Synopsis
This is a richly illustrated retelling of one of the most powerful and exciting sagas from the Heroic Age of Britain. Haydn Middleton has drawn not only on the Mabinogion (that rich source of Celtic folklore and mythology) but on the Triads of the Island of Britain, early Welsh verse, and the legends of the Irish, to capture the authentic flavour of the story of Pryderi, the great chieftain of Dyfed.
Pryderi was born of a remarkable union between the goddess Rhiannon (who links him to the Otherworld, Annwvyn) and Pendaran, chief of the island of Prydein. Pryderi's destiny — as a man linked to the realms of immortality — is to offer his people human dignity, self-reliance and hope, to be a bridge between two worlds.
This is far more than a simple retelling of a great it is an attempt to recapture the spirit of the pre-Christian Celts, a spirit complex and subtle, profound and elemental, which contains within it a cosmic vision.
But above all, it is a great story — readable, passionate, moving, and one which can be read for the sheer pleasure of entering its strange (yet strangely familiar) world. And Anthea Toorchen's powerful paintings and drawings add a further imaginative dimension to a book which is as unique in its presentation as it is in its contents.
Reviews
Middleton ( The Lie of the Land ) presents a lyrical but graphic retelling of the ancient Celtic story of Pryderi. Pendaran, chieftain of the herdspeople of Dyfed who dwell in the mortal world, wins the love of Rhiannon, a horse-goddess from the immortal "otherworld" of Annwyvn. In Dyfed, Rhiannon bears a boy child, Pryderi, along with a foal, Pryderi's alternate self. After the sea-god Manawydan trains him for a rite of passage, Pryderi invades Annwyvn astride his colt and seizes a sacred cup, a caldron, seven pigs and Cigfa, the goddess of sovereignty, thereby proving himself fit to rule the land of his birth. But Pryderi (whose name means "trouble" in Welsh) soon tires of ruling Dyfed and asks the friendly god Gwydion to release him from his obligation so that he can return to Annwvyn. As the god grants his wish, Pryderi's horse metamorphoses into a mortal man to become Lord of Dyfed in Pryderi's stead. Into this engrossing tale of mysticism and magic, Middleton packs memorable descriptions of creatures that change shape (for instance, a pretty girl turns into a grotesque succubus, and a boar carries a wolf and stag inside it); guilt-ridden Oedipal fantasies; episodes of raw violence; and erotic love scenes.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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