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Generations of youngsters have struggled in vain to pronounce the names in '''The Chronicles of Prydain''', a five-book series of fantasy novels by the late American author [[Lloyd Alexander]]. Based (very) loosely on the [[Mabinogion]] and taking place in the fantasy world of Prydain, which bears no small resemblance to [[Land of My Fathers and Their Sheep|Wales]], the novels feature a series of epic adventures in a land of [[High Fantasy]], but place more emphasis on [[Coming of Age Story|the protagonist's growing maturity and his journey into manhood.]]
Long ago, the land of Prydain [[And Man Grew Proud|was a rich, and prosperous land, renowned for its craftsmen who knew many great secrets about shaping metal and firing clay.]] Arawn, the local [[Evil Overlord]], would have none of that, and using his cunning and trickery he stole away those wonderous treasures and secrets and locked them away in his fortress, Annuvin, [[Jerkass|where they would serve no one]]. The once fair land fell into decay and surely would have fallen under Arawn's power had not the mighty and heroic Sons of Don arrived in Prydain and united its people in an alliance against Arawn's forces. Years have passed and the Sons of Don have maintained peace, but there are those who fear that the people have grown too reliant on their new rulers, the lesser lords constantly feud with each other for foolish and petty reasons, and Arawn is still lurking in the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
Enter the protagonist, Taran, Assistant Pig-Keeper to the oracular pig Hen Wen. A [[Kid Hero|boy seemingly in his early teens]] who was [[Parental Abandonment|orphaned at as an infant,]] Taran is thrust into the conflicts between the Sons of Don and Arawn as they struggle for the rulership of Prydain. Taran is an ambitious, headstrong youth who initially [[Jumped At the Call|leaps at any call to adventure]] and believes himself [[Heroic Wannabe|capable of great things,]] but in truth he often finds that leading a heroic life of adventure is not all as romantic and exciting as he would have thought. Over the course of the novels, Taran grows from a callow, stubborn youth into a genuinely wise and noble young man, and in the end, learns the hard way what it truly means to be a hero.
Joining Taran on his adventures are his loyal group of lovable companions, whose interactions are one of the most enjoyable parts of the series:
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'''Eilonwy''': An enchantress and [[Everything's Better with Princesses|princess]] who [[Motor Mouth|talks constantly]] in similes and serves as a [[Heroes Want Redheads|romantic interest]] for Taran. She's also a [[Tsundere]] and a bit of an [[Action Girl]]. One of the earliest modern examples of a [[Rebellious Princess]].
'''Fflewddur Fflam''': A [[Boisterous Bruiser|loud-mouthed]] bard and king who has a tendency to [[
'''Gurgi''': [[Non-Human Sidekick|A shaggy creature]] who speaks in rhyme. At first he has a tendency to be a [[Dirty Coward]] but he grows to become brave and loyal, and comes to admire Taran for his wisdom and call him "Master."
'''Doli''': A member of [[The Fair Folk]], a [[Grumpy Old Man|grumpy dwarf]] and [[Jerk with a Heart of Gold]]. Complains a lot. He has the ability to turn invisible (by holding his breath), but [[Blessed with Suck|hates to do so as it causes a horrible ringing in his ears.]]
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#''The Castle of Llyr (1966)''
#''Taran Wanderer (1967)''
#''The High King (1968)''
#''The Foundling and Other Tales From Prydain (1973)''
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{{tropelist}}
* [[Action Girl]]: Eilonwy frequently proves more capable than Taran, especially in the early books.
* [[Adipose Rex]]: Averted by King Smoit of Cantrev Cadiffor, who is notably overweight but is also very muscular, just plain huge, and has [[Stout Strength]] in spades.
* [[An Aesop]]: Taran frequently learns important life lessons, although this is done more subtly and gracefully than many instances of this trope.
* [[All-Natural Gem Polish]]
* [[
** Averted with the Gwythaints, Arawn's spies, who serve Arawn out of fear.
* [[Ambition Is Evil]]: Played straight and subverted. Ultimately it all comes down to intent.
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* [[As Long as It Sounds Foreign]]: A mild example. Nearly all of the character and place names are derived from Welsh mythology, but [[Word of God]] admitted to having completely made up the very Welsh-sounding Eilonwy.
