Taran Wanderer
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 Recent US paperback edition |
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| Author | Lloyd Alexander |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Evaline Ness |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Chronicles of Prydain |
| Genre(s) | Fantasy novel |
| Publisher | Henry Holt |
| Released | Nov 1967 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover & Paperback) |
| Pages | 256 pp |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-8050-1113-7 (first edition, hardback) |
| Preceded by | The Castle of Llyr |
| Followed by | The High King |
Taran Wanderer is the fourth book in the Chronicles of Prydain series by Lloyd Alexander. It tells of Taran's search for his lineage through which he encounters many different people who each help to shape Taran as he learns about who he truly is. Many fans of the Prydain saga consider this book the best of the series.
[edit] Plot summary
After the events from The Castle of Llyr, Taran and Gwydion return to Prydain, leaving Eilonwy in the Kingdom of Mona for "royal training" with her distant relatives. Taran, however, grows rather depressed about the fact that he loves Eilonwy, but he thinks that he cannot act on his feelings because Eilonwry is a royal princess while he is a commoner. Therefore Taran sets out on a quest to settle the question of his birth once and for all.
Taran, along with his companion and friend Gurgi, sets out for the Marshes of Morva in the hopes that the witches Orddu, Orwen and Orgoch (whom he last encoutered in The Black Cauldron) will be able to help him. They do not give him a direct answer, but point him towards the Mirror of Llunet, a magical mirror said to reveal many things to those who gaze into it.
Almost immediately thereafter, Taran enters Cantrev Cadiffor, ruled by King Smoit. There, he meets the farmer Aeddan, who shelters the two after an encounter with Lord Goryon's men in which their steeds were stolen. His night in the care of the farmer and his wife gives Taran a new perspective on honor and its acquisition. Taran and Gurgi travel on to encounter first Lord Goryon, in order to reclaim Melynlas and the pony, and then to the stronghold of Lord Gast, where they meet the bard Fflewddur Fflam, their companion of old. Both Lords are quick to extoll virtues that they don't actually have. Following this, the three reunited companions go to Smoit's castle, where Smoit welcomes them heartily.
The next morning, word from Lord Gast arrives that the Lord Goryon has stolen his prize cow, Cornillo. Goryon and Gast have been fighting over Cornillo for so long that neither remembers which one of them originally owned her. Furious at the disturbance of peace in his kingdom, Smoit immediately sets out to apprehend the two Lords with a dozen men in tow whose numbers include Taran, Gurgi and Fflewddur. Smoit, however, falls into a river and is quickly incapacitated, and it is Taran who forges peace between Goryon and Gast, who have destroyed Aeddan's land in their conflict. The two will help Aeddan for a year to make up what they can for this loss, and then shall be released. Cornillo will go to Aeddan to stop the feuding between the two lords, and further compensate for the damage done to Aeddan's property.
After returning to King Smoit's castle, the king takes Taran aside and admits that he isn't the most quick witted of kings and that he admires Taran's good sense. Furthermore, he tells Taran that he is a widower with no heir, and longs for a son just as much as Taran longs for parentage. Smoit offers to adopt him, so that Taran will become king after his death, and the throne of Cadiffor will be in safe hands. Taran considers it, but refuses, saying that Eilonwy would not like it if he abandoned his quest to find his parentage after it had barely begun. But, he says that if he finds out that he is of noble birth on his journey, he will gladly accept Smoit's offer.
After leaving King Smoit, Taran's pet crow, Kaw, returns to him with news of Princess Eilonwy's continued annoyance at her forced training. When Kaw plays one of his pranks with Flewddur, the comapnions find a small casket with a piece of bone inside, which Taran keeps. Llyan then surprises her bard with a 'gift' of a frog which is quite nearly dead. They are about to cast it aside, but at feeling a slight heartbeat, Taran entertains the thought that the frog may have life left in him yet. When the frog makes some rather peculiar noises which sound suspiciously like "Gurgi", "food", and "help" followed by another sound which we may only assume is 'Humph,' the companions realize that they have found Doli. Taran loses no time in reviving the frog with water from a flask.
Doli then tells them of his encounter with the wizard Morda, the reason for his enchantment. Morda had not only managed to find a way to enchant the fairy folk, but also to break into their realm as well, something which had previously been unthinkable. Taran, Gurgi and Flewddur set off to rectify the situation, but quickly fall into Morda's traps. Morda, who has nothing but scorn for all of mankind, turns Gurgi and the bard into animals and is about to do the same with Taran, but he fails - the bone piece the companions have found actually contains Morda's life-force. Then Llyan intervenes and with her help, Taran manages to kill the wizard. During this adventure together, the companions learn that Morda allowed Eilonwy's mother Angharad to die when she had begged for shelter during her search for her infant daughter; the source of his power came from the magical amulet she had worn. The book of spells, which she had with her and which had proved pivotal in The Castle of Llyr, Morda had given to Glew when the latter had sought to be a great sorcerer.
When Doli and the companions are ready to part, Taran gives Angharad's amulet to the Fairy Folk (to whom it had originally belonged), and Doli happens to identify the horn Taran had received from Eilonwy as a magical calling device, capable to summon help from the Fairy Folk once only. After parting with Doli, Taran, Gurgi, and Fflewddur make camp with the mercenary Dorath and his mob. However, while Dorath is initially friendly, his true amoral nature is revealed the following morning. Taran and Dorath fight, and Dorath cheats by pulling a knife. Dorath steals Taran's blade, and the latter takes a while to convalesce.
The party later finds themselves at the farm of Craddoc, an old man who claims to be Taran's real father. Now feeling a commitment towards helping Craddoc, Taran and Gurgi remain with Craddoc, giving up the quest for the Mirror of Llunet. They tirelessly work for many months at his farm helping him out, and Taran and Craddoc form a bond together. Later, during the winter time, Craddoc suffers a bad fall down a mountain gorge, and despite Taran summoning help with Eilonwy's horn Craddoc soon after passes away, revealing to Taran before his death that he was not his real son.
After Craddoc's death, Taran and Gurgi begin a long journey throughout the Free Commots, where Taran works with three of the best craftsman of Prydain in hopes of finding a trade he would like to work in. His first teacher is Hevydd the Blacksmith, who guides Taran through the making of a new sword to replace the one that was stolen from him. The final blade he crafts is dented and scarred, but the blade itself is very strong. The next teacher is Dwyvach Weaver-Woman, who instructs him in the art of weaving cloth. His training with her results in a brand-new cloak and a deeper understanding of patterns. His final teacher is Annlaw Clay-Shaper, one of the most revered potters in all of Prydain. From his training with Annlaw would come knowledge of shaping clay, which leads to Taran creating a bowl he would later present to Eilonwy as a gift in The High King.
It is through Annlaw that Taran learns where the Mirror of Llunet is. After a short journey, he arrives at the Mirror and gazes into it. Shortly after, Dorath appears with Taran's old sword and, thinking that it contains treasure, destroys the Mirror. Once again they clash swords, but this time, Taran's new sword is able to shatter his old one and disarm Dorath. Dorath flees from the cavern, but Taran does not pursue.
Taran later relates to Annlaw what he saw in the Mirror. It showed Taran his own reflection and nothing more. In that moment of reflection, however, Taran saw everything he had become after all he learned in his wandering. Taran was no longer the boy he started out as; now, through all he endured on his long journey of discovery, he sees himself as a man.
[edit] References
- Tuck, Donald H. (1974). The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Fantasy. Chicago: Advent, 6.
| The Chronicles of Prydain |
|---|
| Books |
| The Foundling and Other Tales from Prydain | The Book of Three | The Black Cauldron | The Castle of Llyr| Taran Wanderer| The High King |
| Characters |
| Achren | Angharad | Arawn | Coll | Dallben | Doli | Eiddileg | Ellidyr | Princess Eilonwy | Fflewddur Fflam | The Horned King | Glew | Gurgi | Gwydion | Gwystyl | Magg | Maibon | High King Math | Medwyn | Orddu, Orwen and Orgoch | Prince Rhun | Pryderi | Rhitta | Taran |
| Other media |
| The Black Cauldron (film) | The Black Cauldron (video game) |
| Animals |
| Gwythaints | Hen Wen | Kaw | Llyan | Lluagor | Melyngar | Melynlas |
| Places |
| Annuvin | Caer Cadarn | Caer Colur | Caer Dallben | Caer Dathyl | Cantrevs | Free Commots | Isle of Mona | Marshes of Morva | Spiral Castle | Summer Country |
| Other |
| The Book of Three | The Black Cauldron | Cauldron-Born | Dyrnwyn | Fair Folk | Golden Pelydryn | Huntsmen | Mirror of Llunet |
