The Chronicles of Prydain is a five volume series of children's fantasy novels by Lloyd Alexander. The stories follow the adventures of a young man named Taran, who has been awarded the honorific of Assistant Pig-Keeper but dreams of being a great hero, and his companions Princess Eilonwy, Fflewddur Fflam the wandering bard and king, and a creature called Gurgi .
The novels are inspired by Welsh mythology, particularly stories of the Mabinogion. They are not, however, simple retellings of those myths - a point Alexander himself makes in an author's note - various characters have been changed, and stories conflated, so a student of Welsh culture should be prepared for surprises as Arawn is made into a bad guy, and Gwydion loses any of his negative characteristics.
The Black Cauldron, an animated film loosely based on the first two books, was released by the Walt Disney Company in 1985.
The Chronicles of Prydain
- The Book of Three (1964)
- The Black Cauldron (1965)
- The Castle of Llyr (1966)
- Taran Wanderer (1967)
- The High King (1968) - Winner of the 1969 Newbery Medal
