Hen Wen
Encyclopedia
Hen Wen is a white sow
featured in Lloyd Alexander
's The Chronicles of Prydain
. She is an oracular
pig - that is, she has the ability to prophesy
about future events and reveal hidden information. Originally she belonged to Coll
, but most of her maintenance was delegated to Taran
when he received the title of Assistant Pig-Keeper in The Book of Three
.
Unknown to Coll, his farm was maintained by the enchanter Dallben
in their absence. He offered to use his powers to protect Hen Wen in exchange for permission to live on the farm, and Coll agreed. From then on the farm was known as Caer Dallben. During this time Dallben devised three letter sticks - rods of ash wood with symbols carved on them, which he used to communicate with Hen Wen.
Years later, on the same day when Taran was dubbed Assistant Pig-Keeper, Hen Wen sensed the approach of Arawn's new war leader, the Horned King, and ran away from Caer Dallben in a panic. She was followed by both Taran and the Horned King's men; she was narrowly saved from the latter when a group of Fair Folk
rescued her and conducted her to their underground realm far to the north. She was eventually discovered by Gurgi
and Taran, who had happened upon the Fair Folk's realm by accident and took her with them.
Within days of being reunited with Taran, however, Hen Wen ran away from him again. Though Taran believed she ran away because the Horned King was near, she had actually sensed the presence of Prince Gwydion
, the only man able to match the Horned King's power. She knew the secret of how to defeat the Horned King: his true name. Gwydion had the ability to understand the speech of animals, and thus needed no letter sticks to understand what Hen Wen told him. After defeating the Horned King, Hen Wen was reunited with Taran and returned to Caer Dallben, where she remained throughout each subsequent story.
At the beginning of The High King
, Taran and his companions watched Hen Wen communicate with Dallben for the first time through the letter sticks. The sword Dyrnwyn had been stolen, and Dallben asked for Hen Wen's prophecy concerning its fate. At first she refused to approach the letter sticks, something she had never done before when they were shown to her. Taran eventually coaxed her to action, but her pronouncements about Dyrnwyn's future were discouraging and the sticks shattered before she completed her prophecy. Dallben later surmised that she was about to predict the end of all enchantments in Prydain, and the sticks were unable to withstand such a self-destructive prophecy.
Taran thought of her often throughout his travels. Eilonwy apparently did as well; while she was away on the Isle of Mona
she embroidered Hen Wen onto a green cloth. She initially tried embroidering Taran next to the pig, but gave that up when the results proved unsatisfactory and started anew with just Hen Wen. However her portrayal of the pig was imperfect; she gave the pig blue eyes when they were really brown. Intended simply as a keepsake for Taran, it soon found use as his flag when Gwydion sent Taran to raise an army among the Free Commots
.
During that winter Hen Wen stayed close to Dallben. She sensed the approach of King Pryderi
, sent by Arawn to kill Dallben and take The Book of Three to Annuvin, but kept herself hidden during the king's encounter with the enchanter. At about the same time, a wild boar who lived in the surrounding forest became drawn to the safety of Caer Dallben. Hen Wen had six piglets with him - five white and one black - which were born the next spring just before Taran returned to Caer Dallben.
By that time, Hen Wen's oracular powers were gone. They had begun fading after the letter sticks broke, but Dallben suggested she was relieved to be an ordinary pig. "Power is a heavy burden, for men as well as pigs," he explained. Her piglets had no magical powers either.
Because of the oracular powers she had possessed, it was expected that Hen Wen would journey to the Summer Country
with Taran and Dallben. But when Taran chose to remain in Prydain she was allowed to stay with him, since she was happiest living under his care.
.
Suidae
Suidae is the biological family to which pigs belong. In addition to numerous fossil species, up to sixteen extant species are currently recognized, classified into between four and eight genera...
featured in Lloyd Alexander
Lloyd Alexander
Lloyd Chudley Alexander was a widely influential American author of more than forty books, mostly fantasy novels for children and adolescents, as well as several adult books...
's The Chronicles of Prydain
The Chronicles of Prydain
The Chronicles of Prydain is a five-volume series of children's fantasy novels by author Lloyd Alexander...
. She is an oracular
Oracle
In Classical Antiquity, an oracle was a person or agency considered to be a source of wise counsel or prophetic predictions or precognition of the future, inspired by the gods. As such it is a form of divination....
pig - that is, she has the ability to prophesy
Prophecy
Prophecy is a process in which one or more messages that have been communicated to a prophet are then communicated to others. Such messages typically involve divine inspiration, interpretation, or revelation of conditioned events to come as well as testimonies or repeated revelations that the...
about future events and reveal hidden information. Originally she belonged to Coll
Coll (character)
Coll is a fictional character from The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander. In the books, he occupies his time with farming, though prior to that he was a warrior...
, but most of her maintenance was delegated to Taran
Taran (character)
Taran is a fictional character in The Chronicles of Prydain series, as well as in the film and game named after the second novel, The Black Cauldron.-Profile:...
when he received the title of Assistant Pig-Keeper in The Book of Three
The Book of Three (novel)
The Book of Three is the first of Lloyd Alexander's five-part novel series The Chronicles of Prydain . Inspired by Welsh mythology, it follows the adventures of Taran, a boy in the care of the enchanter Dallben, as he enters manhood while fighting the forces of the evil Arawn Death-Lord...
.
