army find the companions.
The companions repel the scouts and continue to Caer Dathyl; with all the delays of their journey they can only hope to reach the castle barely ahead of the Horned King's army. More troops attack them just beyond view of Caer Dathyl, and Fflewddur sends Taran and Eilonwy ahead with Melyngar as he, Doli and Gurgi fight their assailants.
Melyngar carries Taran and Eilonwy straight through the Horned King's foot soldiers, and the Horned King himself gives them chase. He catches them at the top of a hill, and when Taran challenges him to a fight the war leader breaks the boy's sword on the first blow. Taran then takes Dyrnwyn from Eilonwy, but lacks the noble worth the sword's magic requires to draw it. When he finally succeeds in exposing part of the blade, lightning from the sword throws him to the ground and burns his arm. Just before Taran blacks out, he sees a man approach through the trees, calling out an unintelligible word. The Horned King's mask melts and he bursts into flame.
When Taran comes to, he finds himself in Caer Dathyl. Hen Wen is with him, as well as Eilonwy, who tells him of the Horned King's death and of his army's defeat. The man Taran had seen turns out to have been Gwydion, who had been with Achren in Oeth-Anoeth when Spiral Castle fell. His sufferings in her dungeon gave him a deeper understanding of life, and with that understanding he gained the power to break free from his cell. This can be likened to the death/resurrection theme that features prominently in popular literature and religion (with He also gained the ability to understand the hearts of all creatures, which enabled him to communicate with the gwythaint Taran had saved. She led him to Hen Wen, who had run away the last time because she had sensed Gwydion's presence. The oracular pig's knowledge of the Horned King proved more valuable than Gwydion had guessed, for she knew the one thing that could destroy the Horned King: His secret name. The gwythaint led Gwydion to the Horned King just in time to save Taran, and when Eilonwy met him she gave him Dyrnwyn, knowing the sword would be best left in his hands.
Gifts were given to each of the companions in gratitude for their service to the House of Don; Eilonwy was given a ring made by the Fair Folk, Gurgi a wallet of food that would never be depleted, Fflewddur a golden harp string that would never break, and to Doli the ability to turn invisible. Taran only asked for permission to return home, and Gwydion accompanied him there along with Eilonwy and Gurgi, who had nowhere else to go and were invited to stay at Caer Dallben.
Throughout the course of his adventures, Taran realized more and more that Caer Dallben was the place he most wanted to be, living the quiet life of an Assistant Pig-Keeper. He would long for more adventure soon enough, but for the first time he was happy to be where it had all begun, at Hen Wen's enclosure.