* [[Awesome Moment of Crowning]]: {{spoiler|Taran at the end of the series.}}
* [[Aw, Look -- They Really Do Love Each Other]]: Taran and Eilonwy, ''constantly.''
** Also, Fflewddur and his harp.
* [[Badass Beard]]: King Smoit is known for his long fiery red beard.
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* [[Brainwashed]]: {{spoiler|Eilonwy in the third book.}}
* [[Break the Haughty]]: Taran is horrified to find out that his father is {{spoiler|Craddoc the shepherd}} and views his new life as a prison sentence. {{spoiler|His time working for Craddoc is what is truly responsible for convincing him that nobility comes from work and honor rather than royal blood and wealth. By the time Craddoc dies and confesses that Taran isn't really his son, Taran has acquired humility and is not ashamed to be a shepherd's son.}}
* [[Cassandra Truth]]: Seriously, Fflewddur really is a king. Granted, his kingdom is so small that he can leave his palace in the morning and be out of his kingdom by the end of the day, but he's a king nonetheless.
** Unlike most things, he doesn't feel the need to exaggerate this and freely admits he doesn't like being in his kingdom, which is why he became a bard.
* [[Catch Phrase]]: Almost every important character besides Taran has at least one.
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* [[Civil War]]: Like historical Wales, the various kings and lords of Prydain are always fighting somewhere in the kingdom. In addition, several of these kings side with Arawn against Math for their own benefit, up to and including Pryderi, the most powerful ruler in Prydain except for King Math.
* [[Cloudcuckoolander]]: Eilonwy, while still managing to be the only person in the group with any common sense.
* [[Clipped-Wing Angel]]: Arawn {{spoiler|turns into a snake and is beheaded in one blow by Taran}}.
{{quote|{{spoiler|[[Evil Overlord List|34. I will not turn into a snake. It never helps.]]}}}}
* [[Coming of Age Story]]: Well, the whole series, but especially the fourth book, which is pretty obviously the turning point where Taran [[Took a Level
* [[Conservation of Ninjutsu]]: The Huntsmen of Annuvin literally become stronger when one of their number is killed.
* [[Consummate Liar]]: Fflewddur. Ironically, his most outrageous claim (that he's actually a king) is true.
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* [[Earn Your Happy Ending]]: In the land of Prydain, everything comes at a high price.
* [[Elite Mooks]]: The Huntsmen and the Cauldron-Born.
* [[Everything's Better with Princesses]]: Eilonwy. Somewhat subverted, in that Taran (and therefore the reader) does not learn that she ''is'' a princess until literally the last page of the first
** Eilonwy's informed princessdom is justified, in that she is [[Last of His Kind|Last of Her Kind]], so in political terms her heritage is largely moot.
* [[Everyone Can See It]]: The entire group seems to be aware of Taran's feelings for Eilonwy except Taran himself. Eilonwy ''herself'' lampshades this twice in the last book.
** Taran's crush on Eilonwy is fully developed by the middle of book 3; in fact, Achren uses it to torture him. What he has trouble figuring out is that, yes, the princess likes him back, pig-keeping and all.
* [[Evil Overlord]]: Arawn is a classic example.
* [[Evil Sorcerer]]: Arawn Death-Lord and Queen Achren
* [[Exit, Pursued by a Bear]]: {{spoiler|Dorath and his bandits are torn apart by wolves right before he [[I Have You Now, My Pretty|"removes Eilonwy's charms."]]}}
* [[Extreme Omnivore]]: It's never explicitly stated, but it's heavily implied that Orgoch (of the Three Sisters) eats pretty nearly anything, including people.
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* [[Genre Savvy]]: Fflewddur, occasionally. He's [[Wrong Genre Savvy]] almost as often.
* [[The Ghost]]: During ''The Black Cauldron'', Adaon speaks often and fondly of Arianllyn, the girl to whom he is betrothed. She's never seen; in fact, the only thing the reader ever learns about her is that she was the one who gave Adaon his brooch.
* [[Giant Flyer]]: The gwythaints. It turns out that they aren't [[
* [[God Save Us From the Queen]]: Achren
* [[Gondor Calls for Aid]]: The premise of much of the final book.
