The High King

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The High King
Dust-jacket from the 1st edition
Author	Lloyd Alexander
Cover artist	Evaline Ness
Country	United States
Language	English
Series	The Chronicles of Prydain
Genre(s)	Fantasy novel
Publisher	Holt, Rinehart and Winston
Publication date	June 1968
Media type	Print (Hardcover & Paperback)
Pages	288 pp
ISBN	ISBN 0-8050-1114-5 (first edition, hardback)
Preceded by	Taran Wanderer

The High King is the last in the Chronicles of Prydain series of books by Lloyd Alexander. It was awarded the Newbery Medal for excellence in American children's literature in 1969 and occupies a significant place in fantasy literature.

[edit] Plot summary

The story begins as the Assistant Pig-Keeper Taran, his companion Gurgi, and the crow Kaw return to Caer Dallben to find that the Princess Eilonwy has returned from the island kingdom of Dinas Rhydant. After Taran's adventure of self-discovery in Taran Wanderer, he realized that all he wants to do now is be with Eilonwy, even if he isn't of noble blood.

Before he confesses his feelings to her, however, he is interrupted by his old comrades in arms, the bard-king Fflewddur Fflam and Gwydion, Prince of Don. Gwydion is badly wounded and seeks refuge in Caer Dallben. It is later determined that Arawn, using Taran's form as a disguise, lured Fflewddur and Gwydion into an ambush and seized from Gwydion the black sword Dyrnwyn. As the magical black sword is pivotal to the downfall of Arawn, Dallben consults the oracular pig Hen Wen to determine what must be done. However, Hen Wen's prophecies are discouraging and vague, and the last reading causes the magical letter sticks, used to interpret the oracles, to shatter.

As the companions are once again gathered, it is revealed that war now looms on the horizon. Taran and his companions, under the Banner of the White Pig (made of an embroidery Eilonwy presented to Taran on their reunion), begin to go through the lands Taran had recently wandered through in his past adventures in an effort to gather supporters for the coming battles ahead. The forces gather at the royal seat of Caer Dathyl.

However, at the war council, King Pryderi, leader of the most powerful army of Prydain, announces that he has switched allegiance to Arawn. On the fields before Caer Dathyl, Gwydion leads Taran and the forces of Prydain against Pryderi and his army in a great battle. Even as the tide of battle appears to turn in favor of the Sons of Don, a legion of the Arawn's undead soldiers, the Cauldron-born, arrives from Annuvin and with the armies of Pryderi, is able to force the Sons of Don to retreat into the surrounding hills. The Cauldron-Born breach Caer Dathyl's defenses, and raze the mighty fortress to the ground, capping a major victory for the forces of Annuvin, which includes the death of the High King Math himself.

Recent US paperback cover

By sending his undead warriors out in such force, Arawn has left his realm relatively undefended. Gwydion, now ascended to the position of High King, realizes that time is short, and that the Sons of Don must make an immediate strike at the very heart of Annuvin. Gwydion quickly lays out a plan in which he will lead the brunt of Prydain's forces in a direct assault on Annuvin, while a smaller force, led by Taran, will intercept the Cauldron Born and attempt to delay their return to Arawn's aid.

While the Companions are struggling to reach Annuvin, King Pryderi leads a small force to Caer Dallben, where, on instructions from Arawn, he hopes to accomplish a two-fold task: 1) to slay the wizard Dallben and 2) to seize The Book of Three. Dallben uses his powers to drive off Pryderi's warriors without harming any of them (to use his powers to kill would mean his own death), but Pryderi struggles through to face Dallben in his cottage chamber. Pryderi attacks Dallben, but his sword shatters on Dallben's staff. Dallben reveals to Pryderi that Arawn has betrayed him, that Arawn never had any intention of sharing his power with Pryderi and had sent him to Caer Dallben knowing that he would never leave it alive. Furthermore, Dallben knows that The Book of Three would never serve Arawn and that in it Pryderi is already marked for death. Pryderi tries to seize the book, but the moment he touches it a bolt of lightning issues from it and strikes him dead.

