*
Tyrnonos, Lord of Dyved, ruled the seven townships in a dark land.
Tyrnonos was known as the Thunder-of-Water,
for his mother found him in a cavern, behind a water-fall,
and there was no braver man in all the realm.
Tyrnonos had a mare in his household and he regarded her as the best horse in all nine
worlds. Every May Eve, she foaled, but no one ever knew anything more of the foal,
so that the Lord of Dyved said to his Master of the Horse, “We are fools to lose the foal of
this mare every year.”
“But, what can be done about it?” asked the Master of the Horse.
“Three days hence it will be May Eve,” said Tyrnonos, “and I intend to find out
what fate the foals have met with.”
So, Tyrnonos went with the seven chieftains of Dyved to hold counsel upon the
Fair-Mound of Arbeth, and to see what could be seen.
The seven chieftains of Dyved who were to sit in counsel with Tyrnonos where these:
Caradawg-the-Hound, Hevyd Broad-Back, Unig-the-Tall, Idig Arm-Strong,
Hwlch Bone-Lip, Ynawg-the-Small and Gruddyeu Long-Head.
Said Talyssin-the-Bard to Tyrnonos before he set foot on the Fair-Mound, “Lord, the ancient
lays are clear as a scryed lake and on one point they all agree; it is the property of this hill
that whenever a man of royal blood sits upon it, one of two things occurs: either he
receives blows and wounds, or else, he sees a wonder.”
“Well, I do not expect to receive blows and wounds in the company of such a host as this,”
said Tyrnonos, Thunder-of-Water, “but I should very much like to see a wonder.” …
Excerpt from, Crucible of the Sun
***
Crucible of the Sun: The Mabinogion Retold
By Stuart France
“I will dazzle like fire, hard and high, will flame the breaths of my desire; chief revealer of that which is uttered and that which is asked, tonight I make naked the word.”
Once upon a time we gathered around the flames of the hearth and listened to tales of long ago and far away. The stories grew in the telling, weaving ancient lore whose origins lie somewhere in a misty past with tales of high adventure, battles, magic and love. In Crucible of the Sun this oral tradition is echoed in a unique and lyrical interpretation of tales from the Mabinogion, a collection of stories whose roots reach back into the depths of time, spanning the world and reflecting universal themes of myth and legend.
These tales capture a narrative deeply entwined through the history of the Celtic peoples of the British Isles, drawing on roots that are embedded in the heart of the land. In Crucible of the Sun the author retells these timeless stories in his own inimitable and eminently readable style. The author’s deep exploration of the human condition and the transitions between the inner worlds illuminate this retelling, casting a unique light on the symbolism hidden beyond the words, unravelling the complex skein of imagery and weaving a rich tapestry of magic.
‘The author’s creative and scholarly engagement with the material and enthusiasm for the original tales is evident throughout.’ The Welsh Books Council
‘I found it very inspiring!’ Philip Carr-Gomm, Former Chosen Chief, Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids (O.B.O.D.)
Available worldwide via Amazon, in paperback and for Kindle.
ISBN-10: 1494785137
ISBN-13: 978-1494785130
France & Vincent 