Isle of Mona
Encyclopedia
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. The fictional island is loosely patterened after the real Isle of Mona, now called the Isle of Anglesey, the ancient Druid stronghold located off the northwest coast of Wales
which was destroyed by the Roman General Suetonius Paulinus around 65 CE. The fictionalized Isle of Mona is most prominently featured in the Alexander's third novel, The Castle of Llyr
.
. The Isle of Mona is the realm of the House of Rhuddlum, ruled by King Rhuddlum and Queen Teleria. The capital and royal palace are located in Dinas Rhydant, a coastal city surrounding the island's main port
, Mona Haven.
Eilonwy is sent to Dinas Rhydant to be schooled in the ways of being a lady and a princess
. Soon after arriving, Eilonwy (who by title is the Princess of Llyr) is kidnapped by Achren
and taken to the ruins of Eilonwy's ancestral home, Caer Colur. Taran
and the companions, accompanied by the feckless Prince Rhun
, search the island to find the princess.
Later, in the fifth novel, The High King
, it is learned that King Rhuddlum has died. The kingdom is inherited by his son, Prince Rhun. When Rhun is killed on battle, Taran vows to finish Rhun's pet project of a seawall.
in the harbor
. Forest
s cover most of the island, and there is at least one river
(the River Alaw) which plays a part in the story. The companions also discover a very large cavern
in which they have an adventure.
Before Eilonwy was born, Mona was the kingdom of the House of Llyr and the site of its stronghold Caer Colur. Separated from Mona by a flood, the ruins of Caer Colur were then located on a small island just offshore. This site seems to have been abandoned when the House of Llyr fell; however, it only seems to have happened fifteen years before the setting of the novel. Apparently, the sea air and tides helped accelerate the deterioration of Caer Colur.
Prydain
Prydain is the modern Welsh name for Britain.-Medieval:Prydain is the medieval Welsh term for the island of Britain . More specifically, Prydain may refer to the Brittonic parts of the island; that is, the parts south of Caledonia...
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...
series. The fictional island is loosely patterened after the real Isle of Mona, now called the Isle of Anglesey, the ancient Druid stronghold located off the northwest coast of Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
which was destroyed by the Roman General Suetonius Paulinus around 65 CE. The fictionalized Isle of Mona is most prominently featured in the Alexander's third novel, The Castle of Llyr
The Castle of Llyr
The Castle of Llyr is the third volume in the children's fantasy series Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander, first published in 1966.Taran continues his adventures and encounters new friends and old enemies.- Plot :...
.
In the novel
The Isle of Mona is the setting for The Castle of LlyrThe Castle of Llyr
The Castle of Llyr is the third volume in the children's fantasy series Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander, first published in 1966.Taran continues his adventures and encounters new friends and old enemies.- Plot :...
. The Isle of Mona is the realm of the House of Rhuddlum, ruled by King Rhuddlum and Queen Teleria. The capital and royal palace are located in Dinas Rhydant, a coastal city surrounding the island's main port
Port
A port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from land....
, Mona Haven.
Eilonwy is sent to Dinas Rhydant to be schooled in the ways of being a lady and a princess
Princess
Princess is the feminine form of prince . Most often, the term has been used for the consort of a prince, or his daughters....
. Soon after arriving, Eilonwy (who by title is the Princess of Llyr) is kidnapped by Achren
Achren
Achren is a fictional character and villainess in the fantasy series The Chronicles of Prydain, written by Lloyd Alexander.-Profile:In the novels, Achren was once Queen of Prydain, and ruled many years as a harsh and vengeful tyrant, both as ruler and then as the Death-lord Arawn's consort...
and taken to the ruins of Eilonwy's ancestral home, Caer Colur. Taran
Taran
- Given name :* Taran, a 7th century king of the Picts* Taran Taran, founder of the Taran Panth religious sect* Taran Adarsh, an Indian film critic* Taran Killam, an American comic actor* Taran Noah Smith, an actor...
and the companions, accompanied by the feckless Prince Rhun
Rhûn
In the fictional world of Middle-earth created by J. R. R. Tolkien, Rhûn was a large region of eastern Middle-earth. Rhûn was the name used for all lands lying east of Rhovanion, around and beyond the inland Sea of Rhûn, whence came many attacks on Gondor and its allies during the Third Age of...
, search the island to find the princess.
Later, in the fifth novel, 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:...
, it is learned that King Rhuddlum has died. The kingdom is inherited by his son, Prince Rhun. When Rhun is killed on battle, Taran vows to finish Rhun's pet project of a seawall.
Geography of the island
As with the real Isle of Anglesey, Mona is cut off from the mainland by a channel. The capital Dynas Rhydant is in a port. There is an unfinished seawallSeawall
A seawall is a form of coastal defence constructed where the sea, and associated coastal processes, impact directly upon the landforms of the coast. The purpose of a seawall is to protect areas of human habitation, conservation and leisure activities from the action of tides and waves...
in the harbor
Harbor
A harbor or harbour , or haven, is a place where ships, boats, and barges can seek shelter from stormy weather, or else are stored for future use. Harbors can be natural or artificial...
. Forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
s cover most of the island, and there is at least one river
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
(the River Alaw) which plays a part in the story. The companions also discover a very large cavern
Cave
A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
in which they have an adventure.
Before Eilonwy was born, Mona was the kingdom of the House of Llyr and the site of its stronghold Caer Colur. Separated from Mona by a flood, the ruins of Caer Colur were then located on a small island just offshore. This site seems to have been abandoned when the House of Llyr fell; however, it only seems to have happened fifteen years before the setting of the novel. Apparently, the sea air and tides helped accelerate the deterioration of Caer Colur.