From this point forward, the prophecies of Hen Wen begin to come true, leading up to Taran finding Dyrnwyn buried beneath a massive boulder at the summit of Mount Dragon. In the face of certain death, Taran dares to draw Dyrnwyn from its sheath and for the first time is able to successfully wield the magical sword. Taran plunges the flaming black sword into the chest of the nearest Cauldron warrior and the power of the undead warriors is instantly broken. The previously mute and invincible Cauldron-Born release a collective wail of anguish and fall to the ground, turning the tide irrevocably in favor of the Sons of the Don. Soon after, Taran confronts the dark lord Arawn in the form of a venomous serpent at the gates of his castle and slays him, delivering the ultimate victory to forces of good. Even as Arawn dies, the power of Dyrnwyn, having fulfilled its purpose, begins to fade. Shining the light of her magic bauble on the scabbard, Eilonwy notices that the inscription is fully visible for the first time. Taliesin, the Chief Bard of Prydain translates the ancient runes, disclosing that the sword could only be wielded by a person of noble worth rather than noble birth, as it was originally believed.

The final prophecies of Hen Wen then come true, and like the power of Dyrnwyn, all magic begins to fade away from Prydain. Yet even as Taran and his friends return to Caer Dallben to celebrate, Gwydion informs him that Arawn's demise also means that those who still have the dwindling gift of magic, including those of the royal lineage of Dôn, will fulfill their final destiny by departing Prydain forever and returning to the Summer Country, their land of origin. Thus, Dallben, Gwydion, Fflewddur Fflam (who is distantly related to the Sons of Dôn,) and Eilonwy will leave Prydain. Although not of noble lineage, Taran, Gurgi, and Glew are invited to make the journey as a reward for their services to the kingdom, and to the Sons of Don. Overcome with joy, Taran embraces Eilonwy and proposes to her. She accepts and as their companions rejoice, Gwydion informs them all that they must make ready to leave, for this is to be their last night in Prydain.

That night, Taran, unable to shake off nagging uncertainties about his decision to journey to the Summer Country, is unable to sleep. As he stands at the window, the enchantresses Orddu, Orwen, and Orgoch appear before him, this time in the guises of beautiful women rather than as the ancient crones they previously appeared to be. They reveal to him that they too are leaving Prydain, and subtly press upon him the importance of decisions all men must face in their lives. They leave him with an unfinished tapestry woven on their magical loom which depicts events from his own life. Even as he ponders the meaning of this gift, Taran realizes that there is much work to be done to rebuild his shattered homeland of Prydain, and many promises he made to departed friends and companions during the war will go unfulfilled if he leaves.

The next day, as all make ready to journey to the Summer Country, Taran announces that he will stay in Prydain and finish what was left unfinished. His friends all give him farewell gifts -- from Doli an axe crafted by the Fair Folk of Prydain, from Glew a small purple gem from his cave on Mona, from Flewddur Fflam the one unbreakable harp string from bestowed upon him by Gwydion long ago and from Gurgi the secret knowledge of Prydain's master craftsmen which Arawn had stolen from men long before and which Gurgi had found in one of Annuvin's treasure caches. Eilonwy, fighting back tears, gives Taran her magic bauble saying, "though it may not shine as brightly as the love we might have shared... remember me." As she turns from him, she suddenly expresses her desire to Dallben to give up the gift of her magic powers, and remain with Taran in Prydain. Dallben then reveals that the power to do so lies within a ring that Gwydion gave her many years before (at the conclusion of The Book of Three). The ring will grant Eilonwy one wish -- but only that which is the deepest and most desperate desire of her heart. Following Dallben's instructions, Eilonwy turns the ring once upon her finger and wishes for her magical powers to be permanently dissolved. With her powers forever gone, Eilonwy joins hands with Taran and the two are joined in marriage with a simple ceremony performed by Dallben.

Dallben then gives Taran The Book of Three and reveals that this decision of Taran's was the last link in a path prophesied in the book wherein Taran could be the foundling of no station who, after the Sons of Don left Prydain, became High King. Thus, as all of his close friends finally depart for the Summer Country, High King Taran and High Queen Eilonwy step out of Dallben's cottage to greet the cheering crowd that has assembled, including many secondary and supporting characters from the series.

[edit] References

• Tuck, Donald H. (1974). The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Fantasy. Chicago: Advent, 6.