Ancient Legends Retold: The Legend of Pryderi

Pryderi led a rich life, but suffered an early death. In the days of 'Once upon a time' that was the way of it, for he inhabited a warrior world - a world of battlefields, cattle raids, magic and might, life and death. Stories about Pryderi have been told time after time since the earliest times. The interwoven tales that tell his story, among many others, have come to be known as The Four Branches of the Mabinogion. You can find the oldest written versions in the National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth, and the Bodleian Library in Oxford. You can find the newest versions on the tongues of Britain's storytellers - though perhaps, even among storytellers, there are not so many who know or tell these tales, which are strange, weird and puzzling.

Auteur

FIONA COLLINS is a storyteller telling traditional tales from around the world to adults and children. She have been a storyteller since 1989 and is known for her attention to detail, love of language, and ability to make a connection with her audience. Her most recent book for The History Press was Folk Tales for Bold Girls. She lives in North Wales.

Résumé
The Four Branches of the Mabinogion are a rich treasure trove of tales. These magical, quintessentially Welsh stories are confusing, but it would be hard to match their splendid strangeness. The Four Branches tell of the kings and queens of Wales in the time of' 'Once upon a time'. Only one character appears in all Four Branches. He is Pryderi, and the story of his life journey is told in this book. Pryderi is brave and bold: sometimes foolhardy, always fiercely loyal. The stories of two beautiful, powerful women entwine with his: Rhiannon of the Birds, his mother, and Cigfa, his wife. Both accompany him on his life path. But, at the last, Pryderi must go on alone. Here, for the first time, his tale is told from beginning to end.