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{{quote|"The black beast you saw is a harsh master; its claws are sharp. Yet I did not feel them until now."}}
* [[Heroes Want Redheads]]: Eilonwy, whom the narrative notes has red-gold hair. A lot of artwork inaccurately depicts her as blonde, however, probably because of [[The Film of the Book]]. And when she ''is'' shown with red hair (see some editions of The Black Cauldron), it's pure red, not the more subtle shade that "red-gold" is probably supposed to describe.
* [[Heroic BSOD]]: Taran, following {{spoiler|the death of Craddoc the shepherd.}}
** Not just when {{spoiler|Craddoc died}}, but that his first thought on seeing him was that he was finally free from his life as {{spoiler|a shepherd}}. He was so ashamed and disgusted with himself for having ever had the thought that he never got over it or forgave himself for it.
* [[Heroic Sacrifice]]: {{spoiler|Ellidyr in ''The Black Cauldron,'' Rhun and Coll in ''The High King.'' Maybe Achren, depending on your point of view.}}
* [[Heroic Wannabe]]: Taran, in the first two books.
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* [[Horse of a Different Color]]: Llyan, a small wildcat who grew to the size of a horse through the use of potions. She eventually adopts {{spoiler|Fflewddur}} and allows him to ride on her back.
* [[Humiliation Conga]]: Queen Achren. Starts off as a powerful sorceress and queen, and rules Prydain as an absolute tyrant. Later, she is overthrown by her more powerful protege and consort {{spoiler|Arawn}}, and is moved to Spiral castle. The castle is destroyed by the heroes, robbing Achren of her powers, which she attempts to replace by draining Eilonwy. She is also repeatedly spurned by the object of her affections, Gwydion. By the fourth book, she's a powerless refugee who works as a maid in Caer Dallben. Quite a long way to fall.
* [[Hypnotize the Princess]]: Heavily influences the plot of ''The Castle of Llyr''.
* [[I Have You Now, My Pretty]]: The outlaw Dorath threatens to rape Princess Eilonwy and have her raped by his fellows "until she is a match for a swineherd."
** Subverted slightly in that Dorath never states precisely what it is he intends to do to her; he says he intends to "remove her charms." The dialogue is written just vaguely enough that the book's younger readers only know that Eilonwy is in danger, without knowing the specifics that might traumatize them. [[Late to the Punchline|Older readers can ferret out Dorath's meaning for themselves, as Eilonwy did.]] It's possible that [[Alternate Character Interpretation|he had something else in mind]], however.
* [[I Just Want to Be Normal]]: Eilonwy in ''The Castle of Llyr''.
* [[I Know Your True Name]]: Used by Gwydion to defeat Horned King, but only in the background.
** A bit of [[Fridge Brilliance]], when this somewhat out of place logic is applied to the rest of the series. Gwydion claims that naming something is to imply mastery over it. No one knows Taran's true name, thus making him master of his own destiny.
* [[Imperial Stormtrooper Marksmanship Academy]]: The relatively inexperienced heroes are more than a match for hardened enemy soldiers.
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* [[Kill'Em All]]: Many, many characters died in the last book, ''The High King''. Perhaps for this reason it's left off many a school reading list that contains the other four books in the series. This is despite the fact that it won a [[Death by Newbery Medal|Newbery Medal]]...
** The closing body count at the end of the book is: {{spoiler|Coll, Achren, Magg, High King Math, Annlaw Clay-Shaper, Llonio, King Rhun, King Pryderi, Arawn, Achren, and Taran's gwythaint. If you count returning to the "Summer Country" as a metaphor for death (which it is in some belief systems), then the book also claims Gwydion, Fflewddur, Llyan, Doli, Taliesin, Gurgi, Glew, and the Fair Folk and Sons of Don ''writ large'', since following Arawn's death [[The Magic Goes Away]], so to speak.}}
* [[King Incognito]]: Prince Gwydion and Fflewddur. Gwydion travels around the countryside in common garb because he doesn't buy into the "[[Sharp-Dressed Man|clothes make the man]]" cliche; in ''The Castle of Llyr'', he is deliberately disguised to avoid detection. Fflewddur does much the same, only he goes out of his way to remind everyone that he's a king.
* [[Jumped At the Call]]: Taran in the first two books. Also Ellidyr, who is essentially Taran's more hotheaded foil.
* [[Just Eat Gilligan]]: Suggested numerous times by Fflewddur of [[The Millstone|Glew.]]