Plot
Coll was originally unaware of Hen Wen's powers. But when Arawn Death-Lord learned of her, he stole her away to his fortress at Annuvin. Coll followed after her and eventually found her in Annuvin, where her sheer terror from being Arawn's prisoner had made her unable to tell him what he wanted to hear. Coll rescued her and together they returned to his farm.Unknown to Coll, his farm was maintained by the enchanter Dallben
Dallben
Dallben is an important character in Lloyd Alexander's children's series The Chronicles of Prydain.-Profile:Dallben is described as an ancient man with a long white beard. He lives on the farm known as Caer Dallben, where he acts as protector of Coll's oracular pig, Hen Wen. He also is the...
in their absence. He offered to use his powers to protect Hen Wen in exchange for permission to live on the farm, and Coll agreed. From then on the farm was known as Caer Dallben. During this time Dallben devised three letter sticks - rods of ash wood with symbols carved on them, which he used to communicate with Hen Wen.
Years later, on the same day when Taran was dubbed Assistant Pig-Keeper, Hen Wen sensed the approach of Arawn's new war leader, the Horned King, and ran away from Caer Dallben in a panic. She was followed by both Taran and the Horned King's men; she was narrowly saved from the latter when a group of Fair Folk
Fair Folk
This article is for the fictional race in the fiction of Lloyd Alexander. For the mythological Fair Folk, see Fairy.The Fair Folk are a race of supernatural beings in The Chronicles of Prydain, a series of children's fantasy novels by Lloyd Alexander...
rescued her and conducted her to their underground realm far to the north. She was eventually discovered by Gurgi
Gurgi
Gurgi is a fictional character in The Chronicles of Prydain, the series of fantasy novels by Lloyd Alexander. Gurgi is the hero Taran's faithful companion, appearing in all five books.- Profile :...
and Taran, who had happened upon the Fair Folk's realm by accident and took her with them.
Within days of being reunited with Taran, however, Hen Wen ran away from him again. Though Taran believed she ran away because the Horned King was near, she had actually sensed the presence of Prince Gwydion
Gwydion
Gwydion fab Dôn is a magician, hero and trickster of Welsh mythology, appearing most prominently in the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi, which focuses largely on his relationship with his young nephew, Lleu Llaw Gyffes...
, the only man able to match the Horned King's power. She knew the secret of how to defeat the Horned King: his true name. Gwydion had the ability to understand the speech of animals, and thus needed no letter sticks to understand what Hen Wen told him. After defeating the Horned King, Hen Wen was reunited with Taran and returned to Caer Dallben, where she remained throughout each subsequent story.
At the beginning of The High King
The High King
The High King is the last book in the Chronicles of Prydain fantasy series of books by Lloyd Alexander. It was awarded the Newbery Medal for excellence in American children's literature in 1969.-Plot overview:...
, Taran and his companions watched Hen Wen communicate with Dallben for the first time through the letter sticks. The sword Dyrnwyn had been stolen, and Dallben asked for Hen Wen's prophecy concerning its fate. At first she refused to approach the letter sticks, something she had never done before when they were shown to her. Taran eventually coaxed her to action, but her pronouncements about Dyrnwyn's future were discouraging and the sticks shattered before she completed her prophecy. Dallben later surmised that she was about to predict the end of all enchantments in Prydain, and the sticks were unable to withstand such a self-destructive prophecy.
Taran thought of her often throughout his travels. Eilonwy apparently did as well; while she was away on the Isle of Mona
Isle of Mona
The Isle of Mona is the original name of the Isle of Anglesey, and is also the name of a fictional island off the western coast of Prydain in Lloyd Alexander's The Chronicles of Prydain series...
she embroidered Hen Wen onto a green cloth. She initially tried embroidering Taran next to the pig, but gave that up when the results proved unsatisfactory and started anew with just Hen Wen. However her portrayal of the pig was imperfect; she gave the pig blue eyes when they were really brown. Intended simply as a keepsake for Taran, it soon found use as his flag when Gwydion sent Taran to raise an army among the Free Commots
Free Commots
The Free Commots are a region in the fictional country of Prydain in Lloyd Alexander's fantasy series, The Chronicles of Prydain. They are most prominently featured in the fourth novel, Taran Wanderer, where the protagonist of the series, Taran, does much of his maturing into...
.
During that winter Hen Wen stayed close to Dallben. She sensed the approach of King Pryderi
Pryderi
Pryderi fab Pwyll is a prominent figure in Welsh mythology, the son of Pwyll and Rhiannon, and king of Dyfed following his father's death. He is the only character to appear in all Four Branches of the Mabinogi, although the size of his role varies from tale to tale...
, sent by Arawn to kill Dallben and take The Book of Three to Annuvin, but kept herself hidden during the king's encounter with the enchanter. At about the same time, a wild boar who lived in the surrounding forest became drawn to the safety of Caer Dallben. Hen Wen had six piglets with him - five white and one black - which were born the next spring just before Taran returned to Caer Dallben.
By that time, Hen Wen's oracular powers were gone. They had begun fading after the letter sticks broke, but Dallben suggested she was relieved to be an ordinary pig. "Power is a heavy burden, for men as well as pigs," he explained. Her piglets had no magical powers either.
Because of the oracular powers she had possessed, it was expected that Hen Wen would journey to the Summer Country
Summer Country
The Summer Country is the mythical birthplace of mankind in Lloyd Alexander's fantasy book series The Chronicles of Prydain.The Summer Country is the ancestral home of the Sons of Don. It is ruled by the Lady Don and her consort Belin, king of the Sun. The Sons of Don had voyaged from the Summer...
with Taran and Dallben. But when Taran chose to remain in Prydain she was allowed to stay with him, since she was happiest living under his care.
Other media
Hen Wen appears in Disney's 1985 animated film The Black CauldronThe Black Cauldron (film)
The Black Cauldron is a 1985 American animated fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and originally released to theatres on July 24, 1985...
.