*
Now, that night at meat was an uncomfortable one for the Lord
of Dyved, for his companions found sport in ribbing him about
the day’s proceedings upon the Fair-Mound of Arbeth.
“So, was it blows and wounds or were wonders seen today?” asked Idig Arm-Strong.
“Why, I saw a great wonder,” said Tyrnonos. “A woman of uncommon looks rode past that
hill today, only to pull away from our chase without varying her pace.”
“And there’s some who’d say, they saw no looks at all either that way or this,” said
Caradawg-the-Hound.
And all the company laughed.
“And there’s others who’d say, that such a slight was no wonder at all but a blow,” said
Hevydd Broad-Back.
And the company laughed louder.
And so it went…
Until even Talyssin–the-Bard stood up and sang a ribald lay about a lame buck. …
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