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** Now now, only {{spoiler|"the enchantments of evil" have been vanquished.}}
** Dallben gives {{spoiler|the breaking and complete loss of [[Hen Wen]]'s oracular powers as further evidence that the good magic also has to leave the mortal world.}}
** Even {{spoiler|Dyrnwyn loses its powers after Taran slays Arawn with it.}}
* [[Magic Mirror]]: The Mirror of Llunet is the object of Taran's quest in ''Taran Wanderer''. Taran wishes to know of his parentage and so seeks this mirror which will show the truth.
* [[Mega Neko]]: Llyan
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* [[Sent Off to Work For Relatives]]:
** Taran works Craddoc's farm thinking {{spoiler|mistakenly that Craddoc is his real father}}.
** Eilonwy is sent to the Isle of Mona to learn to be a lady, "working" at being a princess for several years.
* [[Shape Shifter]]: Arawn.
* [[
* [[Solar and Lunar]]: The emblem of the House of Don is the sun, on account of the fact that the Sons and Daughters of Don are descended from the Lady Don and her consort, Belin the sun king. Meanwhile, the emblem of the House of Llyr (Eilonwy's all-but-extinct lineage) is the crescent moon; this is on account of the fact that they are descended from Llyr Half-Speech the Sea King, and the tides of the sea are governed by the phases of the moon.
* [[Soul Jar]]: {{spoiler|Morda}} has one of these.
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* [[Talking Animal]]: Kaw.
* [[Talks Like a Simile]]: Eilonwy.
▲* [[Ted Baxter]]: Ellidyr treats the main characters with much contempt and responds violently if anyone so much as thinks about impugning his honor. It's [[Justified Trope|explained]] that he is like this because he is from an old yet impoverished noble family, and his father and elder brothers squandered their house's money and good name. Poor Ellidyr hasn't got much left except his pride and his horse.
* [[Thou Shalt Not Kill]]: {{spoiler|Dallben, according to Pryderi, though Dallben doesn't confirm it (he only says that no man has ever died ''by his hand'', and that Arawn has misled Pryderi with "half-truths").}}
* [[Throw It In]]: How cooking works in Llonio's household in ''Taran Wanderer''. He sends all his children to find ingredients, and whatever they bring back ends up in what can only be described as a sort of pancake-omelet.
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* [[Torture Always Works]]: Inverted. Achren took Gwydion to Oeth Anoeth to torture him into obedience, but when he was able to endure, the entire building melted and imbued him with power.
* [[Treacherous Advisor]]: Magg, chancellor to King Rhuddlum of Mona. Fflewddur, in one of his more [[Genre Savvy]] moments, is suspicious of him immediately.
* [[Trickster Mentor]]: Dallben, although not antagonistic in the slightest, does otherwise fit the description.
** Orddu. In ''Taran Wanderer'' she asks Taran if he's ever "scratched for his own worms." Months later he realizes what she meant.
* [[True Companions]]: Taran, Eilonwy, Gurgi, Fflewddur, and Doli are the central members.
* [[Tsundere]]: Eilonwy
* [[The Unchosen One]]: Taran literally stumbles into the middle of the war and becomes [[The Messiah]] and later {{spoiler|High King of Prydain}} through sheer determination.
* [[The Un-Reveal]]: {{spoiler|We never learn who Taran's biological parents are. They're probably nobody we know.}} Also, {{spoiler|We never really learn who/what Arawn really is. After he's killed, he reverts to his true form which ends up lying face down on the floor, but before anyone can go near him, [[Load-Bearing Boss|his fortress starts to crumble]] and everyone has to split}}.
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* [[Well, Excuse Me, Princess!]]: Eilonwy rarely stops criticizing Taran, but it doesn't disguise her obvious affection for him.
* [[Well-Intentioned Extremist]]: Pryderi
* [[What's Up, King Dude?]]: Back in Fflewddur Fflam's kingdom, children would often play games and sports in his throne room because of ease of access, and they knew that he was far more likely to join in their games than to shoo them out of the castle.
* [[The White Prince]]: Prince Rhun. Taran himself also has shades of this.
* [[Wild Hair]]: Fflewddur and Gwydion.
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{{reflist}}
[[Category:Fantasy Literature]